Thorns In My Boot

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 6

Before the Crowd dispersed that night, our house

was filled with variety of food stuff brought by

the Villagers to assist my Mother in taking care

of her guest, me.

I went to greet the Kabiesi that night; I went still

dressed in my Military regalia. He was so happy

and proud of me, he felt honoured that I paid him

homage with the Army Uniform. My Village is a

small one and I do not know any serving Military

personnel that hail from my Village, my people

are scared of the Army and Soldiers generally.

Before I got returned home that night, Kabiesi

had sent a bag of rice and some tubers of Yams

to my mother.

It was a different me that wentto the Village, I

seldom talked and People thought I had become

mean and ruthless. My Friendskept distance

from me as they do not know what they may say

or do that would unleash the supposed inate

beast in me. But it was just me, the fresh

experience from the depot had made me to see

life differently, life is a battle field and not a

Market place as some people say, but I was not

mean, I have never been, I was just cautious, I

observe my environment and listened more than I

talked.

Mama started talking about marriage but I

reminded her that I was just nineteen years old,

she had forgotten. She now sees the Man I have

turned into instead of the Boy I really am. She

started calling me Oko mi (My Husband) instead

of Ojo my name, also her name in the Village

changed from “Iya oloju kan” to “Mama Soja” (A

Soldiers Mother). She received a lot of Visitors

during my five days stay in the Village, she had

suddenly become popular, and who visits my

Mother at home before? She had no friends! No

one associates with the Pauper. Now, those that

owed her money for services she rendered to

them years back readily paid up! I know my

People, I was the reason.

Mama began to eat well; she ate three times

daily throughout my stay. Baba Miko suddenly

assumed the position of my Father, he had being

of great assistance to Mama during my absence

and so when I came home, he was the only one

that was bold enough to talk to me like the Child

he used to know, I owe him gratitude. He

furnished me with information on things going on

in the Village; he was also revered for being the

God Father of a Soldier. Mama told me that Baba

Miko uses my personality to threaten his debtors

and any ensuing opposition.

On the fourth day in the Village, the Kabiesi

invited me for an evening stroll, we strolled

together, I was dressed in my Army branded

Sportswear, a track suite on Canvas, I did not

have Clothes to wear save for the military attire I

got from the depot, my old Clothes in the Village

were all under sized. Together we went down to

a drinking spot close to the Dam build on the

popular Osun river that flowed through my

Village, some of his Chiefs and friends were

there already and I was given a warm reception.

They asked me several questions as we palm

wine and gnawed at smoked Grass cutter meat

in peppered sauce, I laughed as I attempted to

answer most of their fallacious and ridiculous

questions about the Army and her Soldiers, I was

able to clarify many of the wrong impressions

they had about the Army.

In all, I gained respect! I brought back respect

and honour to the name of my Father, a name he

had soaked in Palm wine. Whenever I walked

down the street, I hear Children hailing me,

waving and shouting “Morning Sir!” I waved back

at them; even the Girls began to smile at me and

seek for opportunity for acquaintance, but was a

totally different scenario ten months ago. I now

dine and wine with the likes of Kabiesi and titled

men in the Village, I was just a common private

Soldier!

Kabiesi gave me a hectare of Land to do

whatever pleases me with; I told him I would

love to farm on it for now pending when I am

fully settled in the Army.

I was to come back and pick my mother to

Enugu after I must have collected my bulk money

and furnish my home in the Barracks. But that

was not to be, it never happened, the world was

not done with us yet