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Hello guys!
Ever been in a situation in which either/both of your parents made fun of you about something and then, you get to find out that they're guilty of that same thing? Well, here's my story.
I was in the sitting room when I heard our neighbor complaining. Her youngest son had returned with his school work and all through the weekend, she had been too busy to assist him. My father then asked her, "What of Tobi?" Even before she replied him, I had started to laugh. Tobi who was my classmate was a dunce at maths. Infact, he sucked at his studies. Next thing I heard was, ".. don't worry, I'll call Amaka to help him. You know book-work is not difficult for her." Immediately, I started sweating.
Now, my father likes to boast of how intelligence runs in our family veins.
Because I am always carrying a book with me every single time, it gives him the opportunity to use me as case-study. But, how does my carrying book translate to book smart. He doesn't even know if i ever read the books I carry.
He called out to me, gave me the assignment while I went in to solve my foolishness. I could see Tobi smiling sheepishly - we both know i am just a dunce at maths as him. For the homework, all I was seeing were; x, y, 2, 8, xy, 4b and I did not understand the co-relation. At school we are taught alphabets and numbers as two separate subjects not as 'alpha-numbers' isn't it? Anyways, I did what I could, returned the book, and went back into the house.
Two days later, when Kemi was attending to another schoolwork, my father ordered him to bring the one I had done for him previously(the man is just too full of pride. I know he wanted to show off again). This child handed the book to him and before my father would open it, he shouted, "My teacher scored me big zero. I failed all of them" to the hearing of the whole neighbours. If eyes could kill, my father would have died from the states he got from people around. Me? I did not care, after all, I was on my own when the man gave me work without me asking. And afterall, I don't boast like him. I only showoff when the parents of my mates are within earshot.
Days later, I got back home from school with a difficult math problem. My very intelligent mother who doubles as my home teacher had travelled. I was left with my father at home.
I did not pay heed to the times my grandma had told me of my father's aversion for studies. I did not think much of that. Besides, he always boasts of how he always topped his class and how maths was as easy as making pap.
With that in mind, I handed the book to him. He looked at the maths problem, then back at me, and asked me why I couldn't solve 'this simple thing'. Well, I told him we had never learned it before, that the teacher wanted us to go and practice it at home.
Wordlessly, he stood up, book in hand, and left the house. I got to find out from his friend's young child in the next compound that he had gone to look for her elder brother who unfortunately, was away at the time. He came back home, sat down with a serious yet confused look on his face and begun solving it while chewing on my pen.
A while later, he handed the book back to me. You know what happened next right?
At school the next day, my math teacher called me out as the only one who failed the work, she gave me dynamite(a sort of punishment where I had to kneel whilst she used her fist to play drums on my back) and also made me classmates sing the dullards anthem for me. What annoyed me most was that Tobi the king of Olodos did better than me. I was so angry that day, that when I got back home and met my father, the first thing I did was bring out the book from my bag and show him 'his' score. This man looked at it like he had never seen anything like it before. He even shifted if far from his face like one suffering long-sightedness.
Next, he said, "maybe I did not read the question well. You know I don't see clearly." He then offered me some money to go buy myself biscuits which I gladly accepted, after making me promise to not tell anyone that he was the one responsible for my failing the work.
When we had finished having dinner that night, he called me into his room and said, "the next time you ever give me your assignment to do, I'll use slap to reset your head. Children of these days have no fear and respect. In my time, we used to study very well. When I was your age, my brain was very hot but, look at you?"
In truth, I had not intended for what came next to pass through my lips. I thought I was murmuring, "I should have listened to granny when she told me you are a dullard who only knows how to chase and shoot rats and lizards. Instead of you to admit that we're cut from the same cloth and you're just as dull as me, you're busy forming eye pain." Please, don't ask me what happened after that because, it still remains a blur.
Thanks for gracing this post.
Good-day!