Chapter 3: Rumors and Revelations

No be only me—she dey do everybody like that. For class, she go just keep her head down, as if she no dey even listen, and her result na bottom of the class. Teacher go dey call her name, she go just blink, then look down again.

At first, people try relate with Kamsi, but nobody fit bear that kind coldness for long. After small time, everybody give up. Na only me still dey try, and she still no send me. Some boys even begin call her 'Winch' for back. Some boys dey whisper say na ogbanje she be, or say she dey see things for night.

All of us know say Kamsi get wahala. For our side, if pikin dey different, people dey quick judge, but Kamsi matter pass ordinary.

She get autism—na sickness wey affect how person dey reason and relate, and e no get cure, na only to manage am early so e no go worse. Dem talk say e fit make person dey act somehow, no dey talk, no dey look person face.

Now, she fit control her feelings small, sabi do some things by herself, fit even sit for normal class—na her family try well well to reach this level. Dem say before, she no dey even gree come out for room. E no easy at all.

And another thing be say, the school dey give her special attention because her mama na our geography teacher. If na another person pikin, maybe dem for don drive am.

The way I dey follow Kamsi no hide. Some classmates dey gossip say I dey try please teacher pikin so that I go get better mark, but later dem realize say geography na just elective, e no worth all that stress. Some even dey drag me for back say, 'O boy, abeg, na Kamsi you wan use pass exam?' I go just laugh, dey wave hand.

So, more people begin talk say I like Kamsi. For my front, nobody talk, but for back, dem dey laugh say my eye dey somehow. I no fit talk anything. Sometimes, if I waka pass, I go hear 'Teacher pikin!' for corner, but I just bone.

Kamsi mama, Aunty Morayo—Teacher Morayo—really dey thank me say I dey relate with her pikin. She call me for office, give me snacks, beg me make I continue to help Kamsi. Sometimes, she go pack gala and chinchin for nylon, hand am to me, say, 'Ifedayo, thank you o. God bless you.' Sometimes, she add Fanta, say make I no chop dry.

Teacher Morayo na better woman—gentle and fine. If she smile, her eye go bend like crescent, the thing dey make person feel warm, like say breeze from harmattan dey blow you—the direct opposite of her pikin wey dey cold like freezer. She dey always tie scarf well, her powder dey soft, no be all those teachers wey dey carry serious face.

Kamsi papa don run leave them since. He disappear soon after Kamsi get her sickness. For more than ten years, Teacher Morayo dey hustle alone, spend all her money on training, patiently dey teach her daughter how to live, dey correct her bad habits, she no ever give up. Dem say the man no fit bear am, waka leave woman and pikin for Lagos, till today nobody sabi where e dey.

Person wey soft like breeze dey try melt stone—e no easy at all. Kamsi don grow, but still dey act like stone, slow to learn, no dey talk, even to call her "Mama"—the last time na two years ago. Even when she want something, she fit just look cupboard, dey blink, no fit talk.

Teacher Morayo love nature, na why she study geography; she love the world, na why she become teacher. She dey plant flower for staff room window, dey water am every afternoon. People dey respect her because she sabi book, but her real pride na her pikin.

She love everything for this world, but her daughter no love anything. The only time I see Kamsi smile na when she dey arrange her pencil case.

E hard to imagine how mama and pikin dey survive like that, and e hard to understand how Teacher Morayo take endure all these years. People for staff room dey whisper sometimes, but dem still dey respect her.

Truth be say, Teacher Morayo no even need to dey greet me. Even if she no talk to me, I for still dey approach Kamsi, dey try talk to her. Something dey push me, like say I dey find something wey I no fit explain.

Kamsi just get one kind attraction for me. Sometimes, I dey feel say maybe na her quietness dey draw me, or maybe na because nobody else dey notice her.

I know say no be love, but if I no like her, why I dey always go near her? E dey confuse me well well.

Even me no understand. Sometimes, I go dey look mirror, dey ask myself, 'Ifedayo, wetin dey worry you?'

Kamsi face plain and cold, e dey make person body dey somehow. Nobody go like her except her mama. Sometimes, I go see her alone for corridor, I go shiver small.

She even dey make me fear sometimes. One day, I waka pass her house for estate, I see her for balcony, just dey look sky. My heart beat fast, like say I see abiku.

Plenty times for midnight, if I remember my junior secondary days, I go just wake up with cold sweat, dey fear. The memory dey haunt me, like old masquerade wey no wan rest.