That evening was filled with frustration for me. Mama was in the kitchen when I ran in, my phone shaking in my hand.
“Mama! I passed!” I shouted. “Two hundred and seventy-one!” I kept shouting with joy, jumping up and down.
At first, she didn't understand what I meant. "You passed what?" She asked.
"JAMB na," I explained.
She screamed out of joy for me, dropped the spoon she was holding, and hugged me.
“Eh! My son! Chineke eme la o! So you'll enter the university this year!”
I nodded. "Yes o."
We were still jubilating when Emma walked in. He was my best friend in secondary school. We had prepared and sat for the exam together.
“Guy, results are out o,” he said before I could announce my joy to him.
"I know," I replied by showing him my phone.
He stared at the screen for a few seconds like he couldn't read the words there. “Is this yours?' He asked with a flat voice and no joy on his face. Just cold silence.
"Surprised right?" I asked. I didn't want to read the meaning of his question. "I can't believe it too," I added.
“Hmm,” he muttered.
"What about you?" I asked.
"One hundred and eighty-nine." He replied then turned to leave.
I stopped jubilating. "Emma, how come?" I asked. "We studied together."
He gave me a faint smile. "I have to leave now. I need to run some errands for my mum."
I stood there watching as he walked out the door. I felt pity for him. Deep down I knew he wasn't happy.
Little did I know that he would go about spreading false rumors to our friends just to make himself feel alright for his loss.
At first, I didn't know of the rumors until one evening, we were playing football at our regular street field. An old abandoned mechanic hub.
I had dribbled past an opponent and passed the ball smoothly when a teammate tapped me.
"Is that how you want to be disgracing them in school eh, university boy?"
I chuckled and didn't say a word.
Emma laughed, chewing gum like something was disturbing his peace. “When everybody knows it's because of his parents' connection to.”
I quickly turned to be sure it was my friend Emma that said such. "Connection? Why would you say that?”
He shrugged. “If it isn't a connection, then how did you get such a score?",
I tried to talk back to him. But I knew that it would lead to nothing but a fistfight between us. Then I swallowed my words and walked away before I said something I’d regret.
Months passed. After a rigorous first semester as a freshman. I was back from university. I heard from friends around that Emma was learning a trade at his uncle's shop while he prepared for the next jamb. I was happy he decided to do something with his time while he waited for the next exam.
By now we were like strangers. We didn't talk on the phone and avoided each other on the road and anywhere possible.
Until that harmattan morning, I sat in the barber’s chair. I needed to cut my hair in preparation for the upcoming Christmas festivities.
Emma was seated in the same shop. His face was buried in his phone, acting like he didn't notice I was there.
“Nwa school anyị! How school na?” the barber hailed me.
I smiled and looked at him through the big mirror before me. I was about to reply to him when Emma chipped in.
“Nwa Connection’ you mean?” he laughed looking around to see if anybody laughed with him. But no one did. Instead, they gave him weird looks
I ignored him like he wasn't there. I've always tried to understand why he felt that way when we studied together. I was just lucky to have passed with such a score.
"Guy, no dey hate on people's success. If the connection is easy, make your papa run am. No be person tell your papa not to get a connection." The barber rebuked him with anger in his eyes.
I looked at Emma. He was stunned. "Oga Chike, I was..." he tried to defend himself.
"Don't say a word there! Leave my shop; I'm not barbing your hair again." The barber continued. He was enraged.
Emma stood up and walked out angrily.
"I hate people who are not happy for the success of others." He added as Emma walked out.
Immediately, there were murmurs amongst other people in the barbing shop. Everyone rebuked Emma's attitude as best as they could.
I sat there wondering how what I thought was a genuine friendship ended because of jealousy. A silent thing that hides in-jokes.
To date, Emma and I haven't talked to each other.
Glossary
JAMB - An exam we take to gain entrance into the university in my country.
Nwa school anyị - Our school boy.
Chineke eme la o - Thank God o.
Nwa school anyị - School boy.
Guy, no dey hate on people's success. If the connection is easy, make your papa run am. No be person tell your papa not to get connection - Don't hate on other people's success. It's nobody's fault that your father has no connection.