Thorns In My Boot

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 9

Within a week, I was driving very well, there are

lots of spaces in the Barracks on which one

could learn to drive a car and there were so

many willing teachers so long a car is available.

So every morning I drive to the Office picking

People and dropping them along the way to my

Office, there was no problem or eye brow raised

because three of my mates also bought Cars and

everyone knew the source of our Money except

for some elderly Soldiers that frowned at our

choice of purchasing Cars instead of buying

Lands and start building, but I was just twenty

years old and quite naturally, building a house

was the last thing on my mind.

I wanted to go home and show the world what

God has done for my small family, I wanted to

carry Mama in the Car and go round the Village, I

wanted to drive her to every where she had

trekked to and finally I wanted to drive her back

to Enugu to start a new life, she was about forty

five years old but she looked sixty and I know

that with a good diet and rest she could recover

her shine for they said she used to be a sight to

behold in her youth. I planned to rent a Shop for

her and set up a hair dressing salon for her.

Perhaps she could even find love again, some

Soldier could be interested in her and I really

would love that to happen to Mama, she

deserves a second chance at love.

The engine of the car was in superb condition,

vapour still drips from the exhaust pipe when I

steam the Car; my Friends said I bought PAN;

that was the term used to describe a brand new

Peugeot Car fresh from the stable of Peugeot

Automobile Nigeria Limited. I did not bother

about the registration of the Car so as to get the

necessary cover documents, I was a Soldier and

my identity Card surpasses any type of license or

documentation in the Country, so I had come to

believe because I was yet to see a serving

Soldier whose vehicle particulars are up to date.

My life changed momentarily, I now dress well

and also drive a car, I have a little furnished

apartment of my own, wao! The world was in my

pocket, I even had some change to throw around

even though I had never had the privilege of

being extravagant. I get to work daily in my

sparkling Car which I made a point of duty to

scrub daily whether it is dirty or not. I was

comfortable in my own right.

I finally rented a Shop at the Mammy Market and

I locked it up pending Mama’s arrival. I needed

to know what she would prefer to do with the

Shop and I also needed to go round the market

to know what trade would spin fast money in the

Barracks.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

We played the final match against the Garrison

Unit and we defeated them by two goals, once

again I scored the winning goal, I was celebrated

as usual and my popularity spread through the

length and breadth of the Barracks, everywhere I

went I heard my name, Oj! Oj! I waved to so

many people while I gave “thumps up” to others.

We settled at the CBM later in the evening for

celebration and our unit senior Officers paid for

everything we ate and drank.

Two days after the football finals competition,

my C.O summoned me to his Office and

presented a sealed Army Customized envelope to

me, he asked me to open it and read before him

as he was interested in its content: the letter

was from the Army Directorate for Sports, I had

been nominated for screening into the

Prestigious Army national football team “The

Green Beret”. I leapt for joy and clung on My C.O

before I realized I was jumping on a Colonel in

Uniform, I recoiled immediately and prostrated on

the floor in my uniform apologizing to him,

Common stand up and don’t be silly! He said: he

pulled me closer and patted me on the shoulder:

congratulations my Boy! You have a bright

Career ahead of you, if you succeed, you may

have to leave the Signals Corp for the Physical

training unit, he said.

I did not really know much about the PT unit

save for the fact that they are in charge of

organizing sporting activities and screening of

recruits for the Army, they control the

Gymnasium, the Football fields, and every other

sport facility and the physical training of Soldiers

too. I was indifferent. I was simply happy.