Miss Matilda was waiting for Tomini when she came back from school. Her dad had insisted that the hours for her further math lessons be increased, so Miss Matilda now came by 4:30 pm.

“Good evening, ma,” she greeted, dropping her school bag on a sofa. She sat down and removed her shoes and socks, folding and putting them into her shoes.

“Evening, dear, how are you?”

“Fine,” Tomini shrugged. She went into the kitchen and found her mum stirring a pot of soup. She went closer to her. Egusi soup, she hoped her mum would let her have two pieces of meat.

“Good evening, mummy.”

“How was school?” her mum asked adjusting her bra strap.

“Fine.” That was what she said every time she was asked how she was or how school was.

“Do you want to eat before lesson or after?” Her mum moved to the sink dragging her feet. Tomini hated the sound produced when someone dragged their feet on the floor, it made her cringe. She had to endure this and many other things also. Her mum was pregnant, so heavily pregnant Tomini wondered if she was carrying twins or just one baby. The scan had said it was one, a girl, but she wondered still. The scan could be wrong sometimes, right?

“After,” she replied, making her way out of the kitchen.

They settled at the dining table where they usually had their lesson.

“Where’s your past question?” Miss Matilda asked.

“Upstairs, let me go and get it.”

She ran upstairs and came back down with her further math past questions, textbook and lesson note in no time. Miss Matilda was also preparing for her UTME math, since a number of the questions were usually on further math topics. They answered past questions mostly. The lesson was too long for Tomini’s liking.

When Miss Matilda left at past six, Tomini ate and slept immediately after which was unusual of her. When she woke up it was nine pm. She went online and replied her messages before going off again. She was not about to get distracted when she had books to read.

Tomini had registered for UTME the first week of January. Mr. Chuks had helped her with the process. Her exam was to hold in the third week of March, the week before they would start WASSCE. She was to write English, Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. Her dad had warned her that her UTME score must not be less than 250. She did not know what exactly he would do if she didn’t meet his expectation, and in fact, she didn’t want to find out.

She was putting in her best, sleeping late and waking up early to study, paying attention during lessons, solving past questions, yet she felt it might not be enough for her to score that high. The syllabus was too broad and it felt like she wasn’t retaining much, especially the math and physics formulas. Math and physics gave her the most challenge.

She sat at her reading table, fished out her physics UTME past questions booklet and began solving 2011 questions.

After a while, she heard her bedroom door open. She turned her head towards it and saw her dad walking to her table. Why couldn’t he knock? Didn’t he know she was a girl? A frown settled on her face.

“Good evening, sir.”

He nodded. “It’s good you’re reading. How is school?”

“Fine, sir.”

“And your home lessons?”

“They are going well.”

“That’s what I want to hear. Make sure you read very well, okay? Study hard, Okay? I want nothing less than 250 in your Jamb and All distinctions in waec.”

Did he have to keep reminding her? Of course, she was studying hard, couldn’t he see?  All she did was study lately. But she still nodded, muttering “Yes, sir.”

…

The next day in school, she sat with Zainab and Esther at the cafeteria during lunch.

“Are you writing mock Jamb?” Zainab asked Esther. “I don’t need to ask Tomini, I know her dad will make her write it by force.”

“Hey that’s not funny, Zainab,” Tomini spoke. If it was any other day, she’d laugh or just shrug it off but she was in a bad mood.

“Madam chill jare,” Zainab said, laughing.

Tomini kept quiet and focused on her food. She did not join in their conversation throughout lunch. She stood up to leave before them and said a cold bye.

On her way back to her classroom, she saw Michael and another boy in arts class. When he saw her he smiled and stopped walking. His friend stopped too.

“Hi,” she muttered and made to continue walking but Michael was now standing in front of her.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you okay?” He was looking at her intently, as if trying to read her. She felt uncomfortable.

She nodded. “Bye.” She walked away without waiting for his reply. She was not in the mood for small talk or any kind of talk for that matter.

When she got home, she refused the spaghetti her mum had prepared for her, took a long shower and slept off. Her mum woke her up when Mr. Chuks arrived.  She found it hard to concentrate; she just wanted to do nothing.

“Óyá wá jeun (Come and eat),” her mum called after Mr. Chuks left.

“No mummy, I’m not hungry.”

“You’re going to eat. Did you eat at school?”

“Yes, a little.”

“And you don’t want to eat now abi? What’s wrong with you?”

“Mummy, I’m tired.”

“Then eat and go and rest. Kilode! I can’t be chasing you around, begging you to eat. You’re not a baby.”

Tomini got angry but tried to conceal it. She took a plate from the rack and served a small portion of spaghetti and chicken.

“Don’t tell me you’ll eat that food cold, Tomini! For God’s sake!” her mum exclaimed when she started walking out of the kitchen. Tomini frowned. It was her eating the cold food so what was her mum’s problem?

“I’ll eat it like that.”

“My friend put your food in the microwave! Look at my stomach. I’m already expecting one baby; I can’t have two in this house! I don’t know what’s wrong with you!”

Tomini did as told and exited the kitchen for her room. Later, her mum came in.

“Mummy, you should have knocked!” What was it with her parents and barging in?

“Gbé enu e dáké!(Keep your mouth shut)”

Her mum walked to her bed and sat beside her.

“Tomini,” her mum called. Tomini fixed her gaze on the plate of spaghetti on her laps.

“Is it not you I’m talking to? Or you’re no longer Tomini?” her mum said in anger.

Tomini raised her head and looked at her mum briefly before returning her gaze to the half-eaten food.

“Look at me,” her mum said, her voice softening. When Tomini didn’t budge, she reached out and pulled her chin up.

“What’s wrong? Hmm?”

Tomini twirled the spaghetti around with her fork. “I’m just tired, mummy.”

“Tired of what?”

“I just want this exam to come and go. I’m tired of reading and reading and reading. And still I’m not sure the thing is even entering my brain. How am I supposed to score up to 250 in jamb? I’m not a genius or anything. Lord knows what daddy will do if I don’t do well. Mummy, I’m not brilliant, I’m just average, like I know I’m not the dumbest but…”

“I know you, Tomini. I know my daughter. Who told you you’re not brilliant? You just have not pushed yourself to see your full potentials unleashed. You’re working hard, my baby. This is the hardest I’ve seen you work. I’m positive you’ll do well.” She paused and took Tomini’s right hand.

“Oluwatomini, I know you feel pressured by your dad but all he wants is the best for you, which is very achievable. Cliché but you can do it. And just relax ehn? Take one day at a time and keep putting in your best like you’ve been doing. Just take one day at a time and relax. Just relax, stop over thinking. I know my child, you’re not dumb and you’re not lazy.”

Tomini nodded slowly wiping the tears that had escaped her eyes with her left hand.

“Is it not me that gave birth to you? Monkey no dey born goat!” Her mum joked.

Tomini laughed and her mum pulled her into a hug. She felt her mum’s baby bump rub against her stomach and she smiled. She felt like her unborn sister was also a part of the hug.

“I owe you ice-cream.” Her mum said after drawing back from the embrace.

Tomini chuckled. “Yes!” she shouted, excited. Her mum laughed and slowly stood up.

“Change your clothes, Coldstone way!”

***

That Saturday after her home lesson, Aunty Bamike picked her up and they went to her house. Her husband was in the kitchen when they got there.

“Uncle Demide!” she called strolling into the kitchen behind her Aunty. He turned from the vegetables he was chopping at the sink and gave her a broad smile. Tomini knew there was nothing wrong with the sight of him chopping carrots and green peppers but she couldn’t help feeling surprised. He was the first husband she had ever seen cooking.

“Tomisco. How now?” he asked, turning back to his task.

She face palmed and laughed. “What the hell is ‘Tomisco’ Uncle Demide?”

“Better love it ‘cos I’ll keep calling you that.”

Aunty Bamike was behind him now and she playfully rocked his shoulders back and forth.

“I’m invisible, abi?”

“Hey Madam, can’t you see me cutting something here? Do you want to injure me?”

Aunty Bamike laughed, rubbing his left shoulder. She stuck her out tongue at him.

“How are you?” Uncle Demide asked. Tomini assumed the question was directed at her.

“I’m fine,” they both answered.

“Who’s asking you, Bamike?”

Tomini burst into laughter.

Uncle Demide turned from the sink with a bowl of chopped carrots, green and red peppers in his hand. He placed it on the island and sat on a stool by it.

“Shebi it’s me and you in this house. You’ll see nau,” Aunty Bamike said in feign anger.

Tomini and Uncle Demide laughed.

“Tomi Tomisco! It’s because of you I’m cooking this fried rice o. On a norm, na indomie we dey chop for this house.”

It was like she couldn’t stop laughing. “I feel special then.”

“You know this ‘indomie belleful’ your Aunty can finish two! Two!” He raised two fingers.

“Ademide stop lying nítorí Olórun!” Aunty Bamike said, walking into an adjoining room with a bowl in hand. Tomini guessed it was the store because she soon came back with the bowl full of rice.

Aunty Bamike parboiled the rice and Uncle Demide took it up from there. The food was delicious, Tomini was very surprised.  After the meal, they went to the mall close to Aunty Bamike’s house. They watched a movie and bought ice-cream afterwards. She did not what she did to deserve two ice-cream treats in the same week but she was at her happiest.

Her time with her Aunty soon expired and Uncle Demide drove her home, with Aunty Bamike in the front seat. She felt a little sad when they left but the fun had to end and she had to return to her currently exhausting, boring life.

Her mum prepared eba for dinner and they ate it with okro soup. After dinner, she massaged her mum’s feet before going upstairs to her room. She loosened her cornrows and washed her hair. She conditioned and deep conditioned her hair before applying her leave-in-conditioner. She put her back back into cornrows and tied a satin scarf over it.

She lay on her bed viewing status updates from WhatsApp. After a short while, she swiped right and scrolled through her chats. She replied the messages she had and clicked on Zainab’s thread. She was online. She sent her a ‘hi’ and went back. She sent Michael the same message also.

No peace for the wicked was his reply.
Tomini was confused. What did he mean by that?

What do you mean? She echoed her thoughts.

Michael: You don’t usually text me first but you are now because you feel guilty.

Tomini: Guilty about what exactly?

Tomini: Why should I be feeling guilty?

Michael: You snubbed me now, on Wednesday😒

Michael: Giving attitude and all.

After their encounter during Lunch break, she had not spoken to or seen Michael. Perhaps he had intentionally avoided her.

She began typing but another message from him entered.

Michael: It’s like history keeps repeating itself. You do something, then you say sorry and I tell you it’s okay.

Tomini: I was not snubbing you, Michael.

Tomini: I was having a bad day. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone.

She saw the double ticks that indicated that the message had delivered turn blue but Michael did not reply. She started chatting with Zainab but the conversation with Michael couldn’t leave her mind. She sent another message.

I’m sorry.

She didn’t even know why she was saying sorry, she had no faults. But she didn’t like him being angry at her.

Michael: It’s cool 🙂

Michael: So what happened? Why were you having a bad day?

Tomini: Lol. It has passed jare

Tomini: My mummy bought me ice-cream, that’s how the day sha ended.

The chat didn’t end until Tomini began feeling sleepy and had to go to sleep. That night, she dreamt that she failed her UTME and her dad sent her off to their village in Oyo state to live with her paternal grandmother. When she woke up from the dream, she found herself kneeling by her bedside saying a prayer. She was not going to fail UTME, she prayed, she was not going to be sent off to live with her grandmother in the village.