I want to attempt to immortalize or put down on paper, an experience of mine I had in the university, University of Benin (UNIBEN) to be precise by the year 2008. At the time, I was in three hundred level medicine, staying off campus, Osasogie area, close to God's grace hostel, for those readers who know UNIBEN well.
Now, before I continue, a little introduction and preface. My name's Kenny and presently I'm a graduate, to the glory of God. I like (in random order) making good friends, any beans cuisine, egusi soup, Jesus, graphics designs, playing football, computer games, and many other things. Of course, there are a number of things I don't like, like (also in random order) oppressive people, okro and ogbono soup, robbers, Benin city as a whole, someone slapping me (lol), washing plate, bla bla bla....
Anyways, I believe that one of the hallmarks of maturity is toughness, which is one thing, I'm not lacking, in terms of experiences I've had that were tough on my person. Another is wisdom, which UNIBEN helped me acquire indirectly, and the fellowship I worshipped in, directly. I write this, as a testimony to the experiences that helped to chisel me into the "me" that I am now. Finally, but not in any way least, the hallmark of maturity we all can't do without, in my own rigid opinion, is God Himself. Without Him it would just be nothing but profitless projections and activities, and everything will be of no worthwhile benefit. And in this department, I did not score a zero.
Now, it was a beautiful day of 2008, can't remember the exact day and month, but I woke up grateful to God, unaware of how the day would end. Of course, after prepping for class, and hailing my roomates off, of which we were four in number and in the same fellowship, I promptly set off, to the nearest "buka" or school canteen, to engulf some "santana" or fufu with some soup, which is known as the much fabled "six to six", which is like a super energy packed meal, keeping one going for long hours. It was a bit of a distance, walking all the way to the buka, but my mind was set on the "santana prize". Once in UNIBEN, my mind is usually "Eat what you can, when you can" because thou knoweth not the hour of thy feeding, as opposed to when I'm at home. Home is a different ball game of course, where I'm usually assured of meal times. So, I made up my mind, early in my university days that anything that will make me buy food outside my room, it must be "six to six", except on rare cases, because its energy supply and duration is the highest of all the foods being sold at the canteens or anywhere else for that matter and is just what someone like me, an energy burner, needs for long hours.
Of course, after the "energizer" session at the canteens, I went to class as usually, got bored by my lecturer's drone of a lecture, wrote the hell out of my hands, due to the speed of the dictation by the lecturer and the volume of the lecture notes. Of course, I got to chat with some of my classmates, and even giggled a bit when one of us got humorous. One thing I learnt about UNIBEN as a whole is that it makes you appreciate comedy and comedy related stuffs, more. Anyway, when I was through eventually, and was on my way to my hostel, which I was happy about (of course I've been praying that the lecturers should not come to class today, but God was probably talking to Angel michael at the time. Damn I should've shouted), I saw some of my friends going the same direction with me. Normally, meeting with some of my friends, and any of my roommates, is a sure way to have a hearty laugh, almost everytime, and today was no different. So we walked together, laughing, gisting, arguing, laughing, about anything we could think up at the time, which mainly was school related stuff. Like one of my friends, Osas, said, "Omo, forget oh. You sure say I no go leave this medicine, go do comedy? Ahn ahn, the stress too much na." Then another of my friends, James said sarcastically, "Oya na. Leave medicine na." Then Osas was like, "Omo, calm down oh. If my popsie catch me eh, e no go jell oh. Make I just dey do the medicine dey go. No time oh." And that was enough to make us chuckle. Eventually after laughing some more, we got to our parting points, each going their own direction.
When I got to my room, as if on cue, my stomach growled. I just knew, no food. Of course there was no food. The previous day, there was no food, and the day before that. It was during this period I got a number of nicknames: The lord of the soaks, Soakazoid, The god of soaks, Soakrates, bla, bla, bla... Why? Because I was a garri (or garium 4 or G4 as we usually called it) tanker. As in, I ingested a lot of G4 those days to the point that people called me a legend. Of course, that was the easiest and the cheapest staple food around and still is. Even if there's no food, there has to be G4. The day there is no food and no G4, then we are fully and truly finished, and those kind of days were not too rare to us those days.
Let me say though, that I, at the time I was in UNIBEN, was quite enthused about serving God for two main reasons: first, I always had the desire to be a quality christian, the type I read about in the bible, the type that seemed enjoyable, like the way Pastor Chris' or Pastor Kenneth Hagin's christianity looked enjoyable. I always desired that. Secondly, the notoriety of UNIBEN concerning cultism and belligerency had gone ahead of them and had come to my hearing from different people all confirming UNIBEN's notoriety, and every one person that told me about this aspect of UNIBEN, advised me to just stick to God very well, by joining a strong fellowship and participating therein, so that they (the cultists) don't pick interest in me, which I adhered to apparently, with all the zeal and zest God gave me at the time. Now it was my zeal for God and the ministry that in a way, exacted its toll on me, financially, physically, and time-wise, but then the whole process matured me, strengthened me, increased my information database, and my capacity to grasp knowledge, and made me less wasteful of my resources, including time, money, and energy.
Ok, so I put my bag and some of my other stuffs in their place, while the rest of my stuff, I threw to where they were supposed to be, no time. Then I began my own personal Garium Ultimate Search. I had some good neighbours who helped me that day, and eventually, about 35minutes later, I had had like a mini bucket of G4 and was saved. Those days, when I stayed long enough without eating, and I eventually ate, it was like I could feel the food coursing through my blood vessels, supplying the energy I needed for whatever activity lay ahead of me. At that time, the activity ahead of me was to rest a bit and then step back into school for prayer meeting. While I was lying down and trying to get some sleep, one of my roommates came back. I just knew that would be the end of my sleep, because my roommates are humorous and funny to a fault. You just can't be sleeping when they are awake. Except you convince them to sleep too, or if it is late night. It wasn't late night and I couldn't convince them to sleep. And so it was. It was laughter all through until it was time for me to go to school for prayer meeting. As we all left our rooms (we were about six of us in the hostel who were going to the same campus fellowship), I felt energized and motivated for some "jackie chans" against the devil and his cohort, although something in my stomach was telling me "tank, quarter full". So we got to the venue, a field, with a giant almond tree at one corner (we had a lot of those in Benin city), well grassed and lawned. Prayers began, followed by a praise and worship session, then some more prayers, then some more worship, then the pastor comes on stage, exhorts, ministers, preaches a while, then goes off into some intense, energy draining, but spirit filled prayer sessions once more.
And by past 10pm, after service had closed and the meeting of friends from far and wide (on campus) was ended, I was finally on my way to my hostel at Osasogie, having to pass through a route that is quite plagued with armed robbers who are strict and can be fatally merciless when provoked. Of course, after spending two plus years in the Osasogie (or Osasogiean) part of UNIBEN's off campus area, I learnt that there is no safe route once you're passing the area at nighttime. I also learnt how to be more alert so that you can avoid them. For where. If they want to get you, they will get you. Just pray that you pass when they are not around.
Anyway, I was passing, and praying at the same time, while I was watching, trying to be vigilant. I saw a silhouette of a man coming towards me. Immediately, I decided to turn back and find another road, but as I was about to, I remember that I didn't even have any money sef, and I also didn't have a good phone, the type that they would like to "collect". Then, I also decided to just keeping praying aloud as I pass the guy, hoping that he would just ignore me because I assumed he would think I'm just coming from church and I'm praying intensely, so that God will not fire him with some heavenly thunder that has been gymming for two years. So, after puffing up my "sim card" chest a number of times, building some courage in myself, I continued going towards the guy, then deciding against it, then encouraging myself and continuing. Eventually, after 1 millions years of going two steps forwards, one step back, we eventually passed ourselves, and I then found out that, the guy was even more afraid of me than I was of him. How did I know? When I was passing him and I decided to put my left hand, which was closer to him, in my pocket, he startled and sifted a step away from me very fast. I was like, "C'mon, YOU, scared ME". Of course, I didn't say this aloud.
Finally, I got to my hostel in Osasogie. There was no light, and there was not much to eat, but that would have to do. It was eba and egusi soup or so, on the menu, and I did justice to it. I did some things on my PC, and chatted a bit with my room mates, before I retired for the day. The time was around past 12 midnight....
.......
......
......
BANG!!!
......
BANG!!!
And with a start, I woke up. I check the time. It was to 2am, early morning. I looked around, my sister was already upright, sitting on the bed, looking as though a ghost husband had been arranged for her hand in marriage, and there was nothing she could do about it. Ok, I looked left and right, trying to ascertain where those loud bangs came from. As I was about to ask my sister what made those sounds, I heard it again, BANG! This time it rang louder than before and I heard the door leading to the hostel, break.
Ok. While I was still trying to put two and two together, my sister just blurted out, "Robbers are in the hostel"....
My heartbeat raced to like 1000 beats per second. Adrenaline pumping everywhere. The initial fear, gripped me like a policeman would grip the belt region of a criminal's trouser.
To Be Continued...
Facebook - Odusola Aanuoluwapo
Twitter - @odusolar
BBM - 2ACA8612
Now, before I continue, a little introduction and preface. My name's Kenny and presently I'm a graduate, to the glory of God. I like (in random order) making good friends, any beans cuisine, egusi soup, Jesus, graphics designs, playing football, computer games, and many other things. Of course, there are a number of things I don't like, like (also in random order) oppressive people, okro and ogbono soup, robbers, Benin city as a whole, someone slapping me (lol), washing plate, bla bla bla....
Anyways, I believe that one of the hallmarks of maturity is toughness, which is one thing, I'm not lacking, in terms of experiences I've had that were tough on my person. Another is wisdom, which UNIBEN helped me acquire indirectly, and the fellowship I worshipped in, directly. I write this, as a testimony to the experiences that helped to chisel me into the "me" that I am now. Finally, but not in any way least, the hallmark of maturity we all can't do without, in my own rigid opinion, is God Himself. Without Him it would just be nothing but profitless projections and activities, and everything will be of no worthwhile benefit. And in this department, I did not score a zero.
Now, it was a beautiful day of 2008, can't remember the exact day and month, but I woke up grateful to God, unaware of how the day would end. Of course, after prepping for class, and hailing my roomates off, of which we were four in number and in the same fellowship, I promptly set off, to the nearest "buka" or school canteen, to engulf some "santana" or fufu with some soup, which is known as the much fabled "six to six", which is like a super energy packed meal, keeping one going for long hours. It was a bit of a distance, walking all the way to the buka, but my mind was set on the "santana prize". Once in UNIBEN, my mind is usually "Eat what you can, when you can" because thou knoweth not the hour of thy feeding, as opposed to when I'm at home. Home is a different ball game of course, where I'm usually assured of meal times. So, I made up my mind, early in my university days that anything that will make me buy food outside my room, it must be "six to six", except on rare cases, because its energy supply and duration is the highest of all the foods being sold at the canteens or anywhere else for that matter and is just what someone like me, an energy burner, needs for long hours.
Of course, after the "energizer" session at the canteens, I went to class as usually, got bored by my lecturer's drone of a lecture, wrote the hell out of my hands, due to the speed of the dictation by the lecturer and the volume of the lecture notes. Of course, I got to chat with some of my classmates, and even giggled a bit when one of us got humorous. One thing I learnt about UNIBEN as a whole is that it makes you appreciate comedy and comedy related stuffs, more. Anyway, when I was through eventually, and was on my way to my hostel, which I was happy about (of course I've been praying that the lecturers should not come to class today, but God was probably talking to Angel michael at the time. Damn I should've shouted), I saw some of my friends going the same direction with me. Normally, meeting with some of my friends, and any of my roommates, is a sure way to have a hearty laugh, almost everytime, and today was no different. So we walked together, laughing, gisting, arguing, laughing, about anything we could think up at the time, which mainly was school related stuff. Like one of my friends, Osas, said, "Omo, forget oh. You sure say I no go leave this medicine, go do comedy? Ahn ahn, the stress too much na." Then another of my friends, James said sarcastically, "Oya na. Leave medicine na." Then Osas was like, "Omo, calm down oh. If my popsie catch me eh, e no go jell oh. Make I just dey do the medicine dey go. No time oh." And that was enough to make us chuckle. Eventually after laughing some more, we got to our parting points, each going their own direction.
When I got to my room, as if on cue, my stomach growled. I just knew, no food. Of course there was no food. The previous day, there was no food, and the day before that. It was during this period I got a number of nicknames: The lord of the soaks, Soakazoid, The god of soaks, Soakrates, bla, bla, bla... Why? Because I was a garri (or garium 4 or G4 as we usually called it) tanker. As in, I ingested a lot of G4 those days to the point that people called me a legend. Of course, that was the easiest and the cheapest staple food around and still is. Even if there's no food, there has to be G4. The day there is no food and no G4, then we are fully and truly finished, and those kind of days were not too rare to us those days.
Let me say though, that I, at the time I was in UNIBEN, was quite enthused about serving God for two main reasons: first, I always had the desire to be a quality christian, the type I read about in the bible, the type that seemed enjoyable, like the way Pastor Chris' or Pastor Kenneth Hagin's christianity looked enjoyable. I always desired that. Secondly, the notoriety of UNIBEN concerning cultism and belligerency had gone ahead of them and had come to my hearing from different people all confirming UNIBEN's notoriety, and every one person that told me about this aspect of UNIBEN, advised me to just stick to God very well, by joining a strong fellowship and participating therein, so that they (the cultists) don't pick interest in me, which I adhered to apparently, with all the zeal and zest God gave me at the time. Now it was my zeal for God and the ministry that in a way, exacted its toll on me, financially, physically, and time-wise, but then the whole process matured me, strengthened me, increased my information database, and my capacity to grasp knowledge, and made me less wasteful of my resources, including time, money, and energy.
Ok, so I put my bag and some of my other stuffs in their place, while the rest of my stuff, I threw to where they were supposed to be, no time. Then I began my own personal Garium Ultimate Search. I had some good neighbours who helped me that day, and eventually, about 35minutes later, I had had like a mini bucket of G4 and was saved. Those days, when I stayed long enough without eating, and I eventually ate, it was like I could feel the food coursing through my blood vessels, supplying the energy I needed for whatever activity lay ahead of me. At that time, the activity ahead of me was to rest a bit and then step back into school for prayer meeting. While I was lying down and trying to get some sleep, one of my roommates came back. I just knew that would be the end of my sleep, because my roommates are humorous and funny to a fault. You just can't be sleeping when they are awake. Except you convince them to sleep too, or if it is late night. It wasn't late night and I couldn't convince them to sleep. And so it was. It was laughter all through until it was time for me to go to school for prayer meeting. As we all left our rooms (we were about six of us in the hostel who were going to the same campus fellowship), I felt energized and motivated for some "jackie chans" against the devil and his cohort, although something in my stomach was telling me "tank, quarter full". So we got to the venue, a field, with a giant almond tree at one corner (we had a lot of those in Benin city), well grassed and lawned. Prayers began, followed by a praise and worship session, then some more prayers, then some more worship, then the pastor comes on stage, exhorts, ministers, preaches a while, then goes off into some intense, energy draining, but spirit filled prayer sessions once more.
And by past 10pm, after service had closed and the meeting of friends from far and wide (on campus) was ended, I was finally on my way to my hostel at Osasogie, having to pass through a route that is quite plagued with armed robbers who are strict and can be fatally merciless when provoked. Of course, after spending two plus years in the Osasogie (or Osasogiean) part of UNIBEN's off campus area, I learnt that there is no safe route once you're passing the area at nighttime. I also learnt how to be more alert so that you can avoid them. For where. If they want to get you, they will get you. Just pray that you pass when they are not around.
Anyway, I was passing, and praying at the same time, while I was watching, trying to be vigilant. I saw a silhouette of a man coming towards me. Immediately, I decided to turn back and find another road, but as I was about to, I remember that I didn't even have any money sef, and I also didn't have a good phone, the type that they would like to "collect". Then, I also decided to just keeping praying aloud as I pass the guy, hoping that he would just ignore me because I assumed he would think I'm just coming from church and I'm praying intensely, so that God will not fire him with some heavenly thunder that has been gymming for two years. So, after puffing up my "sim card" chest a number of times, building some courage in myself, I continued going towards the guy, then deciding against it, then encouraging myself and continuing. Eventually, after 1 millions years of going two steps forwards, one step back, we eventually passed ourselves, and I then found out that, the guy was even more afraid of me than I was of him. How did I know? When I was passing him and I decided to put my left hand, which was closer to him, in my pocket, he startled and sifted a step away from me very fast. I was like, "C'mon, YOU, scared ME". Of course, I didn't say this aloud.
Finally, I got to my hostel in Osasogie. There was no light, and there was not much to eat, but that would have to do. It was eba and egusi soup or so, on the menu, and I did justice to it. I did some things on my PC, and chatted a bit with my room mates, before I retired for the day. The time was around past 12 midnight....
.......
......
......
BANG!!!
......
BANG!!!
And with a start, I woke up. I check the time. It was to 2am, early morning. I looked around, my sister was already upright, sitting on the bed, looking as though a ghost husband had been arranged for her hand in marriage, and there was nothing she could do about it. Ok, I looked left and right, trying to ascertain where those loud bangs came from. As I was about to ask my sister what made those sounds, I heard it again, BANG! This time it rang louder than before and I heard the door leading to the hostel, break.
Ok. While I was still trying to put two and two together, my sister just blurted out, "Robbers are in the hostel"....
My heartbeat raced to like 1000 beats per second. Adrenaline pumping everywhere. The initial fear, gripped me like a policeman would grip the belt region of a criminal's trouser.
To Be Continued...
Facebook - Odusola Aanuoluwapo
Twitter - @odusolar
BBM - 2ACA8612
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