The weeks that followed saw me visiting my seven sisters (most of whom were married). They all inquired whether I had a girlfriend in the course of my respective chit-chats with them. After giving a negative answer, each of them would smile and subsequently inquire about how my mum was faring back in Switzerland. Later, I purchased a form and registered for my external examinations. I subsequently sat for these external examinations and passed them with flying colors.

Thereafter, my father insisted that it was best for me to broaden my ‘social horizons.’ In doing this, he had me purchase a form from Igbinedion University Okada for the 2008/2009 academic session. I didn’t oppose my father’s decision, and I felt good about his choice in that regard. Later, I sat for and passed the entrance examinations and was subsequently admitted to study law at the Igbinedion University Okada in September 2008. 

My mum was ecstatic about the news of my admission when I informed her about it. I still remember how she screamed happily, sang, and danced for almost five minutes before we resumed our conversation. 

She giggled and later informed me that her first love was the current Vice Chancellor of the institution (Igbinedion University Okada). 

So, why did you leave him? hope it wasn’t because he wasn’t an Igala man?” I inquired.

“You won’t understand, my beloved Pierre,” she replied with a sigh. 

“Come on, tell me… I promise I won’t tell Dad”. I imagined her pouting and frowning at the other end due to my last statement answer.

“Well, his mum was a tribalist… and I was royalty. Though I love him, his mother would never allow us to be together. He was a mummy’s boy, so we had to go our separate ways”.

“Till you met dad…”

“Yes, till I met your father…”

She giggled for several seconds and later instructed me to inform her whenever I’ll be resuming school at the university. After the call ended, I suddenly remembered how much I missed the chocolates in Berne and Zurich. Although she never told me how much she spent, I knew my mother had spent a fortune in getting a Wing Chun Master from China, down to Switzerland, to teach me Wing Chun while I was nine years old.

I tried not to imagine my father’s reaction to such expense, even though he hated the thought of his only son becoming or behaving like a ‘pussy’. Thereafter I was fit, hardened and fearless by the skills and techniques the old Chinese man taught me while I was in Switzerland. T

Currently, I knew the spacious gym-cum-dojo back in the Berne mansion would be covered in dust. I still remember how my mum’s maids covered the Wing Chun dummy, weapons, training objects and fitness instruments with dust covers.

***

After I left my father (the Attah of Igala’s) palace, I soon realised one thing: FREEDOM. Freedom from my mum, freedom from my father, freedom from my mum’s workers, maids and bodyguards, freedom from my father’s aides, counsellors and bodyguards. ‘I was finally free, I told myself silently and repeatedly. My father had no idea how happy I was that fateful morning as he blessed and prayed for me in Igala dialect, in his palace, before my departure.

The first and third wives were present with some of my sisters. There were several chiefs, aides, guards and countless assistants present during the entire ‘ceremony.’ The night before then, I had made it clear that I wanted to and would live a simple life on the school campus for the next five years.

“But you’re royalty… or have you forgotten?” my father questioned, looking amused.

“I haven’t forgotten, but I also remember that it is knowledge I am going to acquire.”

My father stared at me with suspicion as he waved his horsetail before his face.

“Is it your mum that advised you to do this?”

“Mum? No… why, no, no, no. It’s just my personal decisions. The less people over there know about my identity, the better for me”. 

My father saw some sense in my ‘position’ and eventually concurred with me. On the day of my departure, I was ferried in my father’s black luxury van to Edo State en route to Okada town. I was amused when a black truck followed the van closely from behind. The truck contained ex-military personnel in plain clothes. The men were armed and had their faces shielded with dark sunshades. That fateful day in September 2008, I journeyed to Igbinedion University Okada to become an undergraduate student at the Oba Erediauwa College of Law.

It was safe to say that everything went smoothly at the university from the onset. The registration, hostel allocation and orientation process all went smoothly. I made sure my father’s aides and goons did not accompany me around like a typical political officeholder in Nigeria.

Anyway, Igbinedion University is made up of three campuses. The first campus is described as the Crown Estate. The Crown Estate contains hostels, staff and living quarters, an open museum, a fish pond, a theatre, guest houses, a football field, a volleyball court, eateries, sporting facilities, religious buildings, recreational and non-academic offices, buildings, and edifices.

The second campus is known as the Permanent Site (a.k.a. ‘P.S.’). Most of the university’s academic offices and buildings are located on the Permanent Site (including the Oba Erediuawa College of Law). Two banks (Zenith bank and Intercontinental bank) had their branches here too. The intercontinental bank was later acquired by Access Bank Plc., but that is by the way.

The Permanent Site also contained the convocation hall, the central library, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) funded library, the Senate building, and most of the faculties.

The third campus is known as the Temporary Site (a.k.a. ‘T.S.’). It contained the College of Health Sciences, the teaching hospital, several academic buildings, and a bank – Sterling bank.