This “My Oga at the Top thingy eh!”. I pity the Guy sha....the plenty talk and Yapping the Dude and family must have passed thru

Contd...

Thats what happens when you goof. At some point we may have had our own share. I remember an incident that happened when i was in High school. I goofed and it caused me a nickname that was forced on me until i left High school. My classmates so Yapped my life back then because of that silly mistake eh!...Kai! i felt like disappearing at that moment.

That day (i don’t remember precisely whether it was Monday, Tuesday or Friday), i just know we were having extra moral classes after school hours. The subject was Yoruba and i didn’t understand “Jack”. I ought not to have been in that class but since our Ibo teacher was not in the school premises at that time i stayed back in the class for Yoruba, deciding to pass time while i wait for the last period for that day.

I guess whatever the topic was interested everybody in class because at other times my classmates would laff at most statements made by the Yoruba Teacher...she prolly was telling them a story/Folk tale (i can’t remember her name...he Yoruba teacher’s now...this incident happened when i was in Jss 3).

I was busy playing Tetris (that year na im we dey call Brick Game...Lol). i was lost, i got carried away. Then suddenly the class screamed at me....i jerked to consciousness and reality, on raising my head i saw the teacher pointing at me. My instincts told me she had directed a question to me so i stood up. While standing up she asked the question again looking at me with a meaner demeanor i wondered what the answer to the question would be.

With confusion written all over my face i looked round to see if any of my mates could bail me out. They knew i was not supposed to be in that class so why torment me to answer a question i knew nothing about...moreso the language was foreign to me and i was yet to grasp the meaning of its basics, etc.

In the middle of my dilemma, Ojo whispered “Alu-bosa” meaning “Onions”. At that instant smiles decorated my face, i composed myself and held my shoulders high cuz i was going to Wow my mates....Ojo had given me the answer i needed and that was all that would make my alien status in their midst still remain a cover...atleast to the Teacher.

Then “Alu-bosa” spilled from my lips. The class was hysterical. Everyone laffed uncontrollably. I had a mixed feeling of surprise and embarrassment. It became obvious that Ojo had fooled me! I regretted the idea of staying back there for that class just to pass time. One of the gals in front then explained to the teacher that i was not Yoruba and wasn’t meant to be in the class. The teacher then told me to sit and cautioned the class to keep quite as she was not done with the lessons for that afternoon.

The Official torment started after that class. I became the trending topic in school especially amongst my mates. From that day until i finished (taking my WAEC exams) there in 2000, the only name everybody seemed to find convenient enough to call me was “Alu-bosa”...meaning “Onions”.

So, i share the pain the Dude and his family would be going thru now....though my case was just with the population of my school or more especially my set in school. He’s is with the entire nation. All the same such situations most times tend to steal our best moments and leave a lasting memory in our minds.