By Dapo Thomas
The three subjects in which I scored above average had inspired me to start getting serious with my studies. Another inspiration came from my Yoruba teacher, Mr Isiaka Olaoye whose subject was among the three that I passed. Another inspiration was from our first born, Broda mi Sehinde. This was about the second time I was seeing him. I saw him two years ago when he came for a short holiday in Iya Ibadan’s house. These were the three sources of my new motivation. It was time to get serious because very soon, we would be writing our first school leaving certificate examinations. Though as I said earlier, I was not doing this in other to further my education as I already mapped out my future career plans, I was doing this because of a new development. I was at Yaba again immediately I was promoted to Primary 6. This time I was on a general job hunting meaning I had started charting a career path for myself with my first school leaving certificate which I was yet to pass. I wanted to do some spade work before I finished primary 6. Though I had my Oga in mind when I was leaving home, this time around, I was open to other offers and options. In particular, I wanted to work for a reputable Transport Company. My interest was in Benson Transport Service and Oshinowo Transport Service. I had seen their “Bus Yard” in Yaba several times. Their official uniform was khaki. I used to admire them anytime I saw them with their ticket machine strapped to their front side. Sometimes, they could wear white on top of their khaki.Their ladies were very beautiful. You won’t even know they were not college graduates. These two transport companies were rivals to the Lagos State Transport Corporation (LSTC) where my father worked. Though it was not my intention to work with my father’s rivals, my preoccupation was how to secure a job after my primary school without my father’s support.
I couldn’t really recollect how much I had in my pocket on that day but I made sure I was focused on my mission by not looking forward to seeing any Rondorondo. Even when I saw some people gathering, I didn’t bother to know what was happening. Since Yaba came into existence, people have always been gathering. I don’t even know which one deserves to be called Ebute Ero between Yaba and the real Ebute Ero on the Island. People keep flocking and thronging, some with mission, some with illusion. Some with vision, some with mere notions. On this particular day, there was no room for distraction. One cannot be planning his life and at the same time be plotting its flop. You’ve got to face what you are here to do. For instance, I had come to inquire from the management of Benson and Oshinowo Transport Services what I needed to do if I wanted to be a bus conductor. As at that time, that was my life ambition. The uniforms and the fitness on their ladies were enough to stoke such “fascinating” ambition. Besides, I became disinterested in education because of the approach of Alfa Ligali. He gave me the impression that for me to succeed in academics, the use of “Ogun isoye” was sine qua non. If we followed the “Ligalian” theory, by now, my head would be full of ridges signposting my inability to harness natural talents for my development without resorting to herbal mixture and scalpel ritualism.
The people I met at the Desk asked me if I had standard 3 result. Knowing that they had no clue about how I got to Primary 6, arrogantly I told them I was in primary 6. They asked me to submit and leave and that they would get in touch with me. The way the man hissed at me when I told him that I had not written the exam was very contemptuous. They advised me to come with the result anytime it was ready.
