Ether's Chronicle

The Final Lap

Third term ended.

But WAEC started.

The whole of AVHS smelled like fear and biro and past questions.

Posters on every wall.

Teachers shouting.

"Read! This is your future!"

And in the middle of it,

Ether was calm.

The first paper was Livestock Farming.

He sat down.

Breathed in. Breathed out.

And wrote.

For once, he wasn’t writing with hunger in his stomach.

He wasn’t writing with "where is money" in his head.

He was just writing.

Blessing became his alarm clock.

6:30am: "Sthandwa Sami, wake up. Paper today."

After paper: "Ingelosi Yami, how was it?"

Night: "Eat. Sleep. Even if it’s 1 hour."

Mechy and Prosper turned the school library into their classroom.

Every evening after lessons.

Past questions spread on the table.

Timer on Mechy’s phone.

Two other people started joining them too.

Rose - from SSS3 Science.

Not tall. Calm. Always with a notebook.

Best friend to Sekinat since JSS1.

She was serious. She explained Economics and Government to them.

"Write this down. WAEC likes to repeat it."

Sekinat - from SSS3 Science.

Rose’s best friend. Quiet. Smart. Gist queen.

But she made Mathematics and English easy.

"Ether, if you forget this formula, I’ll beat you."

Everything happened in school.

Library. Under the mango tree during break. After lessons.

But they kept him going.

Rose with discipline.

Sekinat with laughter.

With them, Mechy, Prosper, and Blessing checking on him...

Ether wasn’t reading alone anymore.

Some times they would read till closing time.

Rose would be the one to say "Pack up. Go home and rest."

Sekinat would be the one to say "One more past question before we go."

The last paper was Economics.

When the invigilator said "Time is up. Drop your pens."

The whole hall exhaled.

Outside, Rose and Sekinat were waiting by the gate.

"We survived, Science and Art union!" Sekinat screamed.

Rose just smiled and tapped his shoulder.

"You did well, Ether."

One week after WAEC, they were all jobless and bored.

Prosper came to meet him after school.

Sweating. Excited.

"Bro! I get work!"

"What work?"

"Caddy. Golf club. Those oyibo people dey play golf.

We carry their bag. 3k - 5k per day. Sometimes tip."

Ether’s eyes opened.

Money.

His own money.

"How far? You in?" Prosper asked.

"I’m in. But transport from my place is 2k."

"That’s the problem."

Later that day in their w******p group "WAEC Survivors",

Rose typed: "2k daily is too much. Move in with Prosper to save money."

Sekinat replied: "Yes o. But we can’t follow you go there. School don finish.

That night Ether packed.

One bag.

Books.

Uniforms.

MP3.

The big sweater.

The golf club was big.

Green grass. Rich men. Quiet.

First day, Ether was nervous.

"Just carry the bag. Don’t talk too much. Smile," Prosper coached him.

They worked 7am to 5pm.

Sun. Sweat. Running.

But the money was real.

After work, the first thing they did was not food.

Garri.

Cold water.

Sugar.

Groundnut.

Ether would sit on the floor and drink 2 cups.

"This is my favorite," he said.

"Even when we had money at home, I liked it."

Prosper laughed. "You and your garri."

Then he and Prosper would figure out what to cook.

Rice. Indomie. Beans. Whatever was cheap.

Evening was for ball.

Always.

On the street.

Under street light at night.

Sometimes even in the sitting room.

Rose and Sekinat would ask him:

"How was work?"

"How much did you make?"

"Don’t spend it anyhow o."

They couldn’t come to his house.

But they checked on him on w******p.

For 3 weeks, life was good.

Tiring, but good.

Ether would count his money at night and smile.

"I’m making my own money."

It was a Thursday.

They came back from work around 6pm.

Tired. Drank garri.

Were about to cook when there was a knock.

Prosper’s mum.

She didn’t smile.

She looked around the house.

Ether’s bag in the corner.

"Prosper, come outside."

Ether stayed inside.

He could hear everything.

"Why didn’t you tell me a boy is living here?"

"Mum, he’s my friend. We’re working together—"

"I don’t care. I barely know him.

I have other children here.

I can’t take risk.

He has to leave."

She wasn’t shouting.

She was just a mother.

Protecting her house.

Ether understood.

100%.

He came out.

"Good evening, ma."

She looked at him.

"Good evening."

He didn’t beg.

He went inside and started packing.

As he was zipping his bag, Prosper’s little brother, Gift, ran in.

"Bro Ether, why are you going?"

Ether knelt down.

"My time is up, champion. You’ll be fine, okay?"

Gift started crying.

Ether hugged him tight.

Then he stood up.

Picked his bag.

And walked out.

That night he went back to his own small room.

His phone was blowing up.

Rose: "Ether, are you okay? What happened?"

Sekinat: "Guy, we’re sorry. You’ll be fine. Don’t give up."

Blessing: "Ingelosi Yami, come and talk to me."

He replied everyone.

Because he wasn’t alone.

He couldn’t sleep.

So he opened his drawer.

Brought out a diary.

The first page was blank.

He wrote the date.

Then he started.

Dear Diary,

Today I left Prosper’s house.

Not because we fought.

Because a mother had to protect her children.

And I respect that.

Rose said I handled it well.

Sekinat said I’m too strong for my own good.

He wrote about Ogunmakin.

About Grandma.

About the factory.

About the fire.

About Blessing.

About the key.

About WAEC.

About garri.

About Rose and Sekinat. How they met him in Science class and became part of his WAEC journey even thou they're not that close.

He wrote until 3am.

His hand was paining him.

At the last page he wrote:

"I don’t know where I’m going yet.

But I know I’m going somewhere.

I have Rose, Sekinat, Blessing, Mechy, Prosper.

They keep me going from afar.

I will keep writing until I’m successful.

So that one day, I’ll have a story to tell."

He closed the book.

Put it under his pillow.

For the first time in a long time,

he felt peace.

One month later, AVHS sent messages.

"Valedictory Service. All SSS3 students must attend."

Ether wore his white shirt and trousers.

Ironed it himself.

The hall was decorated.

Parents came.

Teachers cried.

Students danced.

Awards were given.

Mechy: Most Punctual.

Blessing: Best in Art.

Prosper: Best Sportsman.

Rose: Best in Economics.

Sekinat: Best in Chemistry.

Ether: Best Leader

And that was okay.

After the speeches, Rose and Sekinat found him by the field.

"Group picture! Science and Art!"

They squeezed together. Rose calm, Sekinat making funny face, Ether in the middle smiling small.

Blessing held his hand during the closing prayer.

After, she whispered:

"Don’t forget me."

"I chose you. I won’t forget."

Sekinat hugged him too.

"Don’t disappear on us o. We’ll be checking you on WhatsApp."

Rose just nodded. "We’re proud of you, Ether."

Then everyone started leaving.

Cars. Buses. Hugs. Goodbyes.

Ether stood at the gate for the last time.

AVHS.

Assistant Head Prefect.

Labour Prefect.

Footballer.

The boy who ran into fire.

He didn’t look back.

He turned, and walked.

With Rose, Sekinat, Blessing, Mechy, and Prosper in his phone.

And peace in his chest.

That night, back in his room,

he sat by the window.

The diary on his lap.

The sweater beside him.

Things were not going well yet.

Money was small.

Future was unclear.

University was far.

But he was not alone.

Rose would message to check his reading.

Sekinat would send voice notes to make him laugh.

Blessing would text.

Mechy and Prosper would show up.

He opened the diary again and wrote one last line:

"Chapter 20: Closed.

Chapter 21: To be written by God, me, and the people who keep me going — even from school."

He closed the book.

And smiled.