PLATOON 3---LOVE?

The third and final week of camping came up in a jiffy and the camping rules were relaxed. It was a week of competitions in various sporting activities and groups.

Kenny joined the platoon 3 football team. He played in the number 10 position in the midfield. Adamma often came to watch him train and play in the inter platoon football competition. Kenny always played his heart out when she came around. The knowledge that she was out there cheering for his team was an extra motivating factor to put in his best.

Adamma too had interest in sports. She joined the platoon’s female volleyball team and took part in the inter-platoon competition. She was also a member of the cultural dance troop. Unfortunately she developed a sprain on her knees during a military drill and had to be confined to the camp clinic for three days for treatment.

Kenny had tried discussing the issue of their future each time he went to visit her in the clinic but each time a distant look will creep into her eyes and she will change the topic. “maybe she is scared of commitment” he reasoned in his mind. He will give her time. He was willing to go at her pace. She was a beautiful lady, well mannered and from a rich home, he would be a fool not to take this relationship to the next level.

Another vexing issue was that of the place of primary assignment. It would be ideal if both of them were posted to serve in the same local government area so that the flow could continue. Several corps members have talked about the possibility of influencing their postings but the camp officials have been warning corpers to desist from trying to influence their postings as there wouldn’t be any preferential posting for anyone. Nothing was certain.

*********

“I have fought in Rhodesia, Germany, Congo, Egypt and South Africa!” Seargent Mustapha boasted as he addressed a group of corpers at Ruby wine bar in mammy market. He was in high spirits and was swinging a bottle of beer in his hands.

“But there wasn’t any war in South Africa” Someone chipped in.

“The Apartheid struggle! I fought the racist boers in the trenches alongside with Nelson Mandela! Infact Nelson Mandela was a close friend of mine!”

The corpers laughed at this obvious lie.

“I am a Pan Africanist and a black revolutionary soldier!”

“Old soldja!! old soldja!! Old soldja!!” The corpers chanted and ordered more beer for him.

*******

“Adamma why didn’t you contest for this Miss Nysc position?” All these contestants are not as beautiful as you” Kenny told Adamma. They were in the big hall for the variety night show. The major attraction of the night was the Miss Nysc competition. The contestants were drawn from the twelve platoons. All of them were vying for the crown. Kenny wasn’t impressed by them or by the show. Earlier on, he had joined fellow corp members in booing off the stage two amateur stand up comedians who had been telling stale jokes.

“Stop sweet talking me jor. I don’t like it! You know i am reserved in nature. I don’t want all that unnecessary attention”

“The position comes with privileges you know? Including being posted to any company or organization that you want in the state! You should have given it a shot”

“Forget it Kenny….Look at that girl on the stage” Adamma pointed at one of the contestants on the stage with her fore finger.

The girl was fat and shapeless. She had a protruding belly that was very visible. The moment she cat-walked onto the stage, the corp members started jeering and laughing at her.

“Is this the miss Nysc competition or the miss Big, bold and beautifulcontest?” Kenny wondered out aloud.

“Look at her tag number, she is Contestant six. She is from platoon 6″ Adamma whispered.

Kenny hissed “No wonder!” Platoon 6 were notorious for always taking the last position in all competitions on the camp. The platoon was largely composed of unserious and unmotivated individuals who were led by an obese platoon officer.

“dem no get beautiful girl for dem platoon. Na ugly girls full there.” A foul mouthed fellow sitting besides Kenny chipped in. He continued….”i hear say na she be the girlfriend of the platoon leader that na why he allowed her to contest!”

“Na wa oh” Adamma replied and reached out for her bottle of Vita milk. It was going to be a long night.

********

The final day of the day orientation exercise came at last and there was palpable tension and anxiety in the air. It was the day that the posting letters to the places of primary assignment were to be issued to each corps member. As he joined the queue for the collection of letters Kenny silently prayed that he won’t be flung into a remote village. At worst he expected to be posted to a small town.

The previous evening he had joked with his roommates on the possibility of being posted to serve in Buruntum local government area.

Buruntum local government was the remotest place in the state and was only accessible by boats and canoes. The inhabitants were rumoured to be savages who relished human flesh as delicacies. This was obviously untrue but they made jokes and taunted each other on who would be the first to lose his body parts.

********

Kenny opened his sealed posting letter and the name of a community secondary school in Buruntum local government area jumped up at him.

“Wtf! I am not going to serve there!” he shouted.  He couldn’t envision himself living in a remote riverine area.

The corps members who got posted to towns and cities moved around with radiant smiles on their faces while the ones posted to “unfavourable areas” stood in groups discussing their fate in low tones.

Kenny joined one of such groups.

********

Twenty minutes later he was with Adamma.

“Where have they given you?” She asked.

“They gave me Buruntum, can you imagine that?!”

“Eeiya sorry dear….maybe that place is not as bad as they say it is”

“I don’t care. I will ask them to reject me! What about you? Any luck?” Kenny asked with an anxious heart.

She paused for some seconds and then said.

“I redeployed to my husband’s state”

“What?…your what?”

“I am sorry Ken”, Adamma said and moved few steps backwards. “I have not been entirely honest with you”

“I am married” She raised her left hand and he saw a glittering ring on one of her fingers. He had never seen the ring on her finger before.

Kenny was too shocked to say anything. He had been having a love affair with a married woman!

“When i noticed you staring at me two weeks ago i decided to encourage you because i needed companionship and protection. I wanted to stave off advances from other men”

“You were using me!” Kenny found his voice as he shouted.

“But didn’t you like it when i was splashing money on you? Adamma retorted.

“My husband is in Abuja. I tried to influence my posting there but i was late as all the spaces were filled up, so i was asked to choose any other state of my choice for the 3 weeks orientation exercise after which i will be redeployed as all married woman are entitled to.

“But…but i thought you loved me”. Kenny stuttere, he felt horrible, like a blumbing idiot.

“Love?” she gave a quick chuckle and continued “i only liked you. Like is different from love”

“You kissed me!”

“It was just an act of the moment and it served its purpose of dispelling any doubt you had about my sincerity. I have to leave now. Please don’t try to contact me again. My husband is knows everything He is a dangerous man so don’t even think of blackmailing me”

“I can’t believe this is happening to me!” Kenny said.

“You were too love stricken to notice some of the obvious signs that i wasn’t a single lady. Goodbye mr Lover boy”

He watched her walk away from him. He was powerless. There was nothing he could do about it.

His plans and dreams came crashing down. He had been building castles in the air.

He remembered when he was told to be wary of the antics of married woman in camp who disguised themselves as single ladies.

“I never knew this could happen to me. I have been played for a fool”

As Kenny pulled his luggage around looking for a bus conveying corpers to Buruntum, the lyrics of a song byRoxette kept on playing in his head while a small rivulet of tears trickled down the corner of his eyes.

“it must have been love but its over now

It must have been good but i lost it somehow”