The junior class scholarship was a hot topic in the school and even the seniors wouldn't stop talking about it since the principal made the announcement on the assembly ground.
The exam was meant for just final year students in junior school and the best five would get a scholarship that covers all school expenses throughout senior school.
"I wish there was something like this during our year, I would have been the best student. I trust myself," Temitope, my class rep bragged as we returned to the classroom.
"Do you think we are dumb too? Don't even think we would have gone easy on you," Sandra, another classmate, replied.
"You know how it is, not even you Sandra. What's the difference between you and your brother over there?" Temitope replied, pointing to a junior who was serving a punishment for coming late to school.
"Don't you ever compare me to Bomboy," Sandra stuttered angrily while the rest of us couldn't stop laughing at Temitope's joke.
"But come to think of it, Bomboy would have the mindset of winning the scholarship. Wonders shall never end," Temitope made another joke, laughing sarcastically, but this time, it wasn't funny.
"It's okay Temitope. You can't always talk down to people like that," I snapped at her.
"You guys aren't serious, why pretending not to know Bomboy?" She replied, hissing and just walked away from us.
Bomboy was very popular in the school, everyone knew him because he was a perpetual latecomer and he missed school a lot. Teachers enjoyed making fun of him and I always thought he wasn't serious until I met him outside the school.
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His mum sells cornmeal while Bomboy's daddy is a farmer. Bomboy hawks both cornmeal and his father's produce every day, sometimes in the morning, even before coming to school.
His family struggled financially and it was a burden on him. I always felt pity, but there was nothing I could do about it.
"Temitope wasn't wrong, Bomboy can't be among the top twenty. Let's stop pretending like we don't know his capability," Sandra continued the discussion.
"His challenges don't make him a dullard. As a matter of fact, his grades are good but not consistent," I replied and walked away too.
A week later, I noticed Bomboy and one of the new corper's who came to serve in our school together on the field. They had books with them but I was too far to tell what exactly they were doing.
"Could it be that Bomboy enrolled for coaching because of the scholarship?" This thought crossed my mind every now and then till closing hours.
After the assembly, I met him at the school gate and asked how he was preparing for the scholarship examination.
"I am preparing well, and Corper Esther has volunteered to coach me for the examination after we talked about why I often miss school and also come late. I hope to win because it will help me very much. My parents don't have to worry about my education and I won't be missing school," Bomboy replied.
"That's thoughtful of you," I replied and promised to bring some of my junior school textbooks that might be of help.
Knowing about Bomboy's determination made me very happy, and I went home smiling like a kid who had been gifted an ice cream.
I gave him a few textbooks the next day and wished him luck because I know it won't be easy competing with students who were topping the class already.
The term ended and the examination was scheduled on the last Saturday before resumption. The holiday lasted for 6 weeks, and throughout those weeks, I didn't see Bomboy hawk or walk past my street.
I went around the school premises that Saturday and saw tension on the students' faces. The examination hall was secured by teachers wearing their usual appearances, and it revealed how strict the supervision would be.
While I was there, the students were told to line up according to their numbers and I got to see everyone very well. Surprisingly, I didn't see Bomboy and it got me worried.
"Over 100 students and they were just going to choose five. That's ridiculous," I muttered out of annoyance and left the school premises immediately.
On Sunday evening, I saw Bomboy hawking and I stopped him to be sure he didn't miss the examination. He claimed to write the exam but I didn't trust him.
School resumed and the suspense about the results piled up every day after resumption, and whenever there were two or more students gathered, the topic of discussion was the scholarship examination.
The big day came, and we were all on the assembly ground waiting for the principal's announcement. He finally arrived with a man whom he introduced as the local government chairman.
We all greeted and wondered why he was present for the announcement because the scholarship was sponsored by an NGO, not the government.
"Today, I have here with me the list of students who would get the scholarships for this year but there is a new development due to the government involvement. Instead of five students, the government will take responsibility for another five students, making it ten in total," The principal announced, and the whole school went into jubilation mode.
The drummers started playing immediately and our voice while singing must have echoed to the heavens. When everywhere was calm and quiet, the principal proceeded to mention the names of students who made the top ten.
I listened attentively and my heart raced while the names were mentioned. The students clapped after the mention of each name, and I felt sad looking at Bomboy from afar. There was fear written all over his face, and missing out on the scholarship could break his hopes.
"Nine names so far and he wasn't mentioned. Did he lie to me about taking the exam?" I pondered, my eyes still fixed on him.
"The last on the list is," The principal paused, readjusting his glasses and the whole assembly ground was as quiet as a graveyard.
"Who could it be?" My heart pounded heavily.
"The tenth student for the scholarship is Oluwasegun Olawale," The principal announced and everywhere was still quiet.
We were all confused because the name didn't sound familiar, but everyone watched Bomboy crying as he approached the podium like other students whose names had been mentioned.
"Is that his name? How come I never asked him before? I bet other students barely remember his name after a teacher called him Bomboy two years ago on the assembly because of his torn trousers," I pondered, replaying the incident in my head.
I was drawn back from my thoughts when corper Esther started applauding Bomboy, and the whole school didn't hold back. A lot of people were happy for him despite the mixed feelings.
"I hope you learned something," I whispered to Temitope who didn't seem to understand how Bomboy made the top 10.
She hissed and just left. We had to return to our classes and I couldn't wait to wish Bomboy congratulations personally.