THE ACCIDENT

 In my final year in school, I had the honor of being made a prefect. I was given a position of authority, some level of responsibility. In those days, it was a real privilege to be made a prefect. We were like the chosen few. It was a position of respect. Even our mates reckoned with this position of responsibility. The school authorities expected us to be at our best behavior, and to set the right precept for our mates and juniors. The authority therefore frowned at any occasional misdemeanor from any prefect.

My duty as the prefect require that I go into the city once a week. I chose Fridays because we close early, and I get the chance to get back to school on time. So every Friday afternoon (12pm) I’m at the VP’s office (Mr. Oladele) to get the money needed for the trip. He was always generous. I loved the job. And apart from the generosity of the VP, I make sure that I go to my Father’s office. My weekend was always ‘Nairaful’.

Tuesday, 12th October, 1999. We had completed our GCE examinations, we only had Yoruba language exam to write; that was on friday, the 15th. I was back in school, since I had an exam to write on friday, I decided to go on that Tuesday, 12th October.

As always, I go alone. But on this particular day, a friend, and also a prefect, Makanju, wanted to buy mosquito net, so we decide to go together. We got to dugbe, bought the material, and headed straight to his mum's office (and my dad's later of course), I do my weekly business there. On our way, there is a particular busy and narrow, one-way road that we had to pass through. Makanju was in front, I, at the back walking against the traffic.

Then all of a sudden, some meters away; an old Land Rover jeep lost control; the break failed, coming towards us.

People in front were trying to get out of the way. The road was crowded with traders’ stalls and wares; it was really narrow and difficult to find a leeway. Makanju who was just a couple of pace ahead of me was able to evade this charging automobile; I could not.

I was hit and thrown on the traders’ stalls nearby.

The look on st. maks face, he thought I was badly wounded. Luckily for me, I escaped with a cut just above my right knee... and a limp.  

Writers' Block

You know, nearly everyday. I open my account; and I have to post something, but it all returns blank. Not that nothing is happening around me; in fact a lot is happening, rather too much. My thoughts keep jumping from one thing to another. I am focused, yet 'am not.

I have to post something.

I now have a job. I wake up 5am. 6am am out on my way to work. I get back 8pm. So how do I blog? And oh...how I miss blogging. All those memories racing through my mind, wanting to be penned down, wanting to be all let out.

The passion and will to continue blogging has even been made much more irresistible when I met some old high school friends on a face book group solely dedicated to the school. We share experiences, both present and past, we bring back yesterday.

Well even if I can’t blog on how I got beaten by a senior, or how I had to sleep in the Classroom over the night. I have just posted something.

Later.

Hiatus

Folks I will be away for some time. I promise I will be back soon.

THE CHAPEL REVIVAL

The Wesley College Chapel is not just another building. Not just another place of worship. The chapel had diverse meanings to many students. But more importantly the Wesley College Chapel was (and maybe still is) the most popular building in the school. Students had both good and not so good reasons of going to the chapel for devotions and services. I’ll dwell on the good reasons; the not so good for another day.

We so much enjoyed going to the chapel; the songs we loved, we danced and rejoiced to melodies every night for three straight years. The Chapel was like a hide-out; a sanctuary for juniors to escape the hostilities of our seniors. 9 pm everyday was a time we gathered to loosen the accumulated tension of the day. The Chapel kept our sanity and gave us the will to go on. Events in the school Chapel were predictable unlike our seniors and even sometimes, us.

2^nd term 1999, events took a new turn. An end to predictability. I suppose the Chapel executives headed by the Chapel prefect invited some ex-Wesleyans to preach the word. The sermon delivery wasn’t like anything we’ve been used to, and the ‘heaven-hell cards’ were played. Trust me, this period was like a call to order, a call questioning our declared love for God. We became so spiritually charged; my communion with God was at an all-time high. The atmosphere in the Chapel was so permeated with the Holy Spirit, we could feel it, and we were able to key into it.

We had more Chapel services during the week than ever before. And during these services (I don’t know where those guys came from); it was common occurrence for people to fall under the anointing. I can remember myself telling Makanju how wonderful it would be if I could maintain that level of spirituality. I couldn’t.

Spiritual gifts were imparted. The gifts of speaking in tongues and even its interpretation, and the gift of prophecy.

The effect of their visit reverberated even into the next academic term. They left but we were still able to maintain the level of spirituality. More students started coming into the Chapel for devotions, even Muslims got converted. One individual even changed name.

But there was a particular gift that really stayed with us after their departure. The gift of prophecy. We had many prophets and prophetess. So many prophesies were delivered. I even got one. My personal prophecy till date.

Girls would even prophecy during school hours in their hostels; they would go to the hostel, listening and writing down prophesies. Spirituality was fashionable, its either you can prophecy, speak in tongues, or interpret. If you don’t have any of these gifts, you feel like you don’t belong. How could I forget.

The Chapel revival did not last forever. It lasted that academic session. But the revival gave birth to something else. Increased familiarity. More friends. And when I say friends, I don’t mean boys. The Christian sisterhood-brotherhood atmosphere opened many doors… no, some doors. It did.

STING OPERATION

Sting: to affect with sharp quick pain. To overcharge, cheat.
Covert: not openly shown, secret.
Operation: something to be done, an activity. A military action, mission, or manoeuvre and its planning.

Okay, let’s ‘manoeuvre’ our minds to those CIA movies, where agents are sent into enemy zones mostly as undercover. The enemies are hit before they knew what hit them. Sting operation perfect, quick operation.

It should be surprising therefore, when teenagers exude such military finesse. Just like a friend narrating a story you told him of how you met and wooed your ex-girlfriend, what you did… but funny enough you can’t remember telling your friend such a story… and when did she become my ex? But he sounds so convincing, when did all this happen?

You feel dumb and stupid. You’ve been playeSS1 Second Term

Two senior students (SS3) came into the boarding house, my house in particular; for obvious reasons, they came to prepare well for their final examinations. I think one of them came to retake some papers. Dapo Okuyiga and Chude. The only reason a senior would like you as a junior is if you are always ready to run his errands. Dapo Okuyiga liked me; Chude was his friend, they both like me.

Their uniforms were always neat, thanks to me. An average day went this way:

I get back from school, head straight into the senior dormitory. Dapo is already there waiting. He sees me, throws his uniform at me, without saying a word. That was the daily ritual. Or on other days, if I’m nowhere around, he makes sure he gives the uniform to no one else until he finds me.

But since Chude was his close friend, he uses his friends’ laundry man. Me.

As time passed by; they raised the bar, they moved from uniforms to checks, then mufti (especially trousers). I was a great laundry man. Till I struck gold. Literally.

Third Term SS1

Our seniors are always busy this time of the session with their final examinations. Laundry business wasn’t moving. But once in a while ‘customers’ still bring their laundry. Chude brought his. He gave me his trouser, told me to wash. I loved my job, so I washed it immediately. But I don’t take washed clothes to customers, they come for their clothes.

He did not come for his trouser, so I just wrapped it and kept it in my locker. A day turned into two days. Then a week. One month. Till I forgot I had a foreign trouser in my locker. Why Chude forgot the trousers, I can’t say. Maybe exam pressure.

They left school

I STRUCK GOLD
A friend of mine, Demola who had his locker close to mine, and I, were doing the once in a while locker cleanup. And I struck gold. I saw a trouser in my locker and I could not remember how it got there. Searched the pockets, I found a nylon. Inside the nylon. Lo and behold, jewelries. Earrings, neck chain…How did I get this? Then I remembered. My laundry job had paid off after all.

STING OPERATION
Demola was by my side, I didn’t show him he saw it Two is a crowd, they say. But I had no choice; I would have showed him anyway. What are we to do? We could make good money, we agreed. We have to go to Sabo; Demola could not help with that, but a mate of ours could help he suggested. Godwin. Godwin is always ready. He confirmed he’s got contacts at Sabo. It was agreed that we would set a date aside to go to Sabo. Godwin and Demola. So I wrapped the jewelries and kept them safely in my locker.

That was the last time I would see those jewelries.

**now before I proceed, I personally did not indict these two then, neither do I now**
That was the last time I would be seeing those jewelries.

Few days later I got back from school, felt like once again beholding the jewelries. They were no where to be found. Now I don’t really know what to write about this incident. I guess I should have called the CSI crew. This is what I know.

There was no sign of forced entry (into my locker). Demola and Godwin both appeared surprised on discovering this theft. But what was more surprising was how some of my seniors got wind of the theft. Who told them? Seniors Tayo, Ayo, Michael, Bimbo (maybe) called us for questioning.

It was obvious they suspected Godwin and Demola, but I also discovered they knew more than we did. Ayo and Tayo particularly appeared to know where the jewelries were.
The incident was so serious, they intimidated Demola. I guess it contributed to his decision to leave the hostel. Ayo and Tayo were my close friends of, though they were my seniors. They told me who stole (took) the ‘goods’. A senior (in Griffin) did the Italian job.

But who was I to confront him.
I guess he is now rich from the money he got from those jewelries.

JUVENILE

Some things we did, so immature; we thought been in SS3 was it. We were kings; no one could ask us, query us. We were the untouchables, the invincibles. We did whatever we wanted, whenever we felt like.

Ironically, less than a year after leaving school we meet such people, juniors, seniors, who we
had months back maltreated and vice-versa. You both smile as if nothing had happened between you two. It's a sign that once you leave the animal kingdom, you leave all your inhumane
attributes.

I don't want this post to be unnecessarily long. I remember this.

Few weeks after I got admitted into the University, I met Tayo (not real name). He was then studying diploma in law, when I saw him. We were both excited to see each other. Who would imagine that two years before then I got injured, thanks to him.

It was on a Sunday.

SS3 students had one more final paper to write (Yoruba) and we SS2 students always dream of defying their orders and in extreme cases, beating them up.

Sunday afternoon, senior Michael sent me to the kitchen to get his food. On getting to the
kitchen there was no more food (as unbelievable as that was, for he was the asst. food prefect). So I had no choice but to return with an empty plate. As I was about leaving the dinning hall, I met ‘tayo’; he said he wanted the plate.

I guess my mistake was refusing him; before I knew what was happening a resounding slap landed on my face, which made me loose my balance, I nearly fell.

I got a sudden rush of adrenaline.

Me: 'Tayo, Tayo, you'll will regret this'(lol, as if I could do anything other than reporting him).

Tayo didn't say anything he just left.
Unfortunately for me some of his friends were around and they saw what happened.

Friends: 'Mi o je gba' (I can never take that). 'Is that not 'me' talking to you like that’?I guess he didn't want his friends thinking he was weak. I saw him coming back towards me, and I knew he was going to do more than just slapping me. So I took to my heels. But he ran after me, caught up with me. He was taller and stronger.

I tripped and fell on my hand injuring my right wrist in the process.

His last day(ffg.day) wasn't that cool because he was summoned by the house master, where he got disciplined. Though that didn't take away the bandage that had to be on my hand for a week.

There was this other senior, Tunji (real name); he was my number one enemy. He was always after me. It was my fault to have allowed them (tunji and coolio) carry my things as commanded by the hostel prefect, on my first day. A real thorn in my flesh he was.

I can't recall the number of times I had him reported to Mr. Okegbola and Mr. Akinleye.

It's really funny how we both became close friends in the University. We were even in the same department, different majors though, and we still keep in touch.

So, to all juniors that I had one time or another maltreated.

I am sorry (I know you can't even remember what I did, lol).

EYESORE

Events took me to Wesley College in 2006. That would be the second time after graduation that I would be there. The first being in 2002.

There is this feeling of anticipation and anxiety that many people have, when visiting place(s) they’ve not been to in a while. I was looking forward to once again seeing the school which I had so many memories. The school area, the workshop, administrative areas, chapel, the laboratories, dining and jubilee halls, the staff quarters and the hostel.

What I saw was an eyesore.

The whole place looked so unkempt, so unclean. The dining hall was so dirty, I don’t know if students still eat there. The girls’ hostel was totally in ruins, the building even looked as if it was sinking. If the girls hostel as in ruins, then I don’t know what to say about the boys’ hostel. Abandoned.

The hostel I once knew, the hostel I had so many experiences, bitter, sweet, sour. This hostel no longer exists. No Aso Rock, No Griffin, Webster, Mead or Freeman. All gone. So Desolate. The Ceilings had collapsed.

It’s obvious that since I left school, no renovations or even maintenance has been carried out in the school especially the hostel area. Where is WESCOSA? Where are those people who come to the chapel for 50^th, 40^th, 30^th anniversaries?

The hostel we knew no longer exists.
Something has to be done.

I SAW MR. AKINLEYE

A couple of months back, I had just left the bank going back home, and I saw Mr. Akinleye.

I was so exited that I walked up to him. Seeing me, he recognized me; he said 'Wesley?',
I said 'yes'. He said I had changed, trying to recall how short I was way back. He asked what I was into, if I was out of school, where I was working and some other things.
He said he left Wesley immediately after I graduated, he was transferred to Government
College. We departed exchanging numbers.

Years ago, when I was in high school, I never could have imagined that there would come a time when I would be having such a mature discussion with him. He was just an individual trying to do his job. And he did one hell of a job. If we were tough, he was tougher. There were rumors going around then that he had a black belt. He was always around to cut our excesses. Don't cross him. The toughest amongst us tried, but they only proved the obvious. Don't mess with him.

We feared him.

There was a guy; I can't remember his name now, maybe shola. He was my junior (2 yrs). He just got to the hostel, but he had a problem. He couldn't get himself a locker, he came late and all lockers were occupied especially those lockers in the junior dormitory. No junior fancied the idea of having his locker close to the seniors. That meant errands.... in abundance. But there was an unoccupied locker in the senior dormitory; he had no choice but to take it.

This guy spent only one week with us, before all hell was let loose.

You know, things we blamed our seniors for as juniors were exactly the same things we did when we became seniors.

IT WAS A SUNDAY

A typical Sunday. You wake up, no juniors around, they've all vanished. Eat breakfast; make a mess, bread crumbs, and egg shells.

It's noon. You get back from the chapel after service. Into the dormitory, and it looks so untidy, the toilet looks so unwashed, the gutter, corridors dirty. Hell, these kids didn't do their morning duties in their bid to leave the hostel in time. They are in for real trouble tonight... so we thought.

Now, back to this guy, shola. He came to me later in the day. He had a serious complaint.
His money was stolen. How did that happen? Where did you keep the money? You should have been more careful. Now we have a thief here. So I called and told one or two of my mates.
'Sorry, you'll get your money back, whoever is behind this will be caught, just be patient'.

But he wasn't.

BUSTED

During the prep., the announcement summoning all SS1 and SS2 boys in the house was made. They are in for one hell of a night.

They were beaten several times all over their bodies. We had names we gave to those corporal punishments, I can't recall those names, but they were all excruciatingly painful. Some of our mates from other houses even came to lend us (us? no, them, I was just an onlooker) a hand. This went on for a long time, but the beatings continued.

I got bored, so I went for my daily dose of 'garri'. I was even trying to console the 'crying babies'. All of a sudden I felt a strong hand on my shoulders, pushing me downwards, and saying 'on your knees, now!'.

Mr. Akinleye had been around for God knows how long watching us. This was a mega-bust.

The student whose money was stolen had gone to report the incident to Mr. Akinleye earlier in the day. That was why he was in the dormitory at such an hour of the day. Not that it was strange or surprising for Mr. Akinleye to know that this was what we do. In fact we were sure he knew. But it was a different story altogether for him to witness this firsthand.

We got the beatings of our lives.

It was obvious he knew those who were actually involved directly, so there was no time for denials. He divided us into two; the actors and the onlookers.

But I said it then, and I will say it now. I see no reason why a particular guy was excluded. He did not beat anyone.... neither did I. Spirituality shouldn’t have been used as a measure. That was prejudice.

We were beaten like criminals, especially the actors.

We were moved into the quad-angle, ordered to strip, leaving only our boxers. Then he told some guys to go get buckets of water. We lay flat on the wet grass and I got six good strokes of the cane on my bare back. The guys doing the beatings, the actors, had water poured on them and received twelve strokes of the cane also on their bare backs.

I have a scar just above my left elbow. It constantly reminds me of what happened that infamous SUNDAY.

*Garri - fermented, grounded, dried, and heated cassava

SUNDAY PALAVA

I can't imagine why establishment in charge of power would turn such social infrastructure into objects of fun.

PHCN, NEPA is at it again. Power for 5 minutes, off for 2 minutes, then back again for another 5 minutes. They've been at this for 2 hours. Mehn... so annoying. Anyway I won't let them get to me.

And as if PHCN palava is not enough, someone is really making me mad right now...no I won't get into that...personal. A deep breath, and... yes, anger gone. Once watched a movie, one actor telling the other to count from one to five, says that was what he usually does. Don't know if that will work for me; but the deep breath thingy works.

Sunday was always the best day of the week for us. We had a special uniform for the day (orange check), the best food combination for the week (even enjoyed the breakfast better in SS3... story for another day). The only turn-off about this day was the knowledge that come tomorrow, monday, you have to be in class with some unpredicatable teachers(maths tutor, Mr. Olapade, never answered a single question he asked me; even those I knew). But i can't seem to understand why such a lovely day finds a way to transform itself into an ugly one.

Since the only major activity for the day was to go for sunday service, that means we usually don't have much to do for the rest of the day. So as junior students we wake up as early as we could (make sure 'they' are still snoring), do morning duties, get everything we will be needing for the day. By the time 'they' wake up none of us is found in the hostel... except the likes of Alogba and Debo... yinka was always around too.

Looking critically at it, this sunday strategy was the best, since 'they' dont even get to see us.
But again, if we are asked now; years after we've left school, what our worst experience was, that experience is likely to fall on a sunday. It was as if the day was jinxed, finds a way to conspire against us. SOMETHING ALWAYS HAPPENS.

And come to think of it. Even as a senior, I (mean we) was(were) busted on a sunday.

Next Post.

Bush Baby

What can i say? Thought i would be away for only one week. Now it's been six.

Been really busy these past weeks. A Nightmare would be an understatement.

And can't say 'am back.

Take this, maybe it'll last for another six.

And talking about nightmares.A nightmare is a dream which causes a strong unpleasant emotional response from the sleeper, typically fear or horror, or the sensations of pain, falling, drowning or death....Most (if not all) people have had such experiences at a time or another in their lives. Pain, falling, drowning, deep sorrow, blah, blah....But one nightmare experience is peculiar to the black race. Masquerades...

Traditionally, masquerades are believed to be dead people brought back to life. Who would want to be chased by such?. And much scary is the fact that the one being pursued tends to run at slow pace, just as if his legs were held by some invincible magnetic force. U feel me.

The society we grew up in had a lot to do with things that we did in our conscious and subconscious states. Most of us believe these tales as they've turned from myth to reality. In fact, some of us had personal encounters which somehow made us believe these things to be true.

So when for the very first time we find ourselves away from home, these myths find themselves in our minds.

The word 'bush baby' is common to ALL students who went to one boarding school or the other (down here). Is it 'Miss Kokoka'?. The one who you only hear the foot-steps, but never see the person walkin'. Or when you see only hands doing things for themselves with no body?. Or a time when a student fell deathly ill, it was a popular believe he had an encounter with the 'bush baby'.

Ah that reminds me.

You want to get rich quick. Just forget about the many get-rich-quick schemes that we have around. Forex won't help yah, neither adsense...

Just get a 'bush baby's' mat. Simple? NO.

There is a very popular belief down here about 'bush baby'. They are natively called 'ewin'. And they are believed to be predominant in dense rain forest.

Just get the mat. Go into the forest. Wherever 'bush baby' goes the mat follows. Then you must have watched WWE for a week non-stop before these.

Once you smack-down the bush baby', it brings you riches and good fortune. And you live happilly ever-after.Lie.The riches and good fortune won't come without seven days of dreadful plea from the 'bush baby'. It somehow finds it's way to your house at night and cries pleading and begging to get back the mat. The horrifying aspect about this is that you and only you hear the 'bush baby'.

If you can endure these 'mere' seven days, you get to keep the mat and you become rich.

I seriously think we ( i mean I) need to give this a try.

So just imagine the fear that always envelops us when we supposedly had encounters with such creatures, especially soon after leaving the comfort of our homes for the very first time.

Looking back I now deduce that the 'bush baby' was actually a syndrome of junior students, since that fear disappeared once we ourselves became seniors.

See you in six.

Sorry

Sorry guys, I've been really busy these last few days. Blog will be updated before the end of the week.
Has anyone ever heard of BUSH BABY. You can't get it on google

C u all soon.

8 Joules

If I can still remember my physics, then joules should be the standard unit for measuring energy. We were all in the science class so things like that comes easily to our minds.
So when a junior student calls his senior by the nickname, he should be prepared for trouble.


We had a senior in those days called 'ejo', meaning snake. I don't know how he got the name, maybe because of his stature, for he was slim and tall.


Alogba and Debo are junior students who somehow happened to have a somewhat unrestricted access into the senior circus. Probably because they were willing errand boys.You will always find them in the hostel at times when every junior student has escaped to the classroom area all in the name of afternoon 'prep'. You find them jisting with seniors. This attitude brought about a certain level of familiarity, that could be boldly exploited.


The familiarity got to a stage that whenever we see these two guys we find ways to evade them, because more often than not, they were sent by 'a senior' to come get you.


There is an adage that says 'eni ti o ba fe ba esu jeun, sibi owo re ni lati gun', means 'he who wishes to dine with the devil must do so with a long spoon.Got it.


On this fateful day, I was in my classroom reading. Not that I was actually doing much reading, this time was just an excuse for us to leave the hostel because 'they' usually get very volatile at this time of the day. Juniors usually get into trouble at this time.
So I was in my classroom, and I saw senior 'ejo' going into the hostel. Little did I know that in a matter of seconds a storm will begin ranging.


Alogba and Debo rushed into the classroom arguing.


Alogba: Kini ka so (what should we say).
Debo: Ha. mi o mo o, a ti daran (Oh, i don't know, we are in trouble).
Alogba: Ama ni wipe a a pe won ni ejo (we will say we did not call him ejo).
Debo: O tun bo ro je. Won gbo wa ( that won't work. he heard us)


These guys had broken the holy grail of rules. YOU DARE NOT CALL A STUDENT BY THE NICKNAME. YOU COULD BE CRUCIFIED UPSIDE DOWN.


Debo: We have to think of something to tell him tonight after chapel.
Alogba: O ti e da si wa (hey, what do you think). He was talking to me.


Luckily for them I had the answer.


Me: It's easy, just tell him you said '8 joules'. You were both arguing since you will be having a physics test tomorrow.


They accepted my strategy just as one would joyfully receive chilled water in a hot tropical sun.
And guess what. IT WORKED.
If you happen to have lived where I come from (South-West, Nigeria), then you should know that '8 joules' sounds like 'ejo'(except for the 's').


Situations like these one made us smarter, and it helped us get ourselves out of similar precarious circumstances.








apologies for the errors.

Casts

I can call this a post if I want to.

I've had some names typed on a piece of paper for nearly a decade now. And I might loose it. They are names of costars in the animal kingdom(seniors and juniors excluded). Some are recurring and others are guest star appearances.
Meaningful only to those who knew Wesley College in my time.
And to those who have every intention of going on this adventurous journey with me.


MEAD HOUSE
Samson Ozemoya mog
Dokun Balogun balo G
Peju Odebunmi benson
Tokunbo Babalola toks
Tobi Omokungbe nan pao
Gboyega Olaiya
Badeji Adebisi jonny bravo
Fadipe Adeoluwa kedigbe, susii
Muyiwa Olawuyi oloh, okolosi(sorry i know... i just had to)
Damilola Osikoya branco
Ademola Adesokan longman, adex
Segun Abodunrin
Godwin Lawani
Dapo Oyedele

FREEMAN HOUSE
Makanjuola Adebulehin st.maks
Remi Ogunkayo blakky, black shit
Yomi Adedeji baami
Niyi Oni biggie
Moshood Taiwo lampro
Macaulay Gabriel mascor
Saheed Oyedeji otutu
GRIFFIN HOUSE
Bola Amosa bobo(i hear say u dey akwa ibom)
Rasheed Alogba gusto gony
Leye Oyediran leyito
Bashiru Shoyombo ijebu
Remi Adagunodo stagnant water
Bisi Faleye holy spirit
Tola Omotosho
Femi Aiki iyanibo(female tortoise)
Niyi Adetunbi neyo
Seun Fawehinmi belego agipsin (where r u?)
Ahmed Atere
Damola Alayande alsatian, SP
Wole Oguntoyinbo oguns(call me. lost my number?)
*Seun Oguntoyinbo manjogi
Segun Komolehin se iwo rije
Remi Abiodun
WEBSTER HOUSE
Segun Obisesan
Yinka Amole anelka
Ayobami Makinde solo, mankind
Idris Oyedeji ategun
Julius Aluko ajunko
David Fashakin ogaga(the guy tall)
Tosin Oke okefin
Debo Oguntuga
For guys whose names are not included, my apologies. It's been a long time.



I use to have the gals lists too, but I can't find them right now. Not that they actually fit into our side of the animal kingdom. I would put them in the endangered species section of the kingdom.

FIRST DAY

Scofield was dropped at sona gate and one of the guards said 'this is as far as we can go'. Mama dropped me in front of the hostel with my things and said 'we'll come during visiting day'.
Sounds the same to me.


Every new student is taken to the hostel captain, who then assigns those who will help him get a bunk, locker and help arrange his things. What?. It's true. (you know one sometimes needs to conserve strength). Before you leave his room, he reads to you the riot act.


1. You dare not call a senior student by name(this is actually the holy grail of all rules).
2. Morning and Afternoon duties most be done.
3. You are sent to school as an help-mate for seniors, therefore this is your primary assignment.
(a) you fetch water for him.
(b) you wash his clothes, including the undies.
(c) he finds it tedious to go for his food himself. so you go to the dining hall to get his food.
(d) you don't refuse him. he wants your mattress, you give him. he wants your food stuff, he
gets it.
4. All juniors are often told to assemble at 'aso rock', as commanded by any senior for reasons
best known to him.(aso rock is an open space in the hostel with a 'wide' stair case which we sit
on).
5. No 'mofti'. you must always be in your hostel uniform. failure to comply corrected by
appropriate punishment.
6. No junior must be seen in the hostel during school hours, and outside the hostel after 10pm.
7. The seniors are free to violate any of the rules above.


Tunde, the hostel captain, then shouted 'one boys....., two boys...., one boys, two boys, one boys, two boys. And suddenly out of nowhere, I saw students running from different directions, towards him, and also forming a line as they got to him. After they all got to him and the line was completely formed, he then picked the last two boys and told the rest to go.
Then he said "coolio, tunji, carry his things to mead house", "get a bunk and a locker for him, and then help him arrange his things", "when you are through come back to report to me".
I felt like it was my lucky day. This hostel must be sweet. 'when your mates are ordered to help you with your things on your first day'.


I found out minutes later that these guys(coolio and tunji) were actually my seniors.
I had unknowingly made two enemies on my first day. These guys turned out to be thorns in my flesh for the next two years.


By this time it was already 5pm. within an hour they got me a bunk and locker, and also helped in arranging my things. coolio and tunji left without saying a word. I was introduced to the house captain, who again read the riot act and dispatched me. I was told the next time I am able to get such a personal audience with him was if I did something wrong. That didn't scare me anyway because been the gently guy that I was, I always managed to stay out of trouble. So i thought.


At this juncture, it will be important to let you guys know that the school was a mixed school.


6:30pm. Dinner time. 7:30. Prep time. 9:00pm. Chapel time.(yes, we do pray).


The evening prep was always observed in a large hall called dining hall.
At a quarter to nine. A senior stood up with a bell in his hand, clang, clang.. "all SS1 and SS2 boys should assemble at aso rock immediately after chapel". Turned around to hear murmuring all around me.. turned to my new friends, 'scope', and ayo, and i asked what was wrong. They said they didn't know, but with the look in their eyes (fear) i knew something had gone terribly wrong.


If there was one edifice that I can NEVER forget. It was the school chapel. It is not the building itself but what happens every 9pm inside. It was fun. We had different reasons for going for night devotion. To worship(of course), dance like crazy, check out a gal you admired dancing and also to cause distractions (exclusive to seniors, they always sat at the back. which I later did anyway). Praise and singing, fun. Sermon, not fun, and then you hear seniors chatting and laughing at the back. Then you do some scouting(long story).


After chapel


This is a time i dreaded for the next two years.
Aso rock is close to the hostel's main gate, infact you can't get into the hostel without passing through this place(except if you take the freeman jungle...or webster). This day, we all got to aso rock and sat down. SS1 on one side and SS2 on the other. We all sat this way for the next 15minutes without anyone coming out to tell us why we were summoned. (later found out that we could get summoned for the trivial of reasons: a senior might have an issues with just one or two of us, but decides to summon everyone).


All of a sudden, a senior came out.
"Bobo, bobooo... ounje mi da"(bobo where is my food), "bosita" (come out). bobo comes out. "where is my food". on your knees. What one would expect at this time was for us to be sent to our different dorms. But no.
Another senior comes again and says "Biggie (biggie had been sneaking all around school that day trying to avoid this guy). Biggieeee...(no one responds). he brings out a touch-light to fish out biggie. Then. "se biggie ko ni yen" (is that not biggie). he removes his belt. "iwo, owo mida" (you, where is my money). (Meanwhile bobo is still on his knees praying that his punishment is light. But the first senior is nowhere around, has he forgotten?).
"oya lo se angle 90 sibe yen funmi". (Angle 90 is a kind of punishment whereby you squat in such a way that your back is parallel with the wall, then your thighs and legs forms the angle 90). he stays monitoring biggie. the first senior is nowhere to be found.


Then senior 'lala' (nickname, never knew his real name) came to deliver his speech( i was later told that he does this every time we were summoned to aso rock.


"where is yinka?". yinka stands up. then he calls one of his friends nearby. micheal, you know i saw yinka in front of the girls hostel today, and he didn't answer me when i called him. micheal then says.What!!. "oun da". where is he? yinka receives two slaps to each side of the face.


"I don't know what is wrong with you boys. so because you are with a girl, then i can't call you. The same thing happened with bobo last week, he was with his school mother, and he did as if he did not hear me when i called him"(sure bobo had already been punished for that, why not). "You wan dey do fine boy for me, abi". "Next time I see any of you with a girl and i call and you don't run to me you are in trouble". Understood?. Then he turns to leave.


"Ha, bobo, ki lo se?". "bobo, what did you do?". bobo explains.
"scope(my new friend) go and bring my 501 belt". "You are in trouble tonight".
"I don't know why you boys don't always want to do anything". he then turns his head and sees biggie doing angle 90. then the second senior explained how biggie ran away with his money.
"O tie da bayen". "it's good this way". "the two of you are in trouble tonight".


By this time it was already 11pm.


scope comes back with the belt.


"Biggie lie down". But the other senior intervenes, saying the angle 90 punishment was enough.
(lala had itchy hands, he even dreams of beating juniors in his sleep).
"Bobo come here, lie down flat!!".
Unfortunately for bobo the first senior was nowhere around.


Not long after bobo was beaten we were dispatched, not by the one who summoned us but by another.


I lay on my bed that night 28th day of october 199., trying to imagine how i will be able to cope. Me, a sheep, in the den of lions.

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Which animal is the king of animals? The lion? Oh, the Elephant?. which one.
ok sorry, y'all. created a blog for 2 months with nothing in it. I might as well give up. But again, you only give up on what you've started.


My high school(actually popularly called secondary school in Nigeria, and in many countries of course), high?, secondary?, isn't that contradictory?. Whatever.
As i was saying before i was rudely interrupted, (by who?, who else but yourself).
I guess you guys might be wondering 'whf' is going on. I'll tell yah. multiple personality d.... but a mild one. Not a Nikki. What could have caused this kind of behavioral pattern. Childhood experiences?.


I know how i got mine. The Animal Kingdom.
I happened to attend Wesley College. The name sounds...what? i know what you are thinking. You are all right. But no, the events that happened inside could change the name to Sona College. (Go watch prison break). I was in the boarding house.


Unlike Sona where they had a Lechero. In Wesley, guys like lechero, sammy, whistler, scofield, mahone and T-bag were of equal strength. And the rest were bellicks. (Of course i was a bellick. At least for the first two years. Before i became a mahone. story for another day). Though I wasn't stripped on my first day.


School was nice, good teachers, okay class, neat school environment, the best uniform in the land(it is), a well maintained 1929 chapel. But that was as far as it went.


The hostel, food(i always looked malnourished), and FEAR(perpetual, at least from 2pm till night).
Our seniors always kept their demons in the animal kingdom(hostel), and put up angelic attributes during school hours.


Some of you won't get me. But the few who went to a school similar to the one described will know what i am talking about. The years spent were my worst and best.
Such memorable years. Years of innocence.


Don't worry. Tomorrow I will share with you my first day in the Kingdom called Animal