Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 9
Within a week, I was driving very well, there are
lots of spaces in the Barracks on which one
could learn to drive a car and there were so
many willing teachers so long a car is available.
So every morning I drive to the Office picking
People and dropping them along the way to my
Office, there was no problem or eye brow raised
because three of my mates also bought Cars and
everyone knew the source of our Money except
for some elderly Soldiers that frowned at our
choice of purchasing Cars instead of buying
Lands and start building, but I was just twenty
years old and quite naturally, building a house
was the last thing on my mind.
I wanted to go home and show the world what
God has done for my small family, I wanted to
carry Mama in the Car and go round the Village, I
wanted to drive her to every where she had
trekked to and finally I wanted to drive her back
to Enugu to start a new life, she was about forty
five years old but she looked sixty and I know
that with a good diet and rest she could recover
her shine for they said she used to be a sight to
behold in her youth. I planned to rent a Shop for
her and set up a hair dressing salon for her.
Perhaps she could even find love again, some
Soldier could be interested in her and I really
would love that to happen to Mama, she
deserves a second chance at love.
The engine of the car was in superb condition,
vapour still drips from the exhaust pipe when I
steam the Car; my Friends said I bought PAN;
that was the term used to describe a brand new
Peugeot Car fresh from the stable of Peugeot
Automobile Nigeria Limited. I did not bother
about the registration of the Car so as to get the
necessary cover documents, I was a Soldier and
my identity Card surpasses any type of license or
documentation in the Country, so I had come to
believe because I was yet to see a serving
Soldier whose vehicle particulars are up to date.
My life changed momentarily, I now dress well
and also drive a car, I have a little furnished
apartment of my own, wao! The world was in my
pocket, I even had some change to throw around
even though I had never had the privilege of
being extravagant. I get to work daily in my
sparkling Car which I made a point of duty to
scrub daily whether it is dirty or not. I was
comfortable in my own right.
I finally rented a Shop at the Mammy Market and
I locked it up pending Mama’s arrival. I needed
to know what she would prefer to do with the
Shop and I also needed to go round the market
to know what trade would spin fast money in the
Barracks.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
We played the final match against the Garrison
Unit and we defeated them by two goals, once
again I scored the winning goal, I was celebrated
as usual and my popularity spread through the
length and breadth of the Barracks, everywhere I
went I heard my name, Oj! Oj! I waved to so
many people while I gave “thumps up” to others.
We settled at the CBM later in the evening for
celebration and our unit senior Officers paid for
everything we ate and drank.
Two days after the football finals competition,
my C.O summoned me to his Office and
presented a sealed Army Customized envelope to
me, he asked me to open it and read before him
as he was interested in its content: the letter
was from the Army Directorate for Sports, I had
been nominated for screening into the
Prestigious Army national football team “The
Green Beret”. I leapt for joy and clung on My C.O
before I realized I was jumping on a Colonel in
Uniform, I recoiled immediately and prostrated on
the floor in my uniform apologizing to him,
Common stand up and don’t be silly! He said: he
pulled me closer and patted me on the shoulder:
congratulations my Boy! You have a bright
Career ahead of you, if you succeed, you may
have to leave the Signals Corp for the Physical
training unit, he said.
I did not really know much about the PT unit
save for the fact that they are in charge of
organizing sporting activities and screening of
recruits for the Army, they control the
Gymnasium, the Football fields, and every other
sport facility and the physical training of Soldiers
too. I was indifferent. I was simply happy.
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