Chapter 2: The 51st Girl

For math class, school belle Halima and me dem call go board to solve problem.

First period na mathematics, everywhere still dey fresh, but tension dey my body. Madam Ajoke just call two names—Halima and me. As I waka go front, I dey feel everybody eye for my back, some dey whisper, some dey giggle. Halima just dey catwalk, her hair bounce as she move.

Na arithmetic sequence.

Once teacher write am for board, Halima no even waste time. She just pick chalk, hand steady, write the steps like say na ordinary two plus two. The babe just dey solve am like say she dey count market money—no shaking at all.

Halima finish am sharp sharp, just three neat steps.

As she drop chalk, her handwriting dey fine like computer font. Some boys for back dey clap small. Me, I just dey sweat.

But me, I dey panic, write more than twelve lines, still never finish!

Na so my own turn reach. My hand dey shake, brain dey freeze. I dey try remember the formula, but everything just disappear. I write and clean, write and clean, until the board full, more than twelve lines.

I no even know who first laugh—

I dey hear small giggle for back, but I just bone face, dey pretend say e no dey pain me. Somebody cough, another person do "ehn ehn". For my mind, na thunder I dey pray for make e strike the board.

But before you know, everybody for class dey mock me, laughter everywhere.

The laughter just spread like wildfire. You know say, for Naija classroom, if dem catch you, na full embarrassment. Some people dey hold mouth, others dey slap desk. I just dey wish make ground open swallow me.

Halima body dey smell sweet, like condensed milk. As the scent dey choke me, I start dey sneeze, na so the whole class burst laugh.

Even as I dey try solve the maths, I dey smell one kind sweet, creamy aroma. E just dey enter my nose, before I know, I sneeze. "Achoo!" Somebody shout, "Na who carry pepper come class?" Laughter double, as if na their favorite comedy show. Even teacher sef dey try hide smile.

That time, I just notice one cool, minty scent come from my back, calm me small.

Na from where I stand, breeze carry one kind fresh scent reach me. E get as the thing calm my mind, make my body cool small, like say person pour Robb for my chest. My mind just shift to Tobi, because na only him dey use peppermint spray for class.

Tobi, the number one student, dem call am to check answer.

Teacher no waste time, call Tobi come check our solution. E be like say everybody dey expect am to do magic.

As I just dey shame, he collect my chalk, pat my shoulder like say make I no vex.

Tobi waka reach front, take the chalk from my hand, use the other hand pat me small for shoulder. E resemble the way person dey pet stubborn goat. I just look ground, dey count my toes.

But next thing—

He no even look, just wipe off plenty of my work, then break Halima three steps into four, still get the same answer: 51/50.

Before I fit blink, Tobi don use hand clean half of my calculations. E no even look my face. E then take Halima short method, add one extra step for style, still land for same answer: 51 over 50. As e dey talk, e voice calm, no hurry at all.

“I get the same answer as Halima, but her own short pass mine,” he talk.

The whole class nod. Tobi just dey humble, but e dey obvious say na Halima method sweet pass.

Teacher nod am, wipe more of my work, start to write the correct solution.

Teacher no even send my own. Just clean am totally, begin explain wetin Tobi and Halima do, as if I no try at all.

I just stand for board, no know whether to waka or stay.

I dey look teacher, dey look class, my leg dey shake. Should I go siddon, or wait for permission? Omo, see as embarrassment dey catch me. I just dey form composure, but my eye dey hot.

True, me too get 51/50!

For my mind, I dey shout—'Na the same answer I get o!' But nobody dey reason me. The answer no matter if the method slow like snail.

But for these science class gurus, my method na the slowest, silliest way.

The people wey dey top class like Tobi and Halima, their brain sharp, method dey quick. Me, my own na roundabout way. I dey always feel like tortoise among rabbit.

Just like my number—51—I be the extra, the mumu dem dey look down on.

As teacher dey call roll, I dey hear my number—51. E be like say na sign. I just extra, no fit reach where them dey.