Believe - Episode 27

 

Backstage

“So, you’re saying it isn’t your fault that you always want to win against Ayo?” Funmi asked in disbelieve. She finds it hard to believe what Anu had just said, but she really wanted to. She sat back in her chair while Anu simply nod her head.

“Then whose fault is it?” Oreoluwa asked with keen attention.

“My dad.”

“Your dad?” Oreoluwa and Funmi screamed at once.

“Yes, my dad.” Anu placed both palms on her chin as she rested her elbow on her knees, supporting her head. “During our primary school days, my dad mandated it for me to always be ahead of the class no matter what . Even though, he knew Ayo was my best friend, he still insisted I do better than her in my academics.”

“You could have said no,” Funmi interrupted.

“Let her finish,” Oreoluwa advised.

Anu was unperturbed by Funmi’s words. It was as though her mind had drifted back to her primary school days. She continued, “All through my lower basic. Primary one to three, I didn’t care about what my dad was saying. I just did my best to always top the class until…” She sobbed and Oreoluwa patted her shoulder. “Until my basic 4 first term.”

“What happened then?” Funmi interrupted again

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. She was impatient.

“I noticed Ayo wasn’t so happy she had never come first in the class though her percentage were good. So I decided to play hero but it didn’t work out.”

“Play hero?” It was Oreoluwa that spoke now.”

“Yes. We were so young and ignorant. I thought if I didn’t do well in my exams then maybe… just maybe, Ayo would come first.” She sat up and stared at nothing in particular. “But I was wrong. I still came first, though with a not-very-good percentage and Ayo, second and her percentage wasn’t so good either.”

Anu bit her lower lips in regret.

“I still don’t understand the point of all this,” Funmi said.

“For the three terms in basic 4, I perform woefully in the exam but still always came first.”

“Maybe you didn’t do so bad as you thought you did.”

“We were young and foolish then,” Anu snapped at Funmi. “We always read together and given that I didn’t read well for the exam, just so I wouldn’t come first. Ayo followed in that thread.” She shook her head. “And the other classmates were just never up to the task, not until Promise joined in basic 5.

“When promised joined, I couldn’t continue to play hero. If I did, I and Ayo would be relegated to second and third position because Promise was very brilliant. She was sharp. She answers most of the questions ask in class. Ayo loved her for this and I did also.”

“Then why do you dislike her so much?” Oreoluwa queried.

“Just listen. Will you?” Anu continued, “The three of us became friends. I read very hard for the exams, so did Ayo and Promise. My dad was literally on my neck. He keeps complaining of my bad performance and threatened to transfer me to another school if I didn’t do better. So I did. I came first again, so I won’t be transferred to another school. So, I won’t be separated from Ayo.”

“Would have been better if you were transferred,” Funmi chipped in. “At least for Ayo.”

Anu ignored her comment and continued, “My dad wasn’t so concerned about the position anymore. He knew so well that Ayo would never do better than me due to the friendship between us but I didn’t know.” She smirked. “Promise was the one who made me realize that. She made me realize Ayo worships me and would never do better than me because of our bond.”

“I guess she was smart to have realized that at that tender age,” Oreoluwa praised.

“So smart,” Anu agreed. “She advised me to transfer to another school if I really wanted Ayo to come first. That was the moment I started disliking her and warned Ayo to stay away from her. Though, I didn’t tell Ayo the reason because I knew she wouldn’t take it lightly. I practically stayed away from Promise but Ayo never did. She kind of adores Promise.”

Oreoluwa and Funmi stared at one another. They were beginning to understand Anu.

“I came first again after the second term examination and Ayo, second with Promise coming third.” She relaxed in her sit and folded her hands on her chest. “I knew how Ayo loved the scrabble board game and how she would never want to do without it. So I tricked her into promising her mom to seize the scrabble board game if she doesn’t take first.”

“And did she promise her mom?” Funmi asked, interested in the outcome of Anu's plan.

“Yes, she did… she did but she didn’t come first.” Anu shook her head. “Though, she did tried her best to take first. She really tried. She did better than I ever did in the previous examinations.”

“Then what happened?” Oreoluwa demanded. “Why didn’t she come first?”

“I was a bad friend to her.” Anu sobbed “I did better than…”

“You mean after your grand plan in helping her come first.” Funmi flared up. “You still went behind her back to grab it from her. I’m done listening to you. You are…”

“Calm down Funmi.” Oreoluwa stood up also. He was confused and he didn’t know what to do other than calm Funmi. He stared at Anu in disbelief.

“It wasn’t totally my fault,” Anu muttered, even though she knew that was a lame excuse that Funmi wouldn’t want to hear of.

“Tell me!” Funmi yelled as expected. “Whose excuse was it this time?”

“Promise came to me,” Anu continued. “She told me if I wouldn’t let AY take first, then I wouldn’t take the first position also. She bragged that she was going to surprise me by taking the first position. That feeling of not wanting anyone to be ahead of me just…

“So…”

“So as a friend!” Anu flared up now. She wouldn’t allow Funmi to keep seeing her as the enemy. “I wouldn’t let the first position be taken by someone else other than Ayo. I had rather take it than let Promise do. So I did…”

Funmi was silent now, so was Oreoluwa.

Anu sat back on the bench. “When the result came out” – she wiped a tear off her left eye – “I realized I shouldn’t have worked so hard for the first position. Ayo would have taken the first position if I didn’t but I thought she wouldn’t… I thought…” She sneezed. “I thought Promise would take the first position but I was wrong. I should have just…”

“It’s okay,” Oreoluwa said.

Read " Hope " by the same author ( HABEEBLLAH DAMILOLA )

. He moved closer to Anu and patted her back. He looked in Funmi’s direction but the latter was unmoved.

“Funmi,” Anu called. “Believe me or not, I’m telling…”

“I believe you,” Funmi said. She moved closer and sat beside Anu on the bench. “I do believe you and I’m taking that you eventually took Promise advice.”

“Yes I did,” Anu agreed. “I did it for Ayo’s sake even though I would miss her so much. I told my dad, Nightingale wasn’t competitive, so he transferred me to Soundhope and I didn’t like it there. So, after my basic 6, I was enrolled in First Apex for my JSS 1.”

For the next few minutes, they were quiet. They took time in taking in all that had just happened.

“So, does Ayo know all that you just told us?” Oreoluwa asked.

“Yes, she does.” Anu stood up. “I told her this morning when we were seated together, before your girlfriend came to interrupt us.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Oreoluwa snapped.

“Ayo is telling the rest of the group about it as we speak,” Anu said. “I just couldn’t let you guys to keep seeing me as the enemy.”

“We should probably head back up,” Funmi suggested.

“This room should be called settling room and not backstage,” Oreoluwa joked as they all went up to join the others.