Twirl

Chapter 8

“I swear I’m tired of this school,” Lolade said.

Tomini laughed at her. The expression on her face was funny. Why was she pouting? She continued laughing and she saw Lolade glare at her through her phone’s screen.

They were on a video call and Lolade was ranting about school.

“This woman, I bet you’re not the only one in that school. People have graduated from there and they survived. You’ll be alright, jor.”

“You’re saying that now, don’t worry it’ll soon be my turn to say that to you. Remember your dad is shipping you to covenant.” Lolade was laughing hysterically.

“Jesus, Covenant is worse. That school is too strict. Kai,” Lolade added.

“Can you stop saying kai, like it irritates me?”

“Kai kai kai kai,” Lolade laughed.

“Are you mad? It’s my fault that I called you in the first place.” Tomini was feigning anger.

“Chill jare” She was smiling widely. It was obvious she was trying not to burst into another fit of laughter.

“How have your exams been?” Lolade changed subject.

“Okay,” Tomini shrugged. “It’s just mock.” She said the later part like it was a question.

“When are you finishing?” Lolade asked.

“Tomorrow, I have math and civic.”

“They saved the best for last,” Lolade laughed.

“Best abi worst. I’m scared but I know I won’t fail,” Tomini said.

“Ehn oshey smart kid,” Lolade teased, laughing.

“After the math lessons, if I don’t ace it then my father will have my head. I’ve actually seen that math is not that bad.”

“See this girl sef. You have math tomorrow and you’re here chatting with me.”

“I’ve said it before. It’s my fault for calling you, Ingrate. See her big head like ponmo.”

Lolade was not in the least bit taking her seriously.

“How can my head look like ponmo?”

“Just shut up”

“Like how does it even correlate?” Lolade continued.

“It’s okay, madam. Your head does not look like ponmo o. It’s beautiful.”

“Awwn,” Lolade cooed and Tomini frowned at her. “I’ve always known you love me. You just keep pretending.”

Tomini laughed.”You wish.”

The conversation went on for another five minutes before Lolade had to go. Tomini sat by her desk and solved WASSCE math past questions before retiring to bed.

The next morning she woke up feeling nauseated. The urge to puke was persistent even after she drank the lime juice her mum squeezed into a plastic cup for her. She couldn’t eat her breakfast but managed to drink her Milo beverage before leaving for school.

As she sat at her desk in the exam hall before the mathematics scripts arrived, Tomini fidgeted in her seat. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and her fingers shook slightly. She had not been nervous for her previous papers but this was mathematics. Mathematics! Even if she had read the whole of ‘Comprehensive Mathematics’ and solved all past questions from 1998 – 2016, she still would not feel ready, she still would not feel calm.

The questions were not strange and she attempted most of them. She however did not feel confident, it was after all Mathematics. The exam ended at noon, she went to the library and picked a novel from a shelf to read.  She sat at the end of the room in a corner. The library was almost empty.

She was on the 15th page when she heard Zainab’s voice.

“Tomi, I just knew you’d be here. Are you hiding from the world?”

Tomini laughed, looking up.

“Nope, I just don’t want to stay in the class. It’ll be noisy and all.”

“It’s almost time for lunch. Are you going?”

Tomini had forgotten about lunch, and to think she had skipped breakfast.

“What’s the time?”

“12:47,” Zainab replied checking her wristwatch. Lunch was by 1pm.

“Ah it’s not yet time. Let’s chill a bit.”

Zainab shrugged and moved towards the shelf that held Non-fiction books. She came back moments later and sat on the seat beside Tomini with a book in hand.

“You and I know you’re not going to read it,” Tomini said to her.

“Duh, I took this book ‘cause there are pictures in it, “she replied, flipping the book open. Tomini grinned and shook her head at her before turning to her book.

***

When the bell for lunch rang, Zainab left Tomini in the library and went to the dining hall by herself. Tomini had refused to go with her. Her eyes had been glued to the pages of the novel she was reading and she had dismissed Zainab, saying she would leave when she finished the chapter she had been reading.

On the contrary, after finishing that chapter, she started reading the next. She was too curious, she had to read the next chapter and find out what would happen next.