Aunty Oby was a very terrible lady in her 50s. At NYSC camp Umunya she was proving tough lady, at times she would come looking pregnant and other times she would look not pregnant. But non of the camp officials was leaving the camp to see their families for the whole three weeks. As the corps members were in the camp, the remain there with us. During the three weeks orientation, she was trying to be friendly and nice but she was a mean type and couldn't work perfectly to disguise her true personality traits. Read also, you don't need meanness to run this race called life. She was so mean not even her feign smile could conceal it.
In camp I was always busy walking around with pen and paper. When we were on the parade ground, or the pavilion and even on the lecture hall. Even if I forgot my jotter, I would take any paper I had with me to scrabble down something and this had become a routine to me and people around me, corps members and NYSC officials. They were observing me but I never cared. I had agenda and that's what I had to do to make sure I didn't miss or omit any detail or event that took place in camp.
Prospective corps members on the camp ground first morning meditation was so exciting though I felt lost because I was not fully oriented on every activity I should expect in camp. Even though my elder brother was able to brief me on the camp parade and other tasking soldiers training but he never talked about the morning meditation. I must confess, though I was a bit embarrassed and looked so lost during my first day in camp to be part of the early morning meditation. And same time it was awesome and interesting.
After the praise and worship, then the prayer by one of the NYSC officials, suddenly a young girl stepped out and began her presentation. It was later I found that she was our fellow prospective corps member. Her presentation was very well that my system changed in marvel. I was with a pen and paper writing down everything. This has become a continuous action. I knew that all the corps members and camp officials had in one occassion or the other seen me with pen and paper throughout my three weeks orientation training in camp. Most of them thought I was a journalist. Most times I had fellow corps members asking me my discipline, I knew it was because they had seen me with pen and paper.
One morning, we were at the pavilion I was typing the activites going on in the morning meditation ground, starting from the first praise and worship, prayer and presentation of the morning meditation speech by any group who was to present it. Seeing that camp officials had taken notice of me, the way they looked at me and all. Read also, What sucks my trip to Umunya camp. How I got irritated by the attitude of one of the camp officials my first day in camp. That morning after I couldn't come to the meditation ground with any paper nor pen so I had my android phone and I decided to use my android to type down the activities but I never knew that one of the NYSC officials was looking at me from afar off.
Suddenly someone came behind me and stretched out her hand asking me to hand over my phone to her. She wasn't really looking friendly at all. So I gave her the phone, telling her that I wasn't chatting or browsing the internet with the phone but she insisted and made away with it. Fortunately, it was skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development practical day. I really needed my android phone for selfie and making photos of my group practical. I joined the baking group because I like anything that has to do with artistry and creativity and baking and decorations would give me the opportunity to make my dream reality.
Immediately after the morning meditation I had to go to aunty Oby as they called her, pleading for her to release my phone. She bluntly refused. I wasn't happy with this. She asked me to go away and return later but I was persuasive and insisted she gave me the phone. I was trying to explain to her that I wasn't chatting but was only typing the activites going on that morning. She got mad at me that I was challenging her when she asked me to go and come back later probably after the practical. I knew she wanted to punish me for no reason just act of wickedness. I was standing pleading for her mercy but instead she closed her heart to pity and was busy working on some files I saw on her table.
You cannot know the true character of a woman untill you have dealings with her.
She had such a terribly emotionless and inhuman feelings. She never had conscience. In spite of my pleading she didn't release the phone to me. I had to go for the practical SAED without phone, what would be the evidence? I felt contempt and wished I was death to kill her. All the time I saw her laughing and smiling to corps members I thought she had human feelings not untill that day. I realized that the smile of a woman is not what proves her good heart but a good woman is known by her character.
I thought she was a married woman and I said to myself what if it was her child being treated like this would she be happy if they treat her the same way. Her attitude was beastly and inhuman. I remembered she also said nobody could talk her into giving me the phone
A good woman is known with 5 qualities
1. Her sweet and affectionate heart
2. Her sympathetic heart
3. Ability to calm down her temper
4. Soft and compassionate heart
5. Loving spirit and full of emotions
Aunty Oby failed in all of these. I wondered the kind of man she had as a husband if she had one, I thought. I detested her gut. I hated her gut with passion. The SAED was over I went back to her, she was still stone hearted that I didn't leave the moment she asked me to. She wanted my phone to sleep over in her hand. I was on the process of getting my phone when Mr Efughu our platoon officer came and asked me to help him with organizing our platoon 7 files.
All the platoon officers were the ones to commend corps members who they felt performed well in camp. Remember he was the same Mr Efughu I had issues with my first day in camp because of NYSC T-shirts. Read also, how I felt my first parade in NYSC orientation camp. I remembered also complaining to him how Grace, the assistant group leader jealously told me that I submitted my morning meditation presentation late because she never wanted me to represent our platoon by presenting the morning meditation presentation. "I spent my time, money to print it out, I submitted my own, she said it was late that you have already selected who would represent us," I complained to him. He said he never knew about it. But before now I thought he was still having grudges for me because of our first encounter my first day in camp. Read also, Why you don't need meanness to run this race called life.
The heart of a man is soft than that of a woman. No woman is worth giving power without acting cruel.
I never knew he bore no grudges for me anymore. He was very friendly to me that this time he asked me to help him sort the files of our platoon. I gladly offered him help. After this moment, he was more friendly. I knew those camp officials were really admiring my lifestyle especially the male and like Efughu commented that day we had misunderstanding, they all saw me as a married woman because I was respecting myself throughout my days in the camp. No trace of amoral activities nor seeing my escapades. If they were told I wasn't married nobody would ever believe me. But I needed not to convince anybody about it.
Mr Efughu thanked me after offering him help, I left to collect my phone from aunty Oby. This time she called me and started with moral talk. I never wanted to listen to her, all I wanted was my phone because she never had any moral lessons to teach me. A woman like her has nothing to talk about morality and discipline. "You are a lady, when someone tells you go, you obey, not to insist on persuading the person like you did today bla bla bla," she said. To me who cares about her teachings? Then she reluctantly handed my phone over to me.
I thanked her and left but in my heart she had really wronged me. Of what use was the phone to me then when the real business of the day, the practical SAED was done and I couldn't use my phone.
What will be, will sure be no matter the obstacles or obstructions.
Luckily for me during the time of posting, I saw my posting letter, it was Njikoka LGA. It was a very nice place and town too, it was very close to Awka capital of Anambra State. Some of the corps members posted there confessed that they paid money to work there way and got posted there in Njikoka but I didn't. I believed Mr Efughu did favoured me because he asked me my name after I complained and he also asked me to give him the morning meditation presentation I compiled which was on "Peace-keeping". After reading the first few lines he confessed "This is very good better than the one the other girl presented to me" "But you should have brought it to me instead of the assistant group leader," he said.
This was how I got favoured from him who was my day one clash platoon officer, who now turned to be a good friend. I found myself in Njikoka Local Government Area in Anambra and Abba Community Secondary School my place of primary assignment (PPA).
No matter what people do to stop you, they cannot succeed if you know what you represent and who you are. Don't allow anyone stop you from living your real life. Always stand for what you believe and don't allow anyone move you around. No one has the right to make you feel inferior without your consent.
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