Chapter 12: Graduation and New Dreams

Coincidentally, next day PE prefect come class with black eye. One eye swell, e dey cover am with handkerchief. Everybody dey laugh, dey tease am.

"No be anybody for this school fit beat me o. Except Tunde, nobody fit pin me down. If I find who do am, na wahala."

He dey make mouth, but e clear say pain dey him body.

Another boy just cut in, tired. Drop bag, eye red from sleep. He no send PE prefect wahala.

"Abeg, leave your story. Hear this one. I pass teachers' office just now, hear grade director say one big man pikin dey our set. He come from abroad, sabi three languages, don get admission already. Oya, who you think say e be?"

Everybody dey guess. Some say na Zainab, some say na new boy. I just dey look Ikenna.

As I dey listen, I just look up, meet Ikenna cool eyes. He dey smile, eyes gentle. He point paper give me. Point one question for his paper, smile soft. Handwriting fine. I dey blush small.

"Morayo, abeg, help me solve this one."

I dey happy say person dey value me. Na new thing for me.

Harmattan pass, rainy season come. Classroom dey smell chalk and sweat. Some people dey buy umbrella. Na sign say exam dey near. Before I know, only one month remain before WAEC. People dey read like say book dey finish. Library full. Teachers dey shout.

For graduation ceremony group performance, Zainab, as arts prefect, dey collect costume size. She dey stand for board, list full hand. Voice sharp, people dey answer. She shout name, people answer. My name near bottom.

When e reach my turn, she just look her paper, then ask, no even raise head. Voice loud. "Morayo, na XXL or XXXL you dey wear?"

I dey hear people snicker. My face burn. I look my book, act like say I dey busy. I look up from my corrections, shame and embarrassment just rush me as I answer.

I clear throat. My voice shake small. "I dey wear size S..."

People quiet. Then laughter wan start but I just face my book. For my mind, I dey tell myself say, one day, dem go call my name for better thing. My journey never end.