Chapter 1: Goodbyes and Beginnings

When the WAEC results land, I open my chat with my online babe—'Ibadan Reject.' My finger hover for screen, heart dey beat like drum. Before I type anything, I scroll old chats: the time she send that meme where AY dey shout "Wetin be this!" as her profile picture, or the random joke about how UI jollof rice fit cure heartbreak. All those moments dey rush my mind, sweet and sharp together. I type, then erase, then type again.

At last, I force myself: 'UI no work for me, na here journey end. No vex.'

My hand dey shake, chest dey tight. E hard to press send, like say I dey close book wey never really finish. I read the message again, remembering how her laughter dey shine for chat. But still, I press send.

For some minutes, I just dey look phone. The chat screen dey quiet, her last sticker still dey there, that funny one with AY face. I almost drop the phone and forget, but my mind no gree. I waka go Ahmadu Bello, sun dey burn my neck as I cross the gate, hawkers dey shout 'Groundnut! Pure water!' by the side. I block her join.

My thumb hover on the block button. If I press am, no going back. My chest dey tight. Still, I click. My heart no calm after I block her o. E be like say I just throway something wey dey important, but wetin man go do? Life dey move.

But during my first year practical, the graduate student wey come substitute for our class call my name in front of everybody.

"You—come up solve this problem. I don teach you this thing before."

People for class begin dey whisper. As I waka go board, the Kaduna sun dey beat from window, I hear one hawker still dey shout 'Guguru! Epa!' outside. I dey reason if dem dey mistake me for person. My leg dey tap ground, my breath no steady, but I no wan fall hand.

Me: "..."

I look my classmates, some dey laugh under voice. Na which kind wahala be this? How my online babe wey dey disturb make I enter University of Ibadan come dey show for Ahmadu Bello?

E be like say person dey play film for my head. My mind dey scatter.