TITLE: Barrack Boy EPISODE: 3 AUTHOR: Flow Important info: This story is a true life story, it is the continuation/final part of flows Reasonable man and home away from home... Its what happenend to flow after his graduation and NYSC.. As she took every step i admired her curves. The kind of curves my cousin calls olugbagie boys (boys neck cut off). peter, dis is my daughter, my only daughter, the managing director of precious water, a water bottling company, my newly established company he said. I shook hands with her as i smiled brightly. Yetunde get us a drink pls he said. She brought d drink. oboy come c henessey oh e don tay man pekin drink henessey oh. I drank slowly, trying to gaze at yetunde who was puting her laptop in a bag in preparation for work. well, peter, yetunde will take u to d office to show u something, show me wetin? i pondered. Today is becoming a big movie unfolding abi e get wetin papa no want tell me?, i thought. ok sir, i responded. so i will see u tommorow, i have a seminar to attend dat will take all day he said as he hurried upstairs. If only tommorow will come i thought......... If only......... Mehn as i walk behind yetunde, she almost caught me gazing at her a*ss, she didnt. She drove off on her toyota spider. As i was in d car, i tot of how to start up a conversation, but couldnt find d right words. Finally i asked when she finished schooling, she told me last year in a rather rude manner see me oh, na bad question i ask? i asked myself. I told her i also finished my NYSC last year, and we talked a beat about our service year experience and school life, she schooled in a private university in the east, while i schooled in the east also but a state university. Next we where at a place dat looked like a store house, very big. welcome to precious water ltd she said. She took me to a place, an office and said Dis will b ur office from now office!! I almost laughed then she said yeah, u are to resume in 2 days time, didnt my dad tell u? i ignored her question and glanced around the place in surprise and joy. Tears almost roll down my eyes but big boys no dey cry na. She showed me around and introduced me to every heads of department as assistant manager- an office dat have been vacant since d company started. I cant wait to tell Onyinye and mama dis. Yetunde also gave me some hint on how d job is. I was gradually getting fund of her. I left d place at about 3 and my joy was beyond bounds as i played tupac songs from my phone listening thru my ear piece all d way home. I got home by 4 and i couldnt wait still six to head to d place called sokoto to reason with some wraps of weed about the happenings earlier. I had already told mama and she was over joyous, singing some funny songs. My Onyinye, my sweet Onyinye. I already broke d news to her on phone and she promised to come c me after work. Onyinye works in a bank as a cashier, i remember meeting her the first time in the bank when i went to deposite money for my cousin. Since then its been happily ever after. Its been a year now. Ehen before i forgot i got the the name Fanta when i was in secondary sch, not because i am as yellow as fanta but because i had a crush on a girl in sec sch den. Sandra, it was valentine day and she wanted me to take her on a date. omo c where i fall hand i no get money na and as a sharp barracks boy wey get brain i ask my guys to help me wit some cash boys no get cash so i had to make do with the 300naira wey i get. Where d girl mess up be say she go bring one of her friend i come carry dem go one joint for mammy market na she order for fanta her friend too. They both ate meat pie to use down d fanta na. 300naira come remain 50naira wey i go take blow bike go house, date was over. I reach sch next day come dey feel like pesin wey carry pesin go date, not knowing dat d babe don tell d whole sch say na only fanta i fit buy she and her friend. naso my guys for class begin call me fanta oh, d tin even reach house as many of my area guys attended d same sch since then na FANTA, FANTA, FANTA everywhere oh............ I got to sokoto early enof to seat in sokoto 1 seat (who ever gets first is entitled to a free wrap of weed) i was first and Cosmos next. oboy y u no come call me as u dey enta sokoto na? he said. i b like ur twin broda? i responded as he took his number 2 seat. I asked how his interview went. He said the interview was fine and he is expecting their response soonest. I told him my story and how it all unfolded like a dream to me. fanta eh, u b big boy b dat oh levels don change oh. remember ur broda oh. True talk cosmos has become d brother i never had. cosmos u go borrow me dat ur pink fine long sleeve make i take impress for my first day for work na i said. No wahala u na my paddy na. Other boys were trouping in, in twos and threes until we were about 20 in number, a full house. My wrap of weed was sweeter today, maybe it was the great miracle dat happened today dat made it sweeter. I was high dat d weed made me stand up and started giving every one in sokoto a handshake, as i moved i notice Femis adsence. wey Femi? i asked. e say e no well, he no go fit come today James his neighbour responded. I was on the free jumbo wen i saw torch light flashing to sokoto from different directions. Oboy, awoah don show i whispered to cosmos in his ears. (awoah is a name we call soldiers). We took to our heels and other boys followed, na dat day i no say cosmos na usain bolt younger brother james and mike were unlucky and were caught maybe because they were chubby and couldnt run fast we were out of site in no time. Panting, Olu said dat Femi boy na him betray us oh, him know say awoah dey come today e no tell us so we no go go sokoto how e go tell us, him na sharp guy na said cosmos . Sharp guy indeed as he is always away wen awoah comes to arrest boys in sokoto. if to say dis awoah arrest me like james and mike na guard room straight oh i thought. I cant afford dat now dat my dreams is gradually coming to fulfilment...... I was born in d barracks, primary, secondary, if to say barracks get university i for go am sef. Sokoto has been in existence since i was born and has been passed from generation to generation, we even heard dat a guy years back got mad after taking weed 4 d first time, how true was dat, i never can tell. As we walked home i remembered Onyinye was coming so i told others i was expecting my girl and i started taking faster steps. ok Cosmos na tomorrow tins na? as i waved and took the meandering road dat leads me home. I got home and met Onyinye outside. My love, how was work? i asked. She didnt answer but asked where i had been with a frown in her face. I simply told her i was with cosmos playing chess, big lie am sorry i kept u waiting i told her as i stroke her pointed nose with my finger. She finally smiled and told me to gist her how it all happened. I told her the whole truth, or would i say d edited truth, editing yetunde out of out of it. We chatted as i cracked her ribs with jokes. She brought some money 4rm her purse and handed it over to me i collected and counted it, 2k, she said i should use it to arrange myself 4 my new job. what can i ever do without my Onyinye Onyinye, my Onyinye sometimes i wondered y Obiwon sang dat song Onyinye First b4 i finished composing mine, we went inside and papa was in d parlour watching 9o clock news his favourite tv program. Onyinye went to the kitchen to see mama while i went to tell papa how everything went, he told me dat General Adebayo and him had earlier talked about me seriously searching for a job and the general promised he would do something about it. Papa warned me never to b distracted as the general is a very strict man. Strict! but he doesnt look strict to me so i thought... I woke up early, thoughts of how Sokoto was invaded replayed. But d fact still remains dat James and Mike wouldnt be in the guard room for more than 24hours cos we had top army officers dat comes to visit Sokoto from time to time, so these officers always comes handy to help in such situation and within the next 3days Sokoto will b back and kicking as before. Sometimes i wondered y they still invade Sokoto when 55% of the army men smokes in their own confortable Sokoto, their backyards. I slid my hands through my chinos trousers to collect the 2k i was given by Onyinye last nite. I strayed my mind to how i could make more money 4rm the 2k. Gamble was what came to mind. I thought of paying Olu a visit the guy love to roll dice. This barracks is the biggest in the whole west Africa and fourth in Africa and so u can find the good, the bad, and the wohwoh in it. I thought of keeping 1k at home and taking 1k to gamble because i wasnt a good gambler, but i fit chop today oh. I was still lost in thoughts wen mama came in. Good morning mama i said. ehen good morning nwam she responded. She told me both of us will b going to farm later and dat i will assist her in hervesting the ugwu vegetable dat she will sell in ottor market. Dat is one of the hardest farm work as u are to hervest with care so as not to destroy the ugwu plant. iron lady mama i hailed her and she gave me d most dazzling smile i have ever seen. Maybe dats d only thing i took after her, her good dentition, i b my papa photocopy complete. I tot i she left. My mind was made up to go gamble later in the day. It was noon, and i had finished working in the farm with mama, i took my bath, put on my beautiful blue t- shirt that was crested AM A RULER, am i really a ruler? I asked myself as i walked slowly to go see Olu. The sun on my skin made my fair it glow. Fanta how far, it was Möses greeting, wetin dey happen moses i greeted back. where u dey go? he asked, i wan go tash for Olu place (tash was our slang for gamble). Ok, make i go grind dis cassava, i go join una ok come quick oh i teased as he continued pushing the wheelbarrow full of cassava. Olu was already doing what he knows best to do with Bola, the younger brother to Moses when i came and in teased Bola oboy ur bother dey go grind cassava u dey here dey tash abi. leave me abeg i wan make money ni. I pondered for a second why Moses and Bola likes using ni after every statement, Maybe its their accent, i tot. how much, how much una dey go? i asked. oboy na 1k u get the mind? Olu asked. No i no come to tash, i come watch una oh i lied. so dis place b like stadium wey dem dey watch match abi? Olu teased. na u sabi oh i said feeling unhappy. Soon Moses came in. Then i tot of how i could multiply dis 1k in my pocket. An idea just droped. Olu was angry, he had lost all his money to Bola. as a sharp ibo boy, I called Olu aside and told him i had 1k with me. i want make u use am play i said as i gave him d money. if i win, na 50-50 oh he said. no wahala, but u go tell Bola and him brother say na five hundred everybody go set oh i inquired. no stress u b correct man he said. The dice was set rolling and i immediately put on a gloomy face. I saw Moses won d first round with 1500naira all to himself, i almost cried. Second round and Olu was smiling and said am the man. how u take b the man when na only 500naira u get? i tot. Olu won and i was a beat happy. Now i cant watch dis any more, its breaking my heart i wan go piss i said. Noboby noticed when i left as their mind was where their money was. The money was on the floor smiling at their gloomy faces. Soon i was in Mama big stout joint as i ordered for my brand 1759 (GUINNESS), u owe me 200naira since last week oh i told mama BS as she is fondly called. ok, make i use am bring u drink abi?. yes oh i said. As i drank d chilled 1759 i was thinking who would b on top of b game by now. Maybe Moses because he is as good Olu in the gambling professiön. I strayed my mind and remembered the shirt i asked Cosmos of, dat i had to go collect it and iron it for tommorow. I got to Olus backyard and saw him seating alone eating egusi soup and eba, i was already salivating. I washed my hands and joined him as i was very famished. Curious, i asked him who won, he smiled and said am the man. yes na u b OBA OLU OF TASH na i teased as he told me the total money was 16k. aaaah 16k i shouted. With much joy in me i finished the meal in split seconds. We then headed for Mama BS joint to take a drink or two and to share d money..... After two bottles of 1759, i was off to Cosmos house to collect the shirt. As i got there i met him and his younger brother Musa playing chess. Mehn Cosmos is the best chess player i have ever met, he taught me the game of chess and i hardly wins him in the game. I got there at the right time when they were about starting a new game. Cosmos the chess master i teased. Come to think of it, almost all my friends are masters of a particular specialty, except me. Femi- football, Olu- gamble, James- women, Mike- king of Sokoto and Cosmos- chess. u wan play? Cosmos asked. abi u for say i want flogging, because u sabi flog me i responded. He laughed as i took my seat opposite him. We started as Cosmos instructed Musa to go bring me the shirt i asked for. Cosmos was playing with so much dexterity as i tried defending all his attacking moves to obey his popular cliche which says defence is d only way of attacking. As i tried focusing i saw Musa come out with not only the shirt but fura de nunu. oboy fura don come oh Musa said. I was having an upper hand, it was as if the fura was a source of inspiration to me, every sip brought me closer to wining. Until.......... Gbam, checkmate.. I left Cosmos beaten. On my way home, i could c d cloud darken as if it would burst into tears soon. I was about taking the bending that leads me home i saw two guys approaching me. fantalolo fanta it was Mike. Mike how far, dem don release una i asked dem don release us oh after much beating James said. I could see some bruises in Mikes face. guy make una go house na, sokoto must still continue i said. sure sokoto cannot die Mike said, at dat moment i hailed Mike King of sokoto we shook hands cheerfully as i left dem. As i walked the lonely path dat leads home i heard something move in d bush path dat frightened me. e fit b snake oh i tot. At dat moment i recalled the incident in the farm when i was clearing the bush one day, i suddenly saw this huge smake that was as long a belt. I almost ran, but i didnt. I tried to make sure i was not very close wen i stroke it with my matchete. To my surpise, it died instantly. I got home by 6. omo c light oh i said joyfully. What came to mind was the nylon bag i was holding, for me to go iron my cloth and prepare for work. I greeted mama as i walked in, i also greeted papa inside who told me to come polish his army boot immediate. I got into my cubicle room- so small dat i wondered if those dat did d building thought it was goats that would occupy the room. I hurriedly ironed my cloth and rushed out with my black shoe in hand sweeting. I polished all papas five army boot; one for each working day as well as my casino kino shoe. Dat moment i reminese with nostalgia how i bragged about my casino kino in sokoto one day and James laughed and said dat ur kpangolo shoe nahim u take dey make mouth abi. Everybody in sokoto laughed at me dat day and i said monkey no fine, but him mama like am in shame. At this moment i tot of going to meet james to ask him to lend me his fine shoes and original rolex wrist watch. Jame sure spends money to look good, maybe dats y the he is every girls dream man in d barracks. how i go go borrow shoe and watch, i dey go party? i asked myself as mama called for dinner. I dey come mama.. It was morning devotion and i thanked God for the job and asked God to help me work deligently. I was dressed smelling fresh after stealing papas perfume;-). I walked to pammy bus stop as i thougt of how the bus stop got the name; they sold pammy(palm wine) there at nite. I waved at a keke(tricycle) as they was no bike, if to say dem no ban bike shebi Mike for just come carry me now i tot. Mike drove Okada (bike) as well as he deals on suppling weed to sokoto for a living. Since the commandant of the barracks ban the use of bike for commercial purpose saying barrack boys uses it to rob, Mike sold his bike and concentrated on weed distribution business squarely. Soon i boarded a keke and told d rider the address after instructing him specifically to stop directly in front of the company, because i no wan make my shoe carry dust i tot as we zoomed off.. As the keke moved, i could feel the cool morning breeze. Guy ur money na 500 naira oh said d keke guy 500 wetin? i asked. u no hear me well, u no know say na outside barracks u dey go and na chata u go pay for? he said. i go pay no worry i said bearing in mind dat my wallet was fat with my share of the money Olu won from Moses and Bola. i no b gentle man at all, i no b gentle at all eyoh that was Felas song blasting from the guys stereo. So keke don dey get stereo i tot as i looked at myself in the side mirror of the keke if i looked more like a gentleman like Fela sang. I was impressed by what i saw,fine boy as ever, even finer today. We got to Precious water in no time. I saw Yetundes car parked outside in- between two big truck- they use for distrubution maybe, i tot. I walked with calculated steps into my office I said a little prayer as i steped into my office. Soon Yetunde was in my office gorgeously dressed. good morning she said, i could hear the good morning re-echo in my head as if she had said it a hundred times. good morning i responded, i suddenly set my eyes on her a*ss this time around it looks as if it had grown bigger and more charming. you are to inspect the activities of the departments she said in a rather commanding tone. She commented on my beautiful shirt (borrow borrow) , as i also told her how beautiful she was, she smiled and left rolling her a*ss, i could feel my d*ick rise. As i inspected the departments activities i immediately noticed dat each department had king(the most hard working). Like; king of store, king of sealing, king of supply, king of bottling etc. It made me remembered Mike, he wrote KOS(king of sokoto) in his seat in sokoto as the sole supplier of weed(nobody dares seat there). so na dis work i go dey do everyday i tot at the close of work as i walked slowly to the bus stop... I got to barracks gate at the time they were resiting the national anthem, 6pm, so everybody had to stand still for 5mins while the anthem was resited. As i stood, thoughts of joining the force started clouding my brian. mama say she go like me to join army and become officer but army form never come out na i tot. I would love to join and become a second leutenant but the mago mago too much as Olu tried last year and failed just because he didnt have connections from Abuja, even his fathers Major General friend couldnt help him. if na the will of God for me sha i tot wen i suddenly heard a vioce Fanta eh, Fantolo oh, fantalistic eh, i turned, it was Femi looking rough in his camou- flage uniform running to meet me. At that moment i remembered the invading of sokoto and the betraying part Femi played. Femoo u b bad boy oh i said as we shook. Wetin i do? he asked a rather silly question. so u no fit call all of us for phone tell us say awoah go show sokoto come carry boys abi i said looking directly to his brown scary eyes, oboy me sef no know oh, i dey duty dat day nahim make me no come sokoto he lied. who and who dem catch?. na James and Mike oh, but dem don free dem i said. okey, thank God oh, no mind those awoah them no say sokoto no go fit die dem wan just come arrest make e be like say dem dey do their work he said. ok oh, make i dey go i don tayah, e get where i don start one small job like dat i said shaking him and walking away, while he said i thank God for u oh. This time i didnt board a keke but a bus, seating at the window of the bus i could see some barrack women working in their farms. this women no dey tayah? i asked myself a question that only me could answer... I got home, took my bath and ate the ofe owerri(owerri soup) mama kept for me in the kitchen. As i swallowed the fufu slowly i said to myself mama sabi cook sweet food oh. Suddenly my Nokia torch phone rang, it was Cosmos he wanted me to come to soljas club the venue of his birthday celebration. yekpa!! i don forget say Cosmos tell me yestaday say him birthday na today oh i said to nobody in particular. I rushed up my food. As i was about leaving for the noctunal birthday drinking party i saw papa trying to catch a hen he wanted to cage in our Big hen house, i helped him catch it as i almost slipped in the slippery cement floor. Papa asked me how my first day at work was, i explained to him in details and he encouraged me. I lied to him dat i wanted to go collect something from Cosmos. I got to soljas club in no time, this nite soljas club was looking more beautiful as everywhere shone with light of different colours; green, blue & yellow. Some boys where playing snooker at a corner while others where playing chess at another corner. I went straight to the big drinking hall. Cosmos, Olu, James, Mike, Moses, Bola, Musa and Sunny were all seated drinking from a round table of brotherhood already down with their first bottle. I shook hands with dem as they all hailed shouting fanta! Fantalist as if they were singing. A song came blasting from the big speakers at soljas club, Califonia Love by Tupac as i stood up and started dancing a very funny dance. Everybody at the club started cheering me as i swallowed a sip of the 1759 in my hands and continued dancing. As i continued dancing another dancing style, my friends cheered the more and i whispered to myself saying; i love my hommies and my hommies loves me as Tupac quoted............ Watchout for episode 4
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 07:03:17 +0000