Chapter 3: Competition No Be Beans

After physics class, I waka go meet teacher for front. “Aunty Grace, you talk say physics competition get special slots. I dey solve some competition questions lately, I wan try.”

I arrange my wrapper well, clear throat before I talk. For this our school, if you no speak up, dem go just overlook you.

Physics teacher look me surprise. “Morayo, so you don finally gree. With your level, you still get time to prepare.”

I see small pride for her face. E be like say I just score goal for Nigeria against Argentina.

[Supporting female wan join physics competition? Wetin our Meibao go do?]

[No wahala, supporting female fit no even qualify, and our Meibao no be learner. She fit join too.]

I nearly burst laugh for the bullet comments.

People just dey yarn anyhow. Sometimes I wonder if na real people dey behind these avatars.

That afternoon, physics teacher give me private coaching, plus another set of practice papers.

We sit for staffroom, under ceiling fan wey dey blow hot air. The staffroom smell like biro ink and old textbooks, with small breeze from broken fan wey dey try. She dey point formulas, dey tap biro for desk. I dey jot fast—no time to slack. The noise for staffroom just dey far for my ear, na only formulas dey my mind.

As I finish one set, Halima waka enter office, her voice soft. “Aunty, I wan try competition too. Fit join?”

Her voice small, but she no dey shake. She stand for door like person wey ready for anything. Her shirt iron well, but e still dey old—sign say she no dey waste money for fashion.

“Halima, your physics no too strong. Even if you compete, you fit no get result. Better focus on JAMB and your revision to get better score.”

Aunty Grace dey talk with soft voice, but her eyes dey sharp. She no dey talk to discourage, na advice she dey try give. E get as e dey be for Naija school—teachers dey fear make you no disgrace dem for outside.

As teacher talk finish, bullet comments just scatter:

[Na bribe this teacher collect? E sure say dem pay am to block our Meibao. Who e think say e be?]

[When Meibao become number one, e go dey beg am.]

[We be first for entrance exam. Why she no fit join competition? I go report this teacher.]

Chai! If these people see the staffroom with their own eye, maybe dem go calm down.

“Aunty, my physics no be number one, but e no bad. I just wan try.”

Halima eyes don red. “No worry, aunty. I just wan get experience. Even if I fail, I go accept. E no go affect my JAMB.”

Her voice choke. Na pride mixed with small pain. I know the feeling—when person dey look you finish, dey tell you wetin you no fit do.

[Meibao too much.]

[Na true goddess. She dey really try.]

These bullet commenters dey chop drama like gala. E sweet them say person dey fight for chance.

Try for wetin?

Try to join competition, then later swap my result?

Na real hardwork be that.

For inside my mind, I just dey shake head. E funny how people dey twist story to fit their own movie.

After dem pick Halima for the physics competition, she begin dey solve questions like say dem dey pay am per number. Even ten minutes break, she no dey waste.

If you see Halima for library, you go think say she dey write WAEC every week. Her bag dey full with practice book; her biro no dey ever finish ink. One time, I catch her dey recite formulas for toilet.

She even beg to sit near me after school. “Morayo, fit be your seatmate small? Make we study together.”

I pat the chair beside me. “No wahala. Make we study.”

For Naija, if person ask make you two study together, sometimes e mean make dem spy your style. But I no mind—everybody dey hustle for survival.

She talk say na study, but truth be say Halima dey monitor me.

I dey see am from corner of my eye. She dey watch how I dey solve, dey copy small tricks. But no wahala—knowledge no be akara, e dey multiply as you share am.

As I dey focus read, she dey think whether to swap my result this time.

The way her eyes dey move, I sabi the calculation wey dey her mind. She dey weigh whether e worth am to burn her second chance now.

Finally, for mock physics competition, the day I get perfect score, I see am for her face—she don decide.

The look wey she give me, no be ordinary. Her jaw tight; her eyes dey shine with decision. I just nod, say, "Na today be today."