Chapter 2: Silent Battles

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One.

After my secondary school divide us into arts and sciences, my result just dey drop anyhow.

I remember the day dem paste the new class list, and I see my name under sciences. My body cold, like say harmattan touch me. People dey congratulate each other, but my own joy just dry.

I begin fear say I no go fit enter Ahmadu Bello. Every night, I dey wake up dey calculate cutoff mark, dey check old past questions. My mama go just dey pray for me, 'Oluwa, fi owo re gbe omo mi soke. God go do am.' But my chest no gree rest.

As e be like that, I start to dey chat online with one senior wey her username na 'Ibadan Reject.'

The first time I see her username, I just burst laugh. She even use that meme where AY dey shout "Wetin be this!" as her profile picture. The thing make me smile. Online, people sabi run mouth, but she calm, always ready to yarn.

I beg her make she help me revise my books.

She gentle, sabi, and get plenty patience.

Her own type of patience dey different. If I ask the same question like three times, she go break am down with new example. She go even dey encourage me: 'Oya, try this one for me, no look back of book.'

'No worry. As I dey here, I sure say you go enter University of Ibadan.'

That time, the confidence for her voice dey sweet me. Like say she get one special connection for UI.

I just dey blush.

I dey reason say, who know, maybe if I reach UI, I go fit see her for real. But my shyness no go gree me talk that kind thing.

'No, no, e no reach like that.'

But for my mind I dey reason: If na Ahmadu Bello sef, e go still better.

Sometimes, I dey play with the idea—UI, ABU, which one go gree for me? I dey use small voice talk, but the thought dey my mind steady.

She click her tongue. 'Ah ah, small boy, wetin you dey talk? You fit doubt your own brain, but no try underrate my ability.'

I imagine say she fit dey shake head for her side of screen. The way she dey type, I dey always laugh.

Me: '...'

The dots dey my side o. I no even get reply for her mouth. Her sense dey too sharp.

Na true. I no fit underrate her at all.

Because this Ibadan senior really get sense.

As she dey tutor me, my result just dey climb steady steady.

Every mock test, I dey send her my score. She go analyze am, show me where to improve. She no dey ever tire.

For my second mock exam before WAEC, I even score 289.

I rush tell her.

I fit remember the day. Rain dey fall, but my mind dey high. I even call my mama join.

She just calm. 'Hmm, that one fit reach University of Ibadan.'

Her calmness dey make me humble. Me, I dey jump for body, but she dey act like say na normal thing.

E really reach. But me, I no even wan go University of Ibadan.

As I dey stare my result slip, I dey imagine ABU. But I no talk am.

The place wey dey my mind from day one na Ahmadu Bello.

If you see the campus for picture, you go know why. Wide space, cool breeze, freedom. For my head, na adventure.

But as the Ibadan senior dey tutor me for almost one year, I fit see say she really get one kind strong mind for University of Ibadan.

Anytime she dey yarn about UI, her eye go shine—even for chat. She go dey gist me about their gardens, the suya spot behind Sultan Bello Hall, how she wan study under one professor.

If not, she no go still dey use username like 'Ibadan Reject' till now.

Her username be like badge for her. If she gree drop am, maybe her own chapter don close. But as e still dey, I sabi say UI still dey her mind.

If I no go University of Ibadan, she go vex?

The question dey bite me, but I no fit ask am direct. So I dey use style dey test water.

I look her message, I reason make I try her small.

'Senior, wetin if I no fit enter University of Ibadan?'

My heart dey skip. I dey wait make she read am.

'No worry, you go fit.'

She no even let me finish, she don reassure me. The faith she get, e dey like mama prayer.

Hmm...

I dey hope make she talk something more, but she just end am there. She get her belief, no shaking.

She think say na jitters before exam dey worry me, so she dey try calm me.

So, I no talk about my Ahmadu Bello dream again.

I swallow the talk, hold am for chest. Sometimes silence dey talk pass words.

Day before WAEC, she message me, wish me luck, and remind me make I tell her when result come out. She say she dey busy with her final year project.

I reply quick: 'Senior, thank you. I go make you proud.'