Chapter 3: The Truth Dey Bitter

We just siddon dey quiet, till I break the silence. Generator dey hum outside café, keke napep horn far, but for my ear, na only old pain dey ring.

"Officer Auwalu, you sabi wetin 'ordinary person' mean?"

He pause. "I get idea. For ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘muggle’ na ordinary person wey no fit do magic."

I look road, watch okada men dey shout for passenger. "Officer Auwalu, you know say, for all of secondary school, I no get name. Everybody just dey call me ‘ordinary.’"

"Na only me dey need lesson—na me teachers dey lecture for. Others, dem don dey do university level, dey research advanced maths and quantum mechanics. Me, even SS2 chemistry dey hard me."

"Final year, na fear I dey live—always dey doubt if I be big fool. Every school assembly, na me dem dey use laugh. The laughter still dey echo for my head."

Officer Auwalu see say I dey drift go old memory, him mouth dry, no sure wetin to talk.

"Dr. Ifedike, no think like that. Even if your result no shine for genius class, you still enter best medical university for state. You win scholarship every year, be chief before forty. You dey correct pass many people."

E clear say police do full homework—dem check me finish. I wonder if dem call my old principal join.

I follow the talk. "Officer Auwalu, your mama na doctor too. You suppose know say e hard to waka from graduation reach attending physician, abi?"

"I finally waka comot from ‘ordinary’ label, become chief physician wey people respect, build better life. Why I go wan kill dem, scatter all I get now?"

Na my first question for Officer Auwalu. I dey look am steady. Years of facing consultants and angry patient don teach me how to keep face.

Officer Auwalu, my time and energy no plenty. If your answer make sense, we go continue. If not, I go excuse myself. My family dey wait for me, I no dey play with their time.