"…and now, we shall all rise to our feet as we celebrate the overall best student in Senior Secondary School Two, The Second Term of Session 2022/2023 at the Prestigious Maryland College. The moment we've all been waiting for….introducing ADETAYO OLUWASEUN ADORA!!!". Seun was approaching the podium with tears in her eyes. As she was about to climb up the stairs, she heard noises from a distance, what seemed to be mutters of her name. She quickly snapped out of it. It was just a dream and they were not mutters, someone was calling her name loudly.
"Yes, mum. I'm cominggg." Seun shouted.
She quickly reached out for her phone on her bed and saw that the time was 8:26am.
"Oh no, I'm so dead." She said to herself.
Seun dashed out of her room and went to her mum's.
"This useless child. Oonkami loun abi? Should we all starve in this house even if you've personally decided not to eat?" Mrs Omowunmi Adetayo said. Seun shrugged.
"Should I cook white rice ma?" Seun asked and got no response so she quietly left the room. She knew that meant a yes or maybe not, but she assumed so and quickly went to make the food.
**Seun's room.**
She sat on her bed. She knew if her mum came in and met her bed unarranged, she could be as good as dead but she really didn't care. She couldn't help but think about the fact that today was their end of the term party at her school. She knew she wouldn't get any prizes because her performance for the term was very much 'average'. She just wished no one would wake her from that beautiful dream.."..but of course this woman had to. It's always her". Seun mumbled.
**at the school hall, Maryland College
Abeokuta, Ogun State.**
Now, this was reality. Just as Seun had dreamt, Mr Areola, the Vice Principal announced the names of the top students and they were awarded, but instead of her name, Ajide Grace was announced as the best student and no one was surprised.This was probably her hundredth time. Before her name was announced, the second and third positions, Nwakuba David and Aliu Aaliyah respectively were announced too.
In the crowd, a good distance from where their mothers were seated, Seun and her best friend, Tomi, looked each other in the eyes for seconds and were speechless. They knew their mothers would yet again be dissapointed. Seun didn't care much about her mother's opinion but her dignity and pride were definitely hurt. How would she explain that she was not a dullard now? As a matter of fact, Seun and Tomi were the 7th and 11th positions respectively out of a class of 57, but only the top 3 students were recognized.
After these few seconds were over, Seun and Tomi said what seemed to be a familiar line "We'll get it next time." they said. Tomi proceeded to say that next term would be their term of Academic Comeback and Seun nodded in agreement. The looks on their faces were sad even as they tried hard not to make it obvious. Some minutes later, Seun got a call from her mum and she instantly knew that that was their cue to leave. She went to where her mum was seated and her mum gave her a very demeaning look as they walked out of the hall and approached the car with her little brother, Seyi, who equally didn't get awarded but oh- his case was different anyway, he was just a child.
**back at the Adetayos' house.**
Seun's mum didn't speak to her. They just went into their respective rooms since they all had food to eat at the event. Soon after, Seun received a call from her dad who had already seen her result on the school's portal. They exchanged greetings and discussed her progress in the subjects but it seemed she was struggling with Physics and Maths. He asked her what the problem is and she promised to study more and do better. That was all about the conversation. Seun loved her dad a lot but most times, he wasn't around. She sat quietly and remembered the words of her best friend, the next term would be their term of academic comeback.