Aduke, Made Me Forget My Name. Dreemport WOTW

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All was set for the journey to begin. Chidi, Mokeme, and I were so happy to leave this dark community. We have been here for twelve whole months with pipe-borne water, electricity and any other facility we enjoyed in the city. These twelve months were the most challenging period of our lives so far.

On our first day of arrival at the national youth corp camp which is located at the state capital, we thought we were in heaven because all that was needed was available. It was easy to withdraw cash from the automated teller machine. There were also beautiful restaurants where you can eat delicacies and even cinemas where you could go to ease the stress of work.
Little did we know that our experience at the camp is the best we could ever have. While at the orientation camp, Mokeme was our platoon leader. He is so energetic and carried along with all the drills. On the day we concluded at the camp and waiting for our letters of posting to our place of primary assignment, I heard him lamenting that he would not accept to go to a rural area but on receiving his letter of posting to Abule-Ejatedo, he could not protest.
As I looked at my posting letter too, Abule-Ejatedo was boldly written on it. I accepted my fate and looked for anyone who was posted to my direction too.

Anyone going to Abule-Ejatedo? I claimed, waiting for some responses.

This was how Chidi, Mokeme and I became friends by the matter of being posted to the same place of primary assignment.
We moved out of camp immediately to Abule-Ejatedo. It was a riverine area with a lot of aquatic splendour and beautiful fair ladies. Chidi loved this village immediately, for the presence of aquatic food and bevy of ladies.
Our first call was at the palace of the traditional ruler of the community, King Ogungbe. He was so friendly and accommodating. At first sight, I knew he wasn't from this part. He narrated how he was called back home from Scotland to become the king of the community, having worked as a medical doctor at the Scottish medical center.

Our assignment for the next one year was to work for the fisheries agency of the federal government in establishing a fishing house in the coastal community and to move the product to commercial centers for sale and profit making.

Before our official work starts, we have two weeks to settle down. The fisheries department gave us an apartment in the middle of the community. It looked like those old colonial buildings with archaic furniture and architectural design but we loved it. It was the best in the community. Even more beautiful than the palace.

This place attracted the most beautiful girls. Most of them could not communicate in English except Aduke. She became Mokeme's friend and would visit us at the hostel. She spoke the king's English but didn't smile.

Thunyara Klaiklang

Several weeks after we started work at the fisheries, we had enough to eat that we didn't touch our allowances. Our only problem was the power supply and drinkable water.

I was dumbfounded when Aduke came one evening and said to Mokeme:

You guys have to watch it. All these beautiful girls you see in Abule are possessed of the water spirit.

From where I was seated, Chidi heard me scream my name. It’s a strange and scary sensation to suddenly forget your name, until a few seconds later before I could respond to his call.

what did you hear? Chidi asked with full enthusiasm to hear what I heard.

My lips were shivering with cold like someone who had caught a fever. But still, I managed to tell Chidi,

I heard Aduke saying to Mokeme that most of the ladies in Abule-Ejatedo are possessed of water spirits.

After I reported to Chidi, beads of sweat covered him even though it was raining cats and dogs. He sunk into the wooden chair and got lost in his thoughts.

That day, I regretted ever falling in love with the ladies. Even though I did not ask them out in person, I felt the guilt that spirit could understand human feelings. But for Chidi, a few of the ladies have accepted to be his girlfriends. He looks like he was caught in a web set by demons hahaha.

From that day when Aduke announced the presence of evil girls in Abule-Ejatedo, I started dreaming of the passing out parade to mark the end of my service year.

Thankfully, the day came and we couldn't wait one extra minute to leave Abule-Ejaredo.