PASCHAL PULLS THROUGH AS FELLOW SURVIVORS FAIL TO COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE

James panted endlessly, Nuhu screamed sour, Onyinye barely mustered strength, Uzor flanked woefully, yet Pashal excelled with finesse. Chidi Mokeme, the Anchor man, had warned that the ‘Wave Your Flag’ challenge, the day’s task, would test the survivors’ physical strength, endurance and agility.

What they did not bargain for was a gruelling challenge that kept them gasping for air, even after Chidi declared the game closed.

The Wave Your Flag challenge involved five steps. Step one: They were to climb up a tree with a rope to get pieces of a flag. Secondly, they were to cross a muddy area, placing planks on stumps of wood to serve as makeshift bridges. Thirdly, they were to crawl under a bamboo bed, while the fourth step involved climbing over nets. The fifth step involved climbing up ropes to arrange the pieces of their flags on a beam. They had to make three trips to successfully hoist their flags, traversing the obstacle course.
At the sound of Chidi’s whistle, all the survivors charged with much fervour. They soon lost steam when they had to complete the final round of the first stage. By the time Paschal fixed the three pieces of his flag, James was battling to fix his third piece; while Nuhu was attempting to fix his second piece. Both Onyiniye and Uzor were attempting to fix the first piece of their flag. For Paschal’s feat, Onyinye referred to him as an animal.
Chidi noticed that Paschal’s flag was not properly fitted and asked him to properly fit it; which he did. James’s large body frame and his notoriety for boasting about his toughness did little in helping him overcome the challenge. He watched helplessly as Paschal coasted to victory. At intervals, he appeared to give up and sat on the ground, obviously outdone by the task.
Chidi soon brought the game to an end. Onyinye fixed one of her flags while Nuhu and James fixed two each. Uzor fixed none. For his victory, Paschal received a toothbrush. In Gulder Ultimate Search 9, the survivors had been making use of chewing sticks, as all luxury items, including tooth brushes, were taken away from them.

For her dismal performance, Uzor had the Stump of Shame tied to her right leg. Asides being forbidden to talk to fellow warriors, she was to drag it everywhere she went. She however heaved a sigh of relief when she learnt that the challenge was not intended to evict a survivor.
For more exciting episodes of Gulder Ultimate Search 9, the Gatekeeper’s Fortune, stay tuned to the following stations: AIT, African Magic World (DSTV), Real Star (Star Times), Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC) and ITV (Benin) at 10pm.