ALL FOR NOTHING
EPISODE THREE…
Chemistry was my favorite subject in school and for that reason, I was 100% attentive during Chemistry classes.
We were also seated in class that morning waiting for our Chemistry teacher to come in when someone tapped me from behind.
“Ayo what’s up?” Seun asked me.
“I don’t get you” I replied looking surprised.
“I heard you didn’t score the highest in Chemistry this time around in the mid term chemistry exam.” He replied with a kind of happy look on his face.
Seun was the richest kid in our class and he had always seemed not to like me. I still remembered the very first day I joined them in JSS1, I felt like I didn’t belong in such a school. The students all looked rich and I felt odd in their midst. For some reasons, I had resumed two weeks behind the rest of the class. Even though I won the scholarship, mama had to get every necessary learning material for me before I could resume. In the list of the items needed was an advanced learner’s Oxford dictionary, sixteen exercise books, the compulsory mathematics and English textbooks, two pairs of uniforms, a pair of black shoes, white socks but to mention a few other important things which mama had to provide for me before I could finally resume.
Mama sold few of her expensive properties just to raise the money for my school needs. She was willing to go to any length to ensure that I lived a life much better than the one my late father lived.
My first day in JSS1 was a living hell for me. I experienced a kind of ostracism because I was from a poor background. Mama had got my uniform made by a local and unprofessional tailor who made what I couldn’t call the uniform I saw the other students wearing. By the time I found myself in the midst of the other students, I knew I was in for a comedy show in the class that day.
“Good morning class” Mrs Theresa our form teacher greeted the class as she held me by the hand to introduce me to the class.
“Good morning ma” the children greeted in unison.
“This is Akintunde Ayomide. He’s a new student of this class. Please let’s welcome him”
There was this smile on my face revealing my beautiful dimples. Some of the students welcomed me while some were just staring at me for I was wearing a big Short and a shirt that looked like one I inherited from my late father. Mama had the uniform made very big so I could use it through out my junior secondary school.
Mrs Theresa took my hand and led me to Seun’s seat since he was the only person occupying a seat. Looking at everyone in the class, I could tell I was the poorest. with my bag which I inherited from my late father neatly swung across my shoulders I went straight to seat beside Seun whom I was expecting to be the first friend I’ll be making at Achievers high school.
“Hi, my name is Ayomide but you can call me Ayo” I said smiling at him.
“You are the Ayomide that scored 99% in the entrance exams.” He said causing my smile to be even better than it was.
“Yes I’m the one. What’s your name?” I asked.
“Look, if you are thinking of being my friend I’m sorry to disappoint you because even this seat won’t accommodate the two of us.” He said blatantly. I felt bad that instant.
“So know your place here” he added killing my joy that day.
During break time, I realized that all the students had lunch boxes with food that could arouse the appetite of even a man that is in coma. As for the senior students they ate from the school cafeteria. I only had some groundnuts and cabin biscuits wrapped in white cellophane and a can of water.
I felt like I was not supposed to be in that school because I couldn’t make any friends on my first day. When I got home, I told mama I didn’t like the school and preferred the community secondary school where everyone was like me.
“Mama I don’t want to go to that school. Nobody likes me” I said almost in tears.
“Ayo, don’t tell me you are already giving up on your first day at that school. They don’t have to like you, they just need to see that even if you are not as rich as they are, you have every right to be in that school. You didn’t go to that school to make friends. You went there to study and I know with time they’ll come to accept you as one of them.” Mama said encouraging me. I felt better and promised to put in my best in my studies and prove to them that I had something that matched their money and that was my intelligence.
By the time, I resumed the following day, I realized my seat has been occupied by someone else.
“This is no longer your seat” Seun said pointing to another seat which was two seats away from his.
“You can go there and sit down” he added.
Since I wasn’t the troublesome type, I respected myself and went straight to the seat he had pointed and there, I met Timi the first friend I ever had at Achievers high school. It actually took me time to adapt to the academic pattern of Achievers high school but I was lucky enough that I adapted before the mid term exams came.
Surprisingly for everyone in the class, I topped them all in the mid term exams causing my popularity to increase at Achievers high school. I started hearing teachers comparing me with Adekunle Olawole who was the first student to have topped in all subjects at the end of a mid term exam.
Even if I wasn’t rich as the other students my intelligence made me equal to the that I decided to set the pace and make a name for myself. At the end of the term, I came first position with an average of 96%. I beat the second person the person of Zainab the Muslim girl in our class with nearly 200 marks while Timi my friend came third place. With my first term result at Achievers high school, I was able to prove to the management of the school that I was deserving of the scholarship and it got sustained till my final year at Achievers high school. Right from then, I had always topped my class and I never saw anyone who could compete with me at a close range much more beat me. It was virtually impossible.
As absurd as Seun’s message sounded in my ears, I felt threatened by it. I didn’t want to imagine that because if it does, then I could never say that I equalled Kunle.
“It was never written that I alone should come top in all subjects” I replied with a firm resolve even if deep down I didn’t want to be beaten for any reason. However on a second thought I knew what Seun was saying couldn’t be true. I answered all the questions correctly and I was expecting myself to score everything. Seun might have heard wrong I concluded.
Just then our Chemistry teacher came into the class with our mid term exam scripts in his hand. Mrs Olabisi our SS2 form teacher was with him and it appeared our class was in a sort of trouble.
“Good morning teachers” the class chorused in unison.
“Good morning Learners” greeted our Chemistry teacher Mr Silas.
“Good morning to you all” replied Mrs Olabisi.
“I have finished marking your scripts and it appears someone is ready to overtake another.” Mr Silas said.
Seun turned to face me as If to say “I told you”
Mr heart was already beating fast because I was beginning to read a deeper meaning to the words of Mr Silas.
“Ayomide I think you’ve got a competitor now.” Mrs Olabisi said causing me to almost believe that I did not top the chemistry test as I had expected and that Seun might have been right after all. But if I didn’t top the class in Chemistry then who did? I asked myself. I’ve always been the best in Chemistry so who could have beaten me?” I kept wondering. It was then it occurred to me that we had a new student in the class.
“It must be Toyin the new girl” I said within me. I must have been carried away with the fact that no one was as good as me in Chemistry that I forgot that there was a new student in the class.
Unlike most of my classmates who were loud and outspoken, Toyin was quiet and didn’t seem to be the type that loved to mingle. She did the MYB stuff (Mind your business) and as a result, I never really saw her as a threat.
“I was surprised that for very first time we saw a student that equalled Ayomide. It’s a nice development” Mrs Olabisi said.
There was relief in my heart all of a sudden.
“Let’s cheer them up class” said Mrs Olabisi as Mr Silas announced the names of the two students that topped the chemistry mid term exams.
“Akintunde Ayomide and Tijesuni Oluwatoyin. Both of them scored everything in the mid term exams.” Mr Silas said. The class applauded as we stepped forward to collect our scripts.
I couldn’t believe my ears but all thesame I was glad that I still topped even if some one equalled me.
As I was going back to my seat, I overheard Mrs Olabisi encouraging Toyin to keep it up and never relent. The advise sounded nice but I felt threatened by it. I knew I had to study harder if I must retain my title as the best student at Achievers high school and to set a pace for Toyin the new student who now appeared to be a threat to me.
“You finally met your match” Seun said to me as I returned to take my seat. I didn’t pay any attention to him because I knew he was up to no good and was just looking for my trouble. With Toyin around, I now saw a reason to work harder than I ever imagined..
Vicky’s stories
Touching lives….
Changing people…
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