The fourth part of this discourse was published in  Wednesday’s edition of Vanguard

By Ogbemi O. Omatete

AFTER feasting on the meal, she asked me to go home. I ran from the shed, hopping and skipping along. On the way home, I joined some boys playing street football (soccer), ensuring, however, that I got home before she did. Aunt came home that evening and announced to all that I had been admitted to GovernmentCollege, Ughelli.

Mr. Arayi congratulated me and asked if I was not happy that I went for the interview. I smiled and nodded. A couple of days later, Aunt travelled home to Ugborodo to announce my success.

Also, she must have realized that the cost implications were now more than she alone could shoulder. She returned to Sapele and we started making preparations for me to attend the secondary school of my dream, GovernmentCollege, Ughelli. The family, more importantly, my father had undertaken to pay my fees at GCU. As a full boarding school, providing books, uniforms and all sports clothing, the annual cost in 1953 was thirty-two pounds, a large amount of money at that time, especially for a subsistent crayfisher-man.

September 1953, I was one of the forty-eight boys, the latest addition to GCU, who were distributed amongst the four existing Houses (dormitories), School, Warri, Forcados and Sapele, and were divided equally into FormIA and Form 1Alpha. I was in School House and in Form 1A. GovernmentCollege brought structure and discipline into the lives of the boys it admitted and it molded them into honest and diligent young men. Our daily lives, from wake-up bell to lights outs, were regulated. Besides the rigorous academic instructions and compulsory sporting activities of football, athletics and cricket, in our free time,we enjoyed playing indoor games like table tennis, chess, and other board games and out door games like volley ball, bush football and bush cricket.

I found out that the top six boys in the examination into Ughelli were awarded automatic government scholarship and others were recommended to their different Native Authorities for scholarship. Father mentioned casually to me that he tried to obtain Itsekiri Native Authority Scholarship for me but could not because those he went through said it would have cost him forty pounds, which he did not have. Consequently, he decided to pay the fees himself, because he could pay the annual thirty-two pounds fees in installments. Father paid the fees and provided the other accessories and I enjoyed the full benefit of the education at GovernmentCollege and quickly moved to the top echelon of my class academically. I came home to Ugborodo to spend my vacations with Father.

Three occurrences in 1955 affected me enormously. The first was the change of the school year back to January to December from September to August. Consequently, my class was in Form II for fifteen months. The second was the decision to make footwear compulsory for all students at GCU. This was dramatic for one like me who had never worn any footwear in his fifteen plus years on earth. Fortunately, I adjusted quickly to wearing the popular Clark’s sandals after a few discomforts. The third one was momentous in my life. As was the practice as soon as a student completed his mid year examination, he could leave for the mid year holidays. Consequently, I left as soon as I was done with my papers before the Principal or the Housemaster could reach and inform me. I took the earliest transport from Ughelli to Warri in order to catch one of the motorboats (Kpekpekpe) from Warri to Ugborodo that day.

As we boarded and the motorboat took off, the village tailor approached me and said something about condolences but noticed that I stirred at him bemused, so he quickly changed the subject. Others who knew me would say hello and quickly turn away. Oblivious to all of these signs, and dreaming of the reunion with my family, I sat up by the bow of the boat and enjoyed the cool sea breeze on my face. The five-hour journey came to an end and when the boat docked, I took my luggage and walked through the beach rather through the main village to the family compound. I wanted to surprise the family. I met an aunt, who dressed in black, was shocked to see me and wondered if I was on holidays already. But quickly, turned around as I continued to our house at the top of the compound. Another aunt also in black, came out from her house and rather than come to hug me just said hello and turned around too.

What is going on I thought to myself but walked straight to our house, which looked unkempt as the chairs were in disarray. I turned around and asked.“Where is my father?” I noticed that my father’s friends and young male adults started coming into the compound. Again, I asked, “where is my father?” My father’s best friend led the men and young men into our house. “Sit down, my son,” he said. I had the sick feeling as I sank into the chair.

“You are a grown man now, my son. Your father is no longer with us. He is dead,” he continued. I screamed and jumped into the air. The men held me and said all sorts of calming words that I did not comprehend. My father is dead; who now is going to pay my fees at Ughelli was the first thought that came into my mind? Is this the end of my education at GCU?

Grandmother’s house

All sorts of thoughts flowed incoherently through my head. I felt I too should die rather than not return to my beloved GCU. The adults succeeded in calming down. The women, weeping and wailing, came to console me. My mother and my little sister, Tetsoma, weeping uncontrollably came to console me too. Later that evening, it was decided that I go with mother to my grandmother’s house.

That night mother asked me to sleep under the mosquito net next to her. I had a dreadful dream in which my father sat on a chair and I sat on the floor between him and mother, who was also sitting by me on the floor. Then I asked them, “Who will pay my school fees now?” But before anyone could answer, I jumped up on the bed partially asleep, screaming and shaking.  My mother woke, held unto me tightly and calmed me down.