Chapter 2: JAMB Palava and Family Pepper

The day JAMB result drop na the same day we get family dinner. My cousin, Kamsi, score 350 and immediately become family pride.

"I talk am say Kamsi go deliver!"

"True, she be real pride of the family."

The dining table full with party rice aroma, goat meat dey float for everybody plate except my own. The rice dey steam, red oil dey shine for top, and the sound of generator dey hum for backyard. Na so family dey run their mouth, dey hail Kamsi. Aunties dey press phone, dey check result as if dem dey check market price.

Me, I just dey look ground, dey tap my phone under table. My online boyfriend, Tunde, don send two new messages: "You don check your score?" and "I dey airport, see you tonight."

My heart just miss one beat. I never even reply when my cousin shout, "Anu."

I look up, see her dey smile wickedly. "You don check your score? How much you get?"

Before I fit talk, my aunty burst laugh. "You dey use Anu take catch cruise? Person wey no sabi math—she fit blow for JAMB?"

The laugh loud pass generator sound. Even the housemaid wey dey wash plate join small, dey peep with corner eye. Sometimes, I wonder if dem forget say I still dey grow for that house too.

Since my papa sick and waka, things just hard for us. All the relatives dey look us down—especially Kamsi, wey dem dey pamper since small. Her biggest joy for life na to use me shine.

E dey pain me but, as mama talk, "if dem like make dem dey do competition, na one God create us." Still, I dey find where I go hide for inside myself.

For my mind, I dey beg God: abeg, make shame no kill me for here.

I just twist my mouth small, look her, reply, "You really wan know?"

"Everybody here na family," Kamsi talk with that her fake sweet voice. "Anu, even if na polytechnic you enter, nobody go laugh you."

If you see the way her voice dey twist, you go know say na wahala dey come. She dey use that their ajebo accent, as if na only her waka come for this life.

My mama drop her spoon, squeeze my hand under table. "No matter the score, Anu, I dey happy."

The way mama eye dey shine, you go know say she dey fight tears. She just dey use all her strength to hold me steady.

My aunty just hiss. "Tsk, dem poor, pikin no sabi book, still dey form level."

As she talk, other people just dey nod, dey form committee of elders. Na so dem dey, dey look me as if my whole destiny dey hang on top this JAMB.

For one moment, everybody just dey look me. I chop one piece melon, talk slow, "True, I no do well."

My hand dey shake under table, but I still dey look her eye.

The melon just dey soak for my mouth like say I dey swallow stone. My voice low, but my mind dey run marathon.

Kamsi no fit hide her joy, smile dey show. "How you go mean say you no do well? You always dey that level—"

I cut her short. "—Just, I get only eight marks pass you."

The whole table pause. Even the ceiling fan slow down. Na so everybody eye dey wide.

You suppose see the way her mouth hang. If mosquito waka enter, e go find house rent.