!!!!!!A short story to start your week!!!!!
NYSC RUNS: HIDEOUS
STORIES FROM THE FAR
NORTH
NYSC brings with it excitement; the
possibility of serving with a befitting
establishment and most of all, the likelihood
of retention. Despite the deluge of graduates
that the nation turns out each year with
hardly reasonable efforts at job creation,
every graduate somehow believes that their
future and the path to it in the job market
will be different; and rightly so. Faith
certainly comes into play in job hunt among
other factors. While some find their way to
Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kaduna, Kano
etc, others take the long winding journey to
Sokoto, Yobe, Maiduguri, and Kebbi among
other similar states. The expectations of
those who head far north of the Niger are
often damp and gloomy given the shortage
of opportunities up there. Another group of
corpers who serve in the far north create a
different kind of opportunity for themselves
though, albeit reprehensible. Below are
unsavory stories of female some corpers’
who served in the far north.
Chioma and the gang
They were a group of girls from the south
who were bent on making their time in
Sokoto during NYSC count financially, and
they took rather odd measures to achieve
this. It was 4:00PM, and Charles sat lazily in
front of his apartment at the Corpers’ lodge
on Aliyu Jedi road. “Is chief here?” Chioma
asked him from inside the apartment. “No,
not yet.” They had been living together since
meeting in camp six months back. Their
relationship was one that had boundaries
drawn out on every imaginable facet. Chioma
had just got married before graduation and
her husband lived in Italy. Often, while
sprawled on the couch with Charles
massaging her back, she would be talking to
her husband on the phone. He seemed to
truly care about her, and called very often to
check on her. “How are you doing honey?” He
would ask. “Is the sun too hot?” “It is
sweetheart,” she’d answer with her eyes
closed as she enjoyed a cozy massage from
her boyfriend. “But we are managing,” she’d
continue. “Have you installed the air
conditioner?” “Yes darling, I have. I would be
dead without it. I am broke though after all
the installation.” “Not to worry, I will send
you money by Monday,” he’d reassure her.
“Thank you sweetheart. What would I do
without you? I hope it is not too cold for you
over there?” “It is not too bad my love. I am
used to it now. I can’t wait for you to be
here though, to keep me warm.” “Oh! My love,
how I crave to do that,” she would answer,
her voice reflecting a fake concern for the
husband, who believed her completely. As
soon as he would hang up, she would head
for the bed with Charles as though her
husband never existed.
On this day though, she was on a hunt for
something bigger. Chief was a wealthy
contractor from Anambra state who had
made millions over several years living in
Sokoto. He consorted with young girls at will,
throwing money at them without restraint,
and NYSC supplied an endless pool of girls to
choose from. Chioma had become his right
hand girl. She not only made sure that Chief
was well taken care of, she also made sure
that in addition to herself taking care of
Chief, he had a variety of other girls to do
just the same. She was both merciful and
brutal in her choice of girls to accompany
herself and Chief to Sokoto hotel for their
weekend rendezvous. Whoever was in her
bad books failed to gain from Chief’s
largesse, and vice versa. She had become
powerful amongst girls in her line of trade.
Suddenly, a Volvo pulled into the lodge. Chief
managed to squeeze out of the car, with his
mountainous pot belly dangling like a balloon
filled with water. “How are you today?” He
asked Charles. “I am fine sir, thank you?”
Charles answered smiling from ear to ear. “Is
Chioma around?” “Yes sir, let me call her for
you.” He ran into the apartment like a 12-
year-old scampering on an errand to please
his father. He dashed back outside just as
quickly as he had run into the house. ‘She is
coming sir.” A friend of Charles’, another
corper who lived next door had been sitting
outside with him, as they tried to evade the
ravaging heat inside. He too sat obsequiously
in complete reverence of the money bag,
Chief Umunna.
Chioma came out dressed in a red dress.
Owing to Sharia law, she covered her whole
body at least. She had a red purse to match
and a red pair of high-heeled shoes. “You
look beautiful today Chiichii,” she said smiling
like a toddler receiving his Xmas gift from his
parents. “Thank you Chief.” Chief dug his
hand inside his right pocket and pulled out a
wad of Naira notes. He handed Charles eight
thousand Naira, and four thousand to his
friend. “Thank you sir!” They echoed, slightly
lowering their heads in adulation of Chief
Umunna. “Not to worry,” Chief answered and
whisked his catch away. Shortly
afterwards, they stopped at Wamako road
and picked up Arese, a friend of Chioma’s
who had gone the extra mile all week to make
Chioma happy. Today, she was being
rewarded for her loyalty. They picked up
Ijeoma and Nneka later on and the entire gang
headed to Sokoto hotel. Upon arrival, the girls
stayed outside for a few minutes to allow
Chief Umunna walk unaccompanied to his
hotel room.
He walked harmlessly to the pre-booked
room, and after about fifteen minutes, he
called Chioma to inform the girls it was time
to come join him. Several hours later, each girl
was about ten thousand Naira richer, with
the exception of Chioma who bagged twenty
thousand. Meanwhile, Charles left for ‘mamy’
market as soon as Chioma had left with
Chief to soak himself in a bowl of beer.
“Don’t you feel bad about this Charly?” His
friend Akpan had asked. “About what?”
“Your girlfriend now. How you go just dey
watch another man carry am like that after
you don collect money?” “That one no
concern me. She get husband for Italy too.
As far as I get my share, I no mind. After
youth service all man go waka go im side,”
Charles answered with no emotions. Later in
the night when they were lying beside each
other, Charles would haggle for more
rewards from Chioma. “How much you make
from Chief today?” “Twenty thousand.
That man na money miss road.” “You
suppose square me up oh!” Charles would
suggest. “No worry my sweety, in the
morning, I go drop 3K for you.” “Na im make I
like you!” Charles would answer with a
malicious smile on his face.
Chinyere the lone ranger
She was a sleek, slender, and quiet girl. A
graduate of marketing from a state
university in the east. You would think she
could not hurt a fly. Her traditional wedding
ceremony had taken place just weeks before
youth service. She was undeniably beautiful,
and her husband was crazy about her. Soon
after camp, she was keen to move out of
her shabby corper’s lodge apartment and her
husband quickly sent money to take care of
that, but she wanted more. She wanted a
massive flat screen television, a giant fridge,
a whole flat to herself rather than share
with anybody, and much more. She had her
sights set on a flat in one of the new
housing units built by the state government.
She had been there to see a friend once, and
the thought of moving into a flat at the
complex consumed her. It was not long
before she accompanied her friend to the
office of the man who made her securing an
apartment there possible. Alhaji Shehu was
a well read fellow in his early forties who
held a key position in the ministry of urban
and rural planning. He had a thing for girls, and
southern girls were willing to play ball.
Shortly after accompanying her friend, Nelly
to Shehu’s office, she popped up one
afternoon unannounced at Shehu’s office.
Shehu was delightfully surprised. Before
long, Chinyere dazzled her way into Shehu’s
heart. The two of them began to pay secret
visits to Giginya hotel in the dead of the
night. Shehu suddenly had a bunch of work to
attend to at the office, being the story he
told his wives. Nelly who believed she had
sole, unfettered access to Alhaji Shehu, well
outside his home was quite surprised to see
her friend Chinyere move into an even bigger
flat at the complex. “So, Chii Baby, how did
you make this happen?” She curiously asked
Chinyere, managing to suppress as a wave
of anger that rampaged within her. “Oh,
nothing oooh! You recall that day I went to
see Alhaji with you, he gave me his card. I
rang him up and asked if he could help me
move in here, and he was happy to help. He
is a very kind man,” Chinyere answered
coolly, giving away no emotions whatsoever.
“Yes, he is a kind man indeed. He walks the
streets looking for any girl to offer an
apartment here, and you got an even bigger
apartment,” Nelly replied, this time raising her
voice. “There is no need to get all worked up,
Nelly. I simply asked and the man helped. Is
anything wrong with that?” “So why didn’t
you let me know as your friend you were
going to ask him for such favor?” “I didn’t
realize I needed your permission to talk to
the man Nelly, after he had given me his
business card in front of you?” Chinyere
retorted. “You are an evil girl. I should have
known better. I know what I gave the man to
get my flat. For you to get this one, I am sure
you have gone much further. Please stop
telling me jargons about the man being a kind
man. I should have known you were a snake.”
Nelly’s anger was boiling over by now, while
Chinyere remained as cool as cucumber.
“There is no need to call me names Nelly. I
have told you what happened. If you do not
want to believe me, then get out of my flat,”
She said still maintaining a calmness that
would make you think she was an
Archbishop. Nelly was overly repulsed. “Me
leave your flat? You are evil Chinyere.
Remember you have a husband, me I no get.
You no suppose to dey do this kind runs,”
she said as she stormed out of Chinyere’s
flat. The next morning, she went to Shehu’s
office and yelled her lungs out, as if she
were married to him. Long story short, she
was thrown out of the building, and never
allowed back in. By the next week, she was
evicted from her palatial flat, forcing her
back to the lowly corper’s lodge. While
Chinyere calmly won the war, she had no
idea what was coming her way. Nelly was
not the type to give up a fight. She sniffed
her way to Enugu and broke the news of
Chinyere’s infidelity to her husband, who
would not believe it at first. In a matter of
days, he was in Sokoto himself led by the
watchful eyes of Nelly. At Nelly’s suggestion,
he lodged into Giginya hotel where Chinyere
and Shehu were known to meet regularly. He
was broken to pieces when he saw his wife
walking into a hotel room with Shehu at an
ungodly hour of the night. He managed to put
himself together. The next morning, he
confronted his wife who continued to lie
through her teeth. Her lies failed to erase the
pictures on her husband’s camera, and more
so, his memory. He took a flight back to the
east, thus, ending the marriage even before
it took any meaningful roots!
*+*The_End*+*
