Believe - Episode 25

 

After Bukky left Promise in the class with her last statement. Promise had predicted she went to SS 1 Science classroom and went in search of Bukky when she didn’t see her return. When she got to Ayo's classroom, she was told that Ayo, Funmi and Oreoluwa are not in the classroom. The three people that Bukky might have come to look for.

‘Then where is she?’ Promise lamented after checking other classes. She almost gave up before she decided to check one last place, the sports centre . She got there and saw all the people she hadn’t expected to see together.

“Wow!” she exclaimed. “Seems we are all here.”

They all looked in her direction as she walked towards them.

“Yes we are,” Ayo said.

“So…” Promise pinched Bukky by the side.

“I’m sor… I’m sorry, Ayo,” Bukky apologized

“Finally.” Ayo smiled and hugged Bukky.

Promise winked at Bukky while she smiled.

Bukky pushed Ayo back as if she was a plague to avoid. “I can’t do this,” she cried.

The rest of the group were surprised but Promise wasn’t. She had predicted this would happen.

“Ayo, I’m really sorry… I am,” she sniffed as fresh tears trickled down her cheeks

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. “But if I was right about Funmi. I can’t be wrong about Anu. So, I can’t be your friend just yet.”

“You still think Anu is going to use my psychological illness against me?” Ayo stared in bewilderment.

Bukky didn’t reply. She just nods her head and sat back.

“Does she even know about it?” Oreoluwa asked, facing no one in particular.

“I told her about it,” Ayo answered.

“You told her?” Funmi asked, not because she didn’t hear Ayo clearly but because she knew something the rest of them doesn’t know. “No wonder,” she said slowly.

“No wonder what?” All but Bukky asked.

“No wonder she refused to say anything.” She faced Ayo. “When you said you will willingly give up the gold and silver medal. She wants you to do so and didn’t try to confuse you.”

Ayo nods her head now. “I also thought I heard her say something that day about me telling her about my altruistic nature.” She looked at Bukky with the corner of her eye. “But I have waved it away because I don’t quite understand it.”

Bukky sprang up. “Now you do and you think she’s going to use it against you.”

“No, quite the contrary,” Ayo said. She noticed all eyes were on her as she went to sit beside Bukky on the bench. “I think she’s tempted to do so because I told her about it and she’s battling with herself not to do so.”

“And why would she do that?” It was Promise who spoke now. “She’s as selfish as always. Always want to be first at everything.”

Ayo looked directly at the scar on Promise’s face and felt sorry for her. In Promise mind she believed what she had discuss with Bukky before, was working in a way she hadn’t planned.

“Promise, you are right to say that but…” Ayo began.

“I haven’t known Anu that long,” Oreoluwa interrupted. “But I kind of agree with all of them, given the facts.”

“Still…” Ayo wanted to speak but was interrupted.

“Not that we dislike her or something,” Bukky said. She held Ayo’s right hand in hers. “But we just want you to believe you are better than are.”

“That you can do better than her,” Oreoluwa said.

Ayo used her hands to cover her hears but she could still hear Promise say, “You don’t have to give up because she’s your long time best friend.”

She felt the urge to reply her but couldn’t.

“You can win this year’s Olympiad,” Funmi added.

Ayo screamed. “What if I don’t want to? Can’t someone do what he or she wants again?”

“Ayo, you need to. It’s what you want.”

“What I want is all of you” – she stood up – “Not some useless gold medal in the mathematics Olympiad.” She left their midst covered in her own tears.

They were all shocked and couldn’t say anything to what she just said.

Ayo, however turned back and said, “And Anu isn’t my long time best friend but the only friend I could trust right now.” After saying that, she left them all in the sports centre and ran to the class.

“Someone needs to talk to her.” Oreoluwa suggested.

“Certainly not us,” Funmi added almost immediately.

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

. “You heard her. She doesn’t trust us anymore.”

“Then we need someone she can trust.” Oreoluwa replied.

“Believe me. She won’t listen to Bayo on this,” Bukky said. “I already tried that.”

“It’s Anu we need,” Promise said all of a sudden.

“Anu?” the rest of them chorused.

“It’s only Anu she trusts,” Promise continued. “So, Anu needs to tell her not to lose because of her.”

“And tell me,” Bukky said. “Why would Anu ever say that?”

“Because she adores Ayo and would want a fair fight,” Funmi chipped in.

“And also Ayo is her best friend. A part of her wouldn’t want Ayo to lose because of her,” Oreoluwa added.

“Exactly,” Promise praised. “And it’s that part of her, we are going to explore.”

“So when do we meet her to tell her this?” Bukky asked. She wasn’t sure it was a good idea.

“At this Saturday’s Olympiad,” Funmi answered.

Bukky scuffed. “I doubt if Senior Bidemi is ever going to let I and Promise go. Especially me.”

“Leave that aspect to me,” Funmi boasted.

“So Saturday…” The sound of the morning bell interrupted Oreoluwa.

“We should go,” Promise suggested.

With this plan in mind, they all left for the assembly hall.