Believe - Episode 4

 

“Oops!” Funmi sighed. “I would have skinned her alive if she had got that first question wrong.”

Funmi was seated among her school mates at the left flank of the audience seats. They had sat there so they could see Ayo very well. Funmi was however not happy with Ayomide for entering a tiebreak with a student that scored below her in the qualifying examination.

“Funmi, you are talking now.” Perfect said. “Can you even answer that question?”

“I…” She wanted to say but her voice trailed off as she heard what Perfect said next.

“At least she scored above you in the qualifying exams.”

“Third tiebreak question!” Al-ameen, a JSS 3 student said and held his hand on his head . He was lucky to be on the audience list for that day.

“See, I’m not saying she is not good,” Funmi protested. “But she needs to put in her best. If not she would be disqualified and neither of us want that for her.”

“Thank God! She got the last question correctly,” Al-ameen said as he watched the big screen.

“Yes!” Funmi and Perfect exclaimed.

“Don’t be too happy, her opponent also got his right.” It was Oreoluwa that spoke now. He has been quiet for half the time they were there.

“You see what I’m saying

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. Ayo isn’t the problem …”

“Her opponent is just too good,” Oreoluwa completed for Perfect. ‘Which is exactly what I want’, he thought to himself.

The quiz master looked at his digital screen and said, “It’s really close.”

“Did you hear that?” Oreoluwa asked Funmi.

“Keep quiet joor”, Emmanuel snapped. “Let’s hear the quiz master.”

“Hey! I’m not talking to you,” Oreoluwa said. He is not one to succumb to another student just because he is a senior. Moreover, they are not within the school premises.

“You do realize I’m your senior and also …”

“The head boy.” Oreoluwa nodded his head. “I was expecting you to say that. But let me tell you, we are not in …”

“Will you both keep quiet,” Perfect commanded. “Ore that was rude of you.”

“That was proud of him.” Oreoluwa looked away.

***

“Ayomide, how do you feel?” The quiz master’s voice drowned the heated arguments between the Nightingale students.

“I feel” – she looked down at her feet – “tensed.”

“What about you Princewill?”

“Good”, he replied.

“Okay students. This is the first tiebreak in the first prelim and it’s a very close call for both contestants but remember only one of them will join Anuoluwa and Olabode for the second round.”

He smiled and examined both contestants carefully. “They have done well. They both answered the three tiebreak questions correctly which …”

The audience applauded and the quizmaster adjusted his position, looking at the screen carefully.

“Which makes it a little bit difficult to tell who qualifies. But through their response time which the computer has calculated, we can easily do that. The contestant with the fastest response time qualifies.”

***

“This is what we’ve been waiting for.” Ore said and moved forward in his seat. “Watch as the mighty falls.”

“That’s harsh Ore,” Funmi reprimanded.

“Whatever. I never liked her given that she stole my spot three times.” He whispered.

Funmi looked confused. “Your spot?”

“Yes. If not for her, I should be the one competing in the annual maths quiz.”

“Oh!”

“Why is she smiling all of a sudden?” Adura said, facing no one in particular.

“Who?” Almost all 9 of the Nightingale students asked.

“Ayo of course.”

Perfect looked at Ayo and said, “Also stroking her fingers on her cheek.”

“Please, you should all keep quiet,” Emmanuel pleaded. He didn’t what happened before to repeat itself.

“We will, head boy,” Perfect said and hit Emmanuel’s shoulder with hers as they were seated beside one another.

“Why is he quiet all of a sudden?” Adura whispered.

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

. “I know him to be a talkative.”

“I guess it’s because of what happened earlier.”

***

“At the end of the tiebreak round, Princewill’s response time is 0.96 seconds.” The quiz master looked up from the screen. He could see Princewill smiling and Ayo…

Ayo used her finger to wipe the tears that were streaming down her cheek. She had to smile just to conceal this as she wouldn’t want anyone knowing that she cried. ‘I can never be as fast as that,’ she thought.

“Ayomide, look at me,” the quiz master called persuasively. “You have done well. I mean very well.”

“Yes sir.”

“Tell me.” He tried to make her look up. “What do your friends call you? Ayo or Mide?”

“Ayo,” she shrugged. “But my first best friend calls me AY.” She smiled now.

“What’s the name of your best friend?”

“I can’t remember”. She noticed the surprised look on the quiz master’s face and added, “I saw her last was four years ago when I was in basic 6.”

“I guess she would be watching now as I tell you that you have…” He paused.

Ayo held her hands together as her heart skipped a bit. ‘I’ve been disqualified. Just tell me already.’

What do you think after 4 episodes?