Chapter 3: Bookworm Blues and the First Kiss

Since small pikin time, na only book I sabi.

My neighbor dey call me "professor" since I small. Mama dey always tell anybody wey get ear, "my daughter sabi book pass her age." Sometimes e dey make me shy.

Other children fit spend days dey cram text; me, once I read am, I fit recite am backward.

I fit even add jara join, just to pepper people for spelling bee. My teacher for primary six still dey use me boast for church till today.

I dey understand things sharp sharp, solve hard question like play.

Whether na maths or English, my brain dey sharp like new razor blade from Lagos market. I fit see solution for board before teacher finish talk.

But I sabi say for this our small, normal town, if you too dey show, e no good.

If you too shine, people go begin reason say you dey do juju. Some mama go dey warn their pikin make dem no near you. Me, I just dey mellow my shine.

So even though I must always come first every year to get scholarship, my mark no dey ever pass Amina own by more than five.

I dey always calculate am, make e no too show. If Amina get 92, me I go get 93. E be like unwritten agreement.

Except one time.

That day different. Sun hot, my mind no calm. E be like say something just push me.

The day before monthly test, I see Sani and Amina dey kiss for outside exam hall.

The thing weak me. My eye turn, my heart cut. Two of them dey laugh, dey act like say the world belong to them. Me, I just waka pass, but the thing pain me.

Fine boy and fresh babe—like broom wey Harmattan don scatter, but my body just dey pepper me with jealousy.

E dey bite my body like mosquito. I never know say jealousy fit sweet and pain like this. I vex, I gree say I go show them pepper for paper.

For maths, I no hold myself, I solve extra big question.

I just dey answer everything, even the optional questions. My biro sef tire.

For physics, out of spite, I get all the objective questions correct.

E shock even me. As I dey shade, my hand dey move like spirit dey control am.

That month, I pass Amina by 35 marks.

Na my class teacher call me for staff room, dey ask whether I copy. E shock everybody. Amina just dey look me with one kind eye, like stranger.

After, I dey regret my overdo for days.

I no sleep well. Guilt dey bite my mind. If to say I mellow small, wahala for no too much.

Till third day, Sani show face.

Na break time, sun dey hot. Sani just waka enter compound like say na him be landlord.

He wear yellow No. 23 jersey, jog come meet me, face full of sorry.

Sweat dey shine for him forehead. He carry ball under armpit, but him face show say he get another mission.

“Sorry, classmate, na my shot just now hit you by mistake.”

The basketball wey nearly knock me for ear still dey pain small. But as he dey talk, him voice dey soft, almost gentle.

“You dey okay? Make I carry you go chemist?”

He dey bend head, eye dey shine, like say e really mean am. I fit see say Sani sabi how to use mouth.

I no need prophet to know say that basketball wey fly come meet me no be accident.

No be ordinary throw. I don dey watch am since. Boys no dey play reach that corner unless e wan talk to person.

Just as I sabi say Sani dey come meet me on purpose, maybe for Amina—maybe to help am, maybe na bet.

This life, nothing dey pure. I dey calculate for my mind, but I still dey enjoy the attention.

But anyhow e be.

As e be, me I just dey observe. If Sani wan use me for play, make I see how far the play go reach.

Na my only chance to near Sani be that.

Opportunity no dey knock twice for our side. I gree make I see wetin fit happen if I enter the game.