Harmattan

Lagos boys were not used to the kind of harmattan mornings that you encounter in Apata, Ibadan. By Lagos boys of course, you know this refers to those boys from Lagos who found their way to Government College, Ibadan.

January and February are the worst harmattan months--" yes, I can see you wince, you remember! You had to fill your metal bucket overnight for your bath in the morning. Your first baptism in the morning was use this very cold water to wet the floor, of course, a stupid form one boy had to sweep the room and had to wet the room first by dipping his hands into this cold harmattan water- Gosh!!!

I can feel it now, boy, those were the days! This was just the beginning of your day, because you had to use this ice water to take your bath! Only senior boys could heat their water using immersion boiling rings, so, stupid boys, you had to wait until you became seniors.

Somehow you managed it through the bath by resorting to "half body" or "dry cleaning" whichever you found more convenient but prayed that no prying senior boy caught you at it! Of course if he did, you remember, he first poured the cold water all over you, clothed or not.

You now found your way to the dining hall. GCI only had dining halls. No refectories like those other schools� you know, of course, GCI was an elitist school! Sorry poor little brat, your stew and yam breakfast was staring you in the face but, of course, enjoying an early harmattan morning-sleep, what else? You attacked it just like that and drank your tepid cocoa drink and rushed off to the assembly.

You are lucky this morning because you did not do the early morning run to Moor Plantation in the cold harmattan breeze before your house duties, so you can't complain.

Boy, I cannot forget those harmattan mornings. I can still smell the harmattan mornings, cannot describe it, but you sure can smell it. Yes, I can see it in your face! Boy!!

Obanya Thomas