THE TUG-OF-WAR

“Gosh! I’m tired – am hungry – am – in fact …,” Bode said as he walked into the room removing his khaki shirt and kicking off his boots.
Sitting up on my bed and cleaning my face with my cover cloth. “Wetin happen? Where you go –”
“Abeg pass me one pure water – I go give you back this evening.Where other roommates?”
Still yawning, I threw a sachet of water to him.
“It’s that Man O’ War Village –” He gulped down the water squeezing it hard.
“They wan kill us UK.” He exhaled.
“That’s why I didn’t go when my platoon was asked to go now! I dodged!” I said laughing.
“Gist me. How was it?”
He sat on the lower bunk opposite me sweating profusely.
“They – They divided our platoon into four groups and made us work out on various obstacles.”
“Na those girls I even pity pass. Dem just they fall down”
“Really?”
“Yea. We started with a tug of war – that was after singing all those their songs!”
“Tug of war? Boys versus girls? Is that why you are –”
Pulling off his browny-white pair of socks. “Boys versus boys, and girls versus girls. That was just the beginning jor. You think se na tug of war go do make I tire like this. I be –”.
“What else – what did you guys do after that?” I asked now fully alert.
“We first crawled on the dry ground under barbed wires with our knees and elbows.” He said demonstrating with his hands and pointing to his knees.
“Under this hot sun?”
“Before nko! Then we climed ropes tied to trees. Come and see boys falling and girls –”
“Girls climbed too?”
“They did – although their obstacle was easier. But they still fell O!”
“So you guys climbed all those ropes?”
“Yep – Yea! Where Patrick sef?”
“Na im platoon dey work for kitchen today. Others don comot.” I responded.
“We climbed those walls. The concrete one and the wooden one. Oboi no be play!”
“Na me send you? Na your fatherland you dey serve O! But you could have dodged now, why didn’t –”
Touching his chest. “Me dodge? I’m happy I went sha, I took photographs and it was ultimately fun – really! People were funny. One girl after climbing the ropes started crying. She was so afraid of heights. I just pitied her - though I laughed at her too.”
“Then don’t complain.” I shot back laughing.
“Let’s change to our White and White jare! It’s almost time for evening parade. We no go die.”

Changing clothes.

The Man O’ War village was in a reserved section of the camp. Every day, two platoons were selected to do drills at the village.Each platoon went for a warm up drill in the morning and the main drill in the afternoon. On the day my platoon was selected to go there, I joined the morning drills – wearing my white and white. The head of the Man O’ War (By the way, I think Man O’ War is short for Man of War) in camp introduced us the rules of the village and told us that the obstacles were arranged in a progression from easy to difficult. The obstacles were arranged in a circular fashion and we were to progress through the drills moving in a clockwise direction. Each obstacle is actually a piece of equipment designed to exercise a targeted part of the human body. After all the speeches and songs, the drills began.
The instructors formed themselves into a circle concentric with the arrangement of the obstacles and each of them kept watch over a particular one.

“When I blow this whistle you start moving – starting from my left. Each obstacle should engage you for twenty seconds. Do you understand?”
“Yes Sir!” We chorused.
“Are you good to go?”
“Good to go! Good to go! Good to go!” We shouted.

Preeeeeeeeem!
I started running. My first obstacle was the dumb bell section. I gripped them with each hand and lifted and dropped them according to the count of an instructor till twenty seconds were over. I ran off to the pull up section. I gripped the overhead bar and lifted myself up and down. I remember a fat boy in my platoon. He just stood there – and some girls too. I remember saying to my self – “if these girls don’t slim down now there is no hope for them again”. Then I got to the push up section and did twenty push ups. On and on I went – without stopping – Soon the drills were over.

“That was good of you guys. Your muscles are now well toned and we expect you back here by 2pm sharp. Wear your khakis and jungle boots. Do you understand?”
“Yes Sir!” Others shouted.

Are these guys joking? Me here by 2pm? Under the hot sun? We shall see.

And that was how I determined not to attend the main drill at the Man O’ War village. So I blended with others platoons not participating in the drills and escaped. Bode’s retell made me happy that I didn’t attend – but when I saw his pictures later, I regretted. I wished I was there. If you are yet to serve, I’d advise that you attend the Man O’ War Village drills. Some of your most hilarious experiences and best pictures will come from there.
After the evening parade and drills I came back to my room and saw Patrick. He looked tired.
“Oga. How far? How was kitchen work?”
“I don tire. I was peeling yam for good two hours – non stop. I fact I – ”
Everyone in the room laughed.
“But you guys did a good job. Today’s porridge was good. Llyod don’t you think so?” I asked Llyod.
“Young man, I put it to you that we really enjoyed the cooking of platoon four.” Llyod answered.
“True.” Segun added.
Llyod was always fond of the “I put it to you” phrase. He and Segun always imitated “Mr SAED” – remember him (A MID-DESERT DAY DREAM; my last post)?

What a day this had been. Smart, who had obtained an exit to get to town, told us about his trip. Segun told us about his interview to join the camp’s Orientation Broadcasting Story (OBS) and how he wasn’t picked. Lloyd told us about his new found friend. In short, every one of us in the room had a story to tell – so we debriefed. It was the sound of the dinner bell that dispersed us. Today had been a tug of war and we won.

TUG OF WAR (UKEMEOBONG OWOH)
I was born a thick rope
Am gripped by fingers – east and west
One side pulls; and the other
If I snap – both sides fail
If am undecided – both pull forever
I have to make a choice
A side I’ve gotta prefer
Both woo me night and day – and night
Light called out
Seek me early and live forever
Darkness whispered
Give me half of you and Him half
I ask for just a part
But then I thought
If I give him half I’m  dead
I’d choose light and heed His call
You’re a thick rope too
You’ve gotta choose
Trace Light's path
And be that rope that wins a Tug-of-War
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Dear Reader,
Good evening. Hope you have been learning from these posts – and checking out the links on this page? Please do. If you have questions on the NYSC experience, stories you’d like to share or poetry please send same to  ukmantle@gmail.com . At the bottom of this page is a share button; please hit it before leaving. Thank you!
                                 Yours Faithfully
                                 Ukeme