gh0sts:
The night before I left for camp was one hell of crazies...I couldn't sleep. I kept turning and tossing. I get like that before every long journey. Then the anxiety started. Every possible fearful thing I've ever read came to my mind... accidents, robbery, kidnap, bombing, etc. I had to play every single slow song from my playlist, just to help me sleep...from Bruno Mars to Sam Smith. For where? I had to start counting down from 100, made up stories about camp in my head. I finally drifted...I didn't know when, because Pops was knocking on my door. Checked my phone, it was 3 in the morning...I jumped up and went to open the door. Pops just looked at me and shook his head. His inside thought; you can't do anything on your own in this life.
I boiled water and did a last minute parking. By 5, I was on my way to the bus park, together with Pops, Nana and the driver Pops hired. Nana hugged me one last time, while Pops shouted that she left me alone. Pops can mask emotions for Africa. I sat down on a plastic chair and waited patiently for others to come. Gradually more people came, I knew one of them from a group I had joined. Then another, her dad introduced himself to me and asked us to introduce each other. Finally we were all seated in the bus and ready to move. Together we were six corp members in the bus. Five girls and a boy. The boy was going to Yobe though. By noon, I was almost dying in that bus. I've never been that bored or tired. The farthest I've gone by bus is Enugu and I can't really remember how the journey went. So by the time I got to Enugu, I was tired, famished, confused and almost fainting...I wore a long gown and the bus was tight as a virgin, so you know how I felt. Just so you know, my parents won't let me wear trousers...for the big girl that I am. I couldn't even buy food because I hated eating in a bus, including snacks. By the time we got to Benue, I was frantic. if I don't come out of this bus soon, I'll loose my mind and end in the nearest mental institution. At Otukpo, we stopped for the first time. I rushed out of the bus, not to do anything but to feel the earth under my feet again. Otukpo reminded me about my primary five reader...

When it was time to continue, I started crying in my head. Why is this country so big? I should have prayed for Enugu o, at least I would have already been in camp resting. Even Ondo would have been a better choice. I thought since we were already in Otukpo, then Nasarrawa was not far...I was kidding myself. From Otukpo to Markudi is up to an hour, that's within one state o. Then, by the time we got to Nasarrawa, the driver assured us that jos was close. I think his definition of close is different. Because, from around 4.30 to 7 we were still in Nasarrawa. How can these states be so big? By the time we got to the outskirt of Jos it was dark.

We got out at one round about that sounds Arabic( something like marabal jamal). We left to dude going to Yobe. All five of us got a taxi from there to Mangu, where the camp is located. They told us, it wasn't far at all. Another story...I swear these peoples definition of not far is different from our own. Then path to Mangu is very lonely and dark. I prayed in my mind o. I didn't want my journey to start and end same day. The driver was driving so slow...we were confused at a point and started suspecting the driver. By 9 pm we got to the orientation camp. it was the only time we saw light on the road. I felt so relived ehn.
Coming in at night was cool, we didn't have to carry our luggage on our heads like I read...after that long journey, I would have just died complete. The soldiers were kind, and didn't even search our boxes well. We went in, did the first stage of our registration before going to get our beg space. All five of us; G,J,S,Juls and me. We looked for the space together and that was the beginning of our friendship.