One Year After SSCE

One year after SSCE, I realized something.

Life no balance.

Me and my guy Latyph wrote the same SSCE.

Same classroom.

Same teachers.

Almost the same result.

But one year later...

Latyph was driving Benz.

Me?

I was calculating whether ₦200 transport would survive till evening.

That afternoon, I was standing by the roadside when I heard:

PAAAM! PAAAM!

I turned.

Black Benz.

Clean.

Shining like NEPA just restored light.

The car slowly entered our street.

Everybody stopped what they were doing.

One small boy even dropped his gala.

Then the window came down.

"Sammy my guy!"

I looked closely.

"Latyph?!"

He removed his sunglasses.

Inside the car.

At 2 p.m.

"Enter!"

I entered slowly.

The car smelled like new money.

I looked at him.

"Guy, wetin happen?"

Latyph smiled.

"Nothing. I just dey enjoy life."

"Enjoy life with Benz?"

"Na small thing."

I looked at my clothes.

Then at his clothes.

Then at the dashboard.

"Guy, you don become somebody."

He laughed.

"Sammy, you too fit become somebody."

I smiled.

"How?"

He leaned closer.

"Online work."

I immediately became suspicious.

"What kind online work?"

He looked around.

Then whispered:

"Yahoo."

I nearly opened the car door.

"Abeg stop here."

He grabbed my shirt.

"Guy! Listen first!"

"No."

"You never even hear the package."

"Package?"

"Simple thing. You get laptop?"

"Yes."

"You get internet?"

"Sometimes."

"You fit type?"

"Of course."

"Then you qualify."

I stared at him.

"Qualify for what?"

He smiled.

"Money."

I sighed.

"Latyph, I no want trouble."

He laughed.

"Trouble? See this Benz."

I looked at the Benz again.

Unfortunately, the Benz had a convincing argument.

"How much?"

"100k every week."

I nearly swallowed my tongue.

"Every week?!"

"Yes."

"Doing what?"

"Small online work."

"What kind?"

"Don't worry. You go learn."

I shook my head.

"My dream is to become a writer."

Latyph burst out laughing.

"Writer?"

"Yes."

"Omo, Sammy, you wan use novel buy iPhone?"

"One day."

"One day when?"

I pointed at him.

"Just wait."

He laughed.

"Okay, Shakespeare of Lagos."

I got down from the car.

As I started walking home, I saw Ayo.

My crush.

The girl I had liked for a long time.

The same girl I had finally gathered courage to ask out.

And the same girl who looked at me and said:

"Sammy, you're nice, but you're not my spec."

That sentence still dey rent room inside my head.

Ayo smiled.

"Hi, Sammy."

My brain immediately forgot how to speak.

"Hi..."

She looked at the Benz behind me.

"Is that your car?"

I looked at the Benz.

Then at her.

"No. Na my guy own."

"Oh."

She smiled and walked away.

I stood there watching her.

Then I whispered:

"One day."

From behind me, Latyph shouted:

"ONE DAY WHAT?"

I nearly jumped.

"Guy! You still dey here?"

He laughed.

"Think about the offer."

I shook my head.

"Abeg, go."

I walked home.

When I entered the house, my little sister Janet looked at me.

"Brother Sammy."

"Yes?"

"Why you dey smile?"

"I'm not smiling."

"You are."

"No."

"You saw Ayo."

I froze.

"How you know?"

Janet laughed.

"Your face always changes when Ayo appears."

"Janet, abeg leave me."

She started laughing.

"Brother Sammy don fall in love!"

"Go and face your homework!"

That evening, NEPA took light.

"Mama!"

No answer.

"Janet!"

"What's it?"

"NEPA don take light?"

"Obviously!"

I checked my phone.

18% battery.

I checked my bank account.

₦450.

I stared at the screen.

"God..."

Then my phone vibrated.

Latyph:

Omo emergency. We need one more person. The money is serious. You in or you out?

I looked at the message.

I looked at my ₦450.

I looked at my laptop.

Then I remembered Ayo.

"You're not my spec."

I dropped my phone on the bed.

"Maybe money really fit solve problem."

I paused.

"But at what cost?"

Then NEPA took the remaining light from the whole street.

I shouted:

"AHHH! Even NEPA no wan make me think!"

To be continued...