…
HOSTEL ROOM OF MY DREAM…… (hostel life)
by Ocheh, E. Emmanuel
Hostel life has indeed been characterized and exemplified as
a coin which has two faces, Hostel life presents people with varieties of
choices, ideas. Idiosyncrasies, world on its own, on one hand people adapt to
this life positively and on the other hand some adapt negatively. Hostel as life in its self has revealed the
real nature of people ranging from the way they think, reason, apply wisdom and
adapt to changes to their background, while a host of people sees the hostel as
a building ground, a place to be, a place of fun, a school on its own, an
unseen life that act as a father or mother, a terrific milieu, others sees it
as one of the worst things that have happened to them, sees it as a climax for
the devil unknown which had followed to school, sees it as a terrifying,
discouraging, the meander of youth formation, sees it as a place characterized
by catalyst for instigating youthful misdemeanor for those who comes under its
protracted influence. Hmmm it is said that every environment has it peculiarities
and is not different in the case of Kogi State University Hostel life (male
hostel).
Join me as we peruse the ordeal of Mr. N and his roommates
(phase I and II).
Phase
I
Mr. N, Mr. F, Mr. V, Mr. S, Mr. I, Mr. O all find themselves
in the same room of which Mr. E joined later, the room was characterized by
communal living as everybody were like
minded in certainly everything. One day Mr. F adopted the slogan
“whatever comes to the room belongs to all” for the room, the room however was
characterized with fun, but the roommate had their reservations, their distinct
personalities, and Mr. N seen as the most senior, exercised jurisdiction of
correcting, and advising the roommates. NOW THE ORDEAL Day in and day out everyone complains the
plates is always dirty, room unkept, and Mr. N will keep asking a question that
Google can’t even answer which is “ we are complaining that plates are dirty
and room unkept, who is now the person messing up the room and dirtying the
plates?. Mr. V being a law student who believes in principles and law or
orderliness bangs on Mr. N one day when
Mr. N change the position of empty cup he placed on his box, didn’t end there,
bangs on Mr. E (who believes in societal tolerance, coherence and
accommodation) who one day told him to get use to the room, he shouldn’t expect
to always see things when it is, due to the presence of other people, Mr. E who
thought he has given a good advice never knew he made one of the wrong
statement that day when suddenly Mr. V jacked up from the floor angrily
pointing to Mr. E in the face and said “you just insulted my three years as a
law student and my personality” hmmm it was not a funny episode as all the
roommate were trying to correlate a missing stockings with the fact of being a
law student. An interesting aspect of the room was the issue of fetching water
and cooking of food, this was indeed a serious aspect as only one of the room
mates Mr. O who always ensures water is in the room with some encouraging few
who joins him and that was actually what Mr. N finds difficult doing and Mr. O
being a free person accepted all in good fate was tagged “the water fetcher and
the one without complains”. Everybody’s identity was displayed in cooking, food
are prepared and eaten by those in the room as at when the food drops from
fire, and the ones who went for lectures and comes back late are left at mercy
of student power (i.e. garri) and always complained bitterly and because all
that comes into the room is for all, if they get alternative (e.g. bread,
akara) brings it to the room ………(you know the rest) and that make some
roommates to eat out, or buy stay out the hostel eat and come and disturb.
Another issue was “Family And Friends (FAF)” when food are being prepared, that
is exactly the right time FAF comes visiting and at the end food don’t go
round, Mr. I was fed up with this because he doesn’t play with his stomach and
left for off k,. The roommates comes together to re-strategize under the
frontier of Mr. S and all decided everybody should take his plate and name it,
when food is prepared, it will be distributed in the plate according to the
name on it (i.e. members of the room) and any FAF who comes visiting will eat
with the person in particular who is being visited from his own food. The
method worked smoothly but the roommate were forced to eat food anyhow it is
being prepared, and this generated another slogan “is the food sweet?” and the
answer “it is not bitter”. This continued till the end of their stay, and all
the roommate swore not to retain or remain in the room except for Mr. N who
retained the room for the next phase (I.e. next session) but he had to flee
from the room before the next phase ended because the room became so hot for
him. Now what happens? Watch out!!!.
Phase II.
Mr. N and a new person Mr. D in the room now, staying was
bearable as they were only two but with little problems as the both were two
different people both in reasoning and actions. The problem came to a climax
when Mr. N decided to help a friend in need and allowed him into the room to
stay with them (i.e. Mr. A).. Mr. A stayed with them, all of a sudden Mr. A`s
brother came to join, under the canopy of
`he will soon go, it’s just for a while`
which he introduced a new living entirely
NOW
THE ORDEAL OF MR. N AGAIN.
Mr. N finds it difficult to cope with Mr. D who is an extremist in all he does,
Mr. D dislike cooking, and when he cooks, he cooks Mr. N food stuffs, of which
his own is nowhere to be seen and often times cooks indomie well garnished with
egg and don’t share with anybody, his beverages are strategically kept and a
placed order of “no go area”. Mr. N is faced with the issue of my food stuffs
is always used when it comes to cooking, yet the food is not kept for me and
yet they complain I am eating their food. Mr. D`s intolerant
attitude was not only limited to Mr. N but also to Mr. A and his brother which
was always characterized with quarrels, fights,
misunderstanding in all areas, involving
external arbitration, it was indeed a hell for Mr. N . To crown it up, on a very good morning of a
promising day, after Mr. N finished
having his morning devotion to start the
day, opening his eyes, to his greatest amazement he saw Mr. S (Mr. A`s brother)
his beneficiary, standing right in front of the bed with a question which
rumbled out of his mouth suddenly “Mr. N did you carry a piece of fish from my
pot of soup over the night?” what seemed like a good day for Mr. N suddenly had
a bad beginning, Mr. N was as confused as an
agama lizard, looked at himself, looked at Mr. S and imagined the
question, trying to control himself he answered “if I didn’t not eat the food,
is it now the fish I will now carry?” Mr. S left him. Mr. N went out for the
day, came back in the evening, on entering the room he thought he was in the
wrong room, what happened? Mr. S divided the room into two(2) , (creating an
apartment per say for himself and his brother)
Hmmmn what a joke at first still standing in his amazement, waking up to
reality was when Mr. S said everybody
should maintain his own corner. I (Mr. E in the first phase) came into the room
and saw the demarcation turning to Mr. N and said jokingly “your tenants are
really trying oh “what a face me I face you” apartment in one room” Mr. N smiled and said I have finally had it
to my throat and I am leaving, within three days he went off campus (like Mr. I
in the first phase). This is not the hostel room of my dream.
Hmmn
what an ordeal but did the story actually end there? (watch out for the next
edition when Mr. N finally returns.)
This true life story
is not written to malign or ridicule any personality but for enlightenment, I
appreciate the life experience contributions of those involved in this work.
Thank you (pls this does not mean that this experience is same for all rooms)
Now I want you to know that generally these
people in one way or the other learnt one thing or the other, the non salient
people in this story actually maximized everything they saw and experience and
that is why I see hostel life (as a):
-
Positive life moulder
-
Catalyst for a better living in the
society.
-
Teacher which teaches you how to cope,
tolerate individual characters
a.
Teach you to make wise decisions at all times
b.
Teach you to be optimistic
c.
Exposes you to great ingredients for
leadership
d.
Teach how to identify and maximize
your potential
e.
Gives you a sense of focus and
aspiration in life
-
Opener to a complex and wider society
-
Gives you a spirit of humanitarianism
and philanthropy.
-
Gives you an avenue to see and meet
people from different background and
make you know that if you think:
i.
You are from a bad background, there
are more from the worst
ii.
You are from a poor background, there
are more that their own poverty is given credence
iii.
You are from a well to do family,
there are more from a better one
iv.
Your own story is bad and horrible
there are those with a more terrifying story
v.
You are good, there are better people
than you. e.tc.
It all boils down to
how you are able to make good use of the environment and opportunities that
present itself where ever you find yourself. I always tell people “you can never matter in a matter if you
don’t know the matter in the matter i.e always make yourself relevant where you
find yourself” and equally “the only
determination to the formation of the life of a man is information, in other
words you can never change your life if you cannot change what you know, your
choice and decisions.
Thank you, see you in
the next edition. Join me as we change the society through information
Ocheh, E. Emmanuel
08064168207
www.newageinitiative.blogspot.com
