thorns in my boat(a soldier travail)a story by awoleye Dominic
CHAPTER 2
We lived in a two room mud house with wooden
doors and windows. Rusted and leaking Zinc as
roofing sheets. The roof is supported with old
and worn out Motor tyres and heavy stones to
hold it down during rain storms, there is
electricity in some parts of the Village but we
were not that privileged to own a meter let
alone tap electricity from the nearest neighbor
that has electricity, this is because we could not
spare the stipend to be paid monthly as NEPA
bill.
Rumour also had it that my Mother could not
remarry due to the curse placed on her by her
late Father. My father’s tragic death was also
ascribed to be as a result of her ill luck and bad
omen. I was her only hope to tell the world that
she was not under any curse since I am still
alive. Thus she became a staunch member of the
Christ Apostolic Church and that automatically
makes me a member too.
I was the drummer Boy of the Church’s Choir
and I could sing and dance well too but my
mother did not encourage me singing outside of
the Church, it gave her bad memories even
though she confessed that she loved the way I
was the center of attraction when the church
members danced to the alter to give offering or
donations.
I would dance forward and backward and before
you know it the person in front of me on the
queue would be ten yards away while those
behind me would be stationary and waiting for
me to dance forward and allow them to move
forward, I don’t do this deliberately though but I
guessed it’s the spirit of dancing that runs in my
Father’s blood. If anyone complements me that I
dance like my Father, my mother was quick to
rebuke such and say “My Son dance like David
danced in the Bible”!
I graduated from Secondary School at the age of
eighteen at the Community Grammar School
Esa-Odo but my result was not fantastic. I got
passes in English and Mathematics, I got credit
passes in Yoruba and Christian religious
knowledge and I failed fine remaining subjects. I
had always known that the University was not for
me so I was not serious about reading hard to
go to one. I just wanted to round up my
secondary education and acquire the skill of
Carpentry or Brick laying. My only ambition then
was to rebuild our house, I never thought of
leaving the Village because in all my life I had
never entered a vehicle that traveled as far as
thirty minutes.
So I attached myself to Baba Miko, his name is
actually Michael. He was the most popular Brick
layer in the Village and has built lots of houses in
the Village for People that live in the Cities and
only come home during holidays or festivals like
burial ceremonies of their relations or on Esa-
Odo day celebration. We started going to work
together so I could perfect on the skills I had
already acquired while growing up and indulging
in several menial jobs. I knew a little of
everything called work. I only needed experience
to become a specialist.
It was while working at the site of an Army
officer resident in Lagos but building a Duplex in
the village that I got wind of the news that the
Army was recruiting and interested Candidates
should go to the Barracks at Ede and obtain the
Recruitment Form.
I told Baba Miko I was interested and he allowed
me to travel to Ede the next day to obtain the
form. That was the first day I actually traveled
out of Esa- Odo. I went in the Company of
another Boy from Ijebu-Jesha that was a co
laborer, he knew his way around Ede.
I returned from Ede and joined Baba Miko at the
Site and with his assistance, we got the form
signed by our Kabiesi (Local Village head) Oba
Adewale Adesankan. I also went to Obokun local
Government Headquarters the next day to obtain
the signature of the Chairman as well as get my
certificate of origin letter.
After a week of running around and updating the
form, I went back to Ede to submit the form and
was surprised to see that the recruitment
screening exercise was starting same day. There
were so many youths present there with their
sports attire and file jackets containing copies of
their credentials. I hurriedly made copies of my
credentials at a kiosk nearby and ran towards
the office to see if I would be fortunate to
submit my form.
Na wetin? A Soldier asked me as I arrived at the
reception panting
Good morning Sir! I said: I want to submit my
form sir! I just dey travel come from my village,
and I dey hear say na today the thing dey start!
Shut up! Give me the form! Oya go and join
others outside: the Soldier commanded.
I joined the crowd of youths well kitted in sports
attire and canvas shoes to match, I was wearing
a Buba and sokoto with a bath room Slippers, I
looked out of place.
We lived in a two room mud house with wooden
doors and windows. Rusted and leaking Zinc as
roofing sheets. The roof is supported with old
and worn out Motor tyres and heavy stones to
hold it down during rain storms, there is
electricity in some parts of the Village but we
were not that privileged to own a meter let
alone tap electricity from the nearest neighbor
that has electricity, this is because we could not
spare the stipend to be paid monthly as NEPA
bill.
Rumour also had it that my Mother could not
remarry due to the curse placed on her by her
late Father. My father’s tragic death was also
ascribed to be as a result of her ill luck and bad
omen. I was her only hope to tell the world that
she was not under any curse since I am still
alive. Thus she became a staunch member of the
Christ Apostolic Church and that automatically
makes me a member too.
I was the drummer Boy of the Church’s Choir
and I could sing and dance well too but my
mother did not encourage me singing outside of
the Church, it gave her bad memories even
though she confessed that she loved the way I
was the center of attraction when the church
members danced to the alter to give offering or
donations.
I would dance forward and backward and before
you know it the person in front of me on the
queue would be ten yards away while those
behind me would be stationary and waiting for
me to dance forward and allow them to move
forward, I don’t do this deliberately though but I
guessed it’s the spirit of dancing that runs in my
Father’s blood. If anyone complements me that I
dance like my Father, my mother was quick to
rebuke such and say “My Son dance like David
danced in the Bible”!
I graduated from Secondary School at the age of
eighteen at the Community Grammar School
Esa-Odo but my result was not fantastic. I got
passes in English and Mathematics, I got credit
passes in Yoruba and Christian religious
knowledge and I failed fine remaining subjects. I
had always known that the University was not for
me so I was not serious about reading hard to
go to one. I just wanted to round up my
secondary education and acquire the skill of
Carpentry or Brick laying. My only ambition then
was to rebuild our house, I never thought of
leaving the Village because in all my life I had
never entered a vehicle that traveled as far as
thirty minutes.
So I attached myself to Baba Miko, his name is
actually Michael. He was the most popular Brick
layer in the Village and has built lots of houses in
the Village for People that live in the Cities and
only come home during holidays or festivals like
burial ceremonies of their relations or on Esa-
Odo day celebration. We started going to work
together so I could perfect on the skills I had
already acquired while growing up and indulging
in several menial jobs. I knew a little of
everything called work. I only needed experience
to become a specialist.
It was while working at the site of an Army
officer resident in Lagos but building a Duplex in
the village that I got wind of the news that the
Army was recruiting and interested Candidates
should go to the Barracks at Ede and obtain the
Recruitment Form.
I told Baba Miko I was interested and he allowed
me to travel to Ede the next day to obtain the
form. That was the first day I actually traveled
out of Esa- Odo. I went in the Company of
another Boy from Ijebu-Jesha that was a co
laborer, he knew his way around Ede.
I returned from Ede and joined Baba Miko at the
Site and with his assistance, we got the form
signed by our Kabiesi (Local Village head) Oba
Adewale Adesankan. I also went to Obokun local
Government Headquarters the next day to obtain
the signature of the Chairman as well as get my
certificate of origin letter.
After a week of running around and updating the
form, I went back to Ede to submit the form and
was surprised to see that the recruitment
screening exercise was starting same day. There
were so many youths present there with their
sports attire and file jackets containing copies of
their credentials. I hurriedly made copies of my
credentials at a kiosk nearby and ran towards
the office to see if I would be fortunate to
submit my form.
Na wetin? A Soldier asked me as I arrived at the
reception panting
Good morning Sir! I said: I want to submit my
form sir! I just dey travel come from my village,
and I dey hear say na today the thing dey start!
Shut up! Give me the form! Oya go and join
others outside: the Soldier commanded.
I joined the crowd of youths well kitted in sports
attire and canvas shoes to match, I was wearing
a Buba and sokoto with a bath room Slippers, I
looked out of place.
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