By Meg Dada
My set finished from University in 1992 but we could not go for NYSC until 1993.
Our Orientation was at a secondary school in Ede Osun State. That was the last batch of joint Orientation of Oyo state and Osun State.
The Orientation was very interesting. I fell ill as usual but I was able to go for endurance treck, it looks like they don’t do that anymore.
I came back and became sick again but I was happy I could make it and I also wanted to surprise my parents and siblings.
I was posted to Ogbomoso High School in Ogbomoso South, Ogbomoso in Oyo State for PA. I traveled in company of other Coper who were posted to Ogbomoso. We got there safely and I went to report in my School.
Ogbomoso happened to be a beautiful place. I discovered that food was extremely cheap and beef especially. A house was rented for those of us who had our PA at the School.
As we were settling down, the landlady of the house, told me that if I go to hairdressing salon and they are talking about theives, I should not join them.
She narrated the story of a notorious robber in the town at that time. He lived larger than life. Whenever and wherever he operated, one or two of his followers would be there in the midst of those commiserating with the people rubbed. They would take note of what everyone was saying. At night those who said what, would be visited with whatever they had said during the day. For instance, if someone said, those wicked robbers should have their tongues slashed, they would slash the tongue of the one who gave that verdict.
Anyways, the notorious robber was arrested and killed in his hideout in his underground palace, by LAUTECH students. He was brought to the Main road that lead to Ilorin. That was were they left his dead body. This happened towards the end of our Youth Service.
When the first batch NYSC that we met left, we were able to move to the Coppers’ lodge behind California hotel. There I learnt about dokunun. My friend loved it. She was always going to the main road to eat it. I never followed her to eat it as the name disqualified the food as far as I was concerned. Iya Gold always called someone who is not smart, a sluggish person, dokunun. Hehehe!
There were two people in my PPA that I will never forget or maybe I should say three. My Principal Mr Amoo, one of my VP Deacon Lasheinde and My HOD, Mr Sayo Opateyibo.
I have always been a Mum’s girl. I was always falling sick as a result of missing my Mum. I always wanted to go home, if only to see my Mum and come back the following day. My Principal wasn’t happy with this idea. How could a grown up lady be behaving like a child. He didn’t understand. I would cry yet he would insist I could not go. So I didn’t like him at all. Even when he tried cracking jokes with me I would not mind him. How could he deprive me of going to see my Mum and be cracking jokes with me?
Baba Deacon Lasheinde was a sweet daddy. He knew how to calm me down with sweet words. I liked him so much. He would come to our staffroom and gist with us during break time. On one of such occasions, one of the students misbehaved and was punished. If you are a teacher or have been a teacher, even as student, you will know how each teacher would be talking to such student. Deacon Lasheinde said, “it is not the fault of the student that they behaved the ways they did. It was because they were fed with cow milk whereas generations before those students were fed with their mothers’ breast milk. Wow! That was a great revelation for me. There and then, I made up my mind that I was going to breast feed my children. To the glory of God, I did exclusive breastfeeding for my babies.
Mr Sayo Opateyibo, was a humourous person and very friendly with all of us Coppers. Those of us in the same staffroom with him really enjoyed his humour. One day, he said, (eyin olomoge), you ladies, if there is anything your husbands always do for you and on a particular day he doesn’t do it, you people should not remind them. That is, hubby always helps with ironing clothes and
one day, he doesn’t do it, we should not say, you have not ironed the clothes this time.
I held unto that and some other things he taught us.
It was Mr Sayo Opateyibo that took me to Soun Ogbomoso’s palace.
Something unique happened one day. I was at the market, the one on Ilorin road. Suddenly I heard someone called aunty Wura. Haba! Aunty Wura ke? Who could that be? Looking back, I saw my cousin Bose. Seriously? I ran to her, Bose how are you? What are you doing here? It’s been a while. The last time I saw her, she was a little girl. So it was a big surprise to see her in Ogbomoso.
She told me, she was living with her dad in Ogbomoso. The Mom was my first cousin. She said she had seen me before that time, when I came to a tailor’s shop to make dress. It was such a beautiful reunion.
Talking about tailor’s shop, let me tell you the story that surrounded it. My friend Remi Egbukuyimi nee Akinsowon, was to get married. She said I would be her chief Bride’s Maid and I agreed. Unfortunately, I had no money to buy my dress. I told my parents about it but they both said they had no money. It was getting closer to when I would go for Orientation, I kept singing in the house that they should help me with money. There was no show.
It occurred to me to check where my Mum usually kept money. Ha! Iya Gold has money. Okay o! I just took the little amount I needed. My song changed. ‘If you discover your money is missing, don’t place a curse o, I am the one who took it.’ I kept singing it till I left.
It was when I came to make the dress that my little cousin saw me before our meeting in the market.
I got to Idanre a day before my friends wedding. Who did I see? It was Iya Gold. Was I surprised? Not really. I greeted her and her aunt Mama Idanre. She could not allow me enter the house, it was there on the road where I alighted from the bus that she asked, Wura momi, elo ni eo ko mu ninu apoti li yara aba re ni? Wura my daughter, how much did you take from my in your Dad’s room
I smiled and told her that she said she didn’t have money now. She pleaded that I should answer her. I told her the amount. She heaved a sigh of relief and said, aba re wi ba wi Omo re ko WI n wa eo, ko ya ke WI oni ko ba wa eo re keme sepe oun nu mu, laa mu eo un. Your Dad said so that it must have been you who took it.
She went back to Igbara Odo that day as she had accomplished her mission. I can not remember if I gave her back the money sef. The wedding went well.
I finished my NYSC in 1994 with the passing out at MAPO hall Ibadan.My set finished from University in 1992 but we could not go for NYSC until 1993.
Our Orientation was at a secondary school in Ede Osun State. That was the last batch of joint Orientation of Oyo state and Osun State.
The Orientation was very interesting. I fell ill as usual but I was able to go for endurance treck, it looks like they don’t do that anymore.
I came back and became sick again but I was happy I could make it and I also wanted to surprise my parents and siblings.
I was posted to Ogbomoso High School in Ogbomoso South, Ogbomoso in Oyo State for PA. I traveled in company of other Coper who were posted to Ogbomoso. We got there safely and I went to report in my School.
Ogbomoso happened to be a beautiful place. I discovered that food was extremely cheap and beef especially. A house was rented for those of us who had our PA at the School.
As we were settling down, the landlady of the house, told me that if I go to hairdressing salon and they are talking about theives, I should not join them.
She narrated the story of a notorious robber in the town at that time. He lived larger than life. Whenever and wherever he operated, one or two of his followers would be there in the midst of those commiserating with the people rubbed. They would take note of what everyone was saying. At night those who said what, would be visited with whatever they had said during the day. For instance, if someone said, those wicked robbers should have their tongues slashed, they would slash the tongue of the one who gave that verdict.
Anyways, the notorious robber was arrested and killed in his hideout in his underground palace, by LAUTECH students. He was brought to the Main road that lead to Ilorin. That was were they left his dead body. This happened towards the end of our Youth Service.
When the first batch NYSC that we met left, we were able to move to the Coppers’ lodge behind California hotel. There I learnt about dokunun. My friend loved it. She was always going to the main road to eat it. I never followed her to eat it as the name disqualified the food as far as I was concerned. Iya Gold always called someone who is not smart, a sluggish person, dokunun. Hehehe!
There were two people in my PPA that I will never forget or maybe I should say three. My Principal Mr Amoo, one of my VP Deacon Lasheinde and My HOD, Mr Sayo Opateyibo.
I have always been a Mum’s girl. I was always falling sick as a result of missing my Mum. I always wanted to go home, if only to see my Mum and come back the following day. My Principal wasn’t happy with this idea. How could a grown up lady be behaving like a child. He didn’t understand. I would cry yet he would insist I could not go. So I didn’t like him at all. Even when he tried cracking jokes with me I would not mind him. How could he deprive me of going to see my Mum and be cracking jokes with me?
Baba Deacon Lasheinde was a sweet daddy. He knew how to calm me down with sweet words. I liked him so much. He would come to our staffroom and gist with us during break time. On one of such occasions, one of the students misbehaved and was punished. If you are a teacher or have been a teacher, even as student, you will know how each teacher would be talking to such student. Deacon Lasheinde said, “it is not the fault of the student that they behaved the ways they did. It was because they were fed with cow milk whereas generations before those students were fed with their mothers’ breast milk. Wow! That was a great revelation for me. There and then, I made up my mind that I was going to breast feed my children. To the glory of God, I did exclusive breastfeeding for my babies.
Mr Sayo Opateyibo, was a humourous person and very friendly with all of us Coppers. Those of us in the same staffroom with him really enjoyed his humour. One day, he said, (eyin olomoge), you ladies, if there is anything your husbands always do for you and on a particular day he doesn’t do it, you people should not remind them. That is, hubby always helps with ironing clothes and
one day, he doesn’t do it, we should not say, you have not ironed the clothes this time.
I held unto that and some other things he taught us.
It was Mr Sayo Opateyibo that took me to Soun Ogbomoso’s palace.
Something unique happened one day. I was at the market, the one on Ilorin road. Suddenly I heard someone called aunty Wura. Haba! Aunty Wura ke? Who could that be? Looking back, I saw my cousin Bose. Seriously? I ran to her, Bose how are you? What are you doing here? It’s been a while. The last time I saw her, she was a little girl. So it was a big surprise to see her in Ogbomoso.
She told me, she was living with her dad in Ogbomoso. The Mom was my first cousin. She said she had seen me before that time, when I came to a tailor’s shop to make dress. It was such a beautiful reunion.
Talking about tailor’s shop, let me tell you the story that surrounded it. My friend Remi Egbukuyimi nee Akinsowon, was to get married. She said I would be her chief Bride’s Maid and I agreed. Unfortunately, I had no money to buy my dress. I told my parents about it but they both said they had no money. It was getting closer to when I would go for Orientation, I kept singing in the house that they should help me with money. There was no show.
It occurred to me to check where my Mum usually kept money. Ha! Iya Gold has money. Okay o! I just took the little amount I needed. My song changed. ‘If you discover your money is missing, don’t place a curse o, I am the one who took it.’ I kept singing it till I left.
It was when I came to make the dress that my little cousin saw me before our meeting in the market.
I got to Idanre a day before my friends wedding. Who did I see? It was Iya Gold. Was I surprised? Not really. I greeted her and her aunt Mama Idanre. She could not allow me enter the house, it was there on the road where I alighted from the bus that she asked, Wura momi, elo ni eo ko mu ninu apoti li yara aba re ni? Wura my daughter, how much did you take from my box in your Dad’s room
I smiled and told her that she said she didn’t have money now. She pleaded that I should answer her. I told her the amount. She heaved a sigh of relief and said, aba re wi ba wi Omo re ko WI n wa eo, ko ya ke WI oni ko ba wa eo re keme sepe oun nu mu, laa mu eo un. Your Dad said so that it must have been you who took it.
She went back to Igbara Odo that day as she had accomplished her mission. I can not remember if I gave her back the money sef. The wedding went well.
I finished my NYSC in 1994 with the passing
out at MAPO hall Ibadan.
*Meg Dada writes from The Philippines