Chapter 3: JAMB Day & Family Drama

3

Before you know, jamb day reach.

The air that morning be like tension before rain go fall. For my mind, I just whisper, “God abeg, no shame me today.” I waka go the exam center alone. For school gate, na so I jam Halima Yusuf.

She dey inside big crowd—Halima Papa, Halima Mama, and... my mama, Aunty Grace.

Everybody gather Halima Yusuf, their eyes full of love, almost dey pour out.

You go think say na wedding dem dey do for gate, the way dem dey surround her. Madam Yusuf wear one big Ankara with gele wey dey reach sky. Halima Papa dey shine shoe, dey use handkerchief clean sweat. Aunty Grace dey stand for back, her own face dey humble, dey show say she no wan cross boundary.

Halima Mama dey spray small perfume for her daughter head—“For good luck,” she talk.

Aunty Grace never look me like that before. She never even come house for the six months before jamb. She leave me for one dirty area, focus all her care on Halima Yusuf for their compound. She no even leave me one kobo.

If not for the small money I save from part-time work for two years, I for no survive reach now.

Sometimes for night, hunger go hold me, but I go still dey read under candle, dey hope say one day things go better. But e no pain me. If Aunty Grace come house, na to order me up and down, no go let me read. She dey always fear say I go pass Halima Yusuf.

Before, I no understand why. But after all the barrage gist and this scene—wetin remain to reason?

[I dey pity the supporting character small... Her mama dey support Halima Yusuf, treat her worse pass goat. Even when dem recognize her as real pikin, her real parents still bone her. Her whole life just dry...]

[Abeg, the supporting character still dey wrong! If not be the swap, how our female lead for take shine?]

[But... this supporting character really wan swap score? I see her dey read hard before jamb, she no look like person wey wan slack. Meanwhile, female lead just dey party with yellow hair boys—she don really lose guard...]

I just smile. After all this time, at least one person for the barrage don dey see sense.

But my smile, for Halima Yusuf eye, mean another thing.

The way Halima dey size me, e be like she dey find the angle wey she go use finish me. For her mind, everything na competition.

"Morayo!"

Inside the crowd, Halima Yusuf wave, shout my name. People turn, some dey laugh.

Her voice dey sharp, e carry the kind pride wey only person wey never suffer dey get. "Morayo, why you dey smile? You sure for jamb?"

Halima Yusuf bounce come like small goat.

I just bone. "Nothing. How about you?"

The way I take talk am, e be like I dey look for wahala, but na my own small rebellion.

"Wetin you think? I get five tutors, you never beat me once."

She dey form, sure say I go try swap score.

Her eye dey twinkle, like say she dey act for film. I just tell her, "Halima Yusuf, abeg, try your best for this exam."

Halima Yusuf just give sly smile. "Of course! Because of your advice, I go try~my~best for the exam."

The way she talk am, her voice dey snake, dey spread like palm oil for white cloth.

"Oya, e don do—"

Aunty Grace waka come, block Halima Yusuf from me like mama hen, as if I fit spoil her.

Aunty Grace eye dey red, mouth bend. She glare me like say na me chop her meat for pot last night.

"Morayo, person like you—how you wan disturb Miss Halima before exam? Abeg, waka!"

Halima Papa and Halima Mama join, look me up and down, their face show say dem no like me.

Halima Papa voice deep, e no even hide e disgust. "Halima, enter hall, no let anyhow person disturb you."

Na my first time to meet my real parents. Thank God say the barrage don already spoil the ending for me, so I no expect anything.

I just look the people, my chest empty. For Naija, if you no expect too much, disappointment no go pain you pass.

And if you no expect, you no go disappoint.

I just waka go my own exam hall.

After 18 years of suffering, this time, I go win.

For my mind, na only God and me dey here. I tighten my grip on my biro, tell myself say, "Morayo, na you and this paper today."