CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT: AN ANSWER THAT COULD WAIT
I barely tasted my dinner that evening.
The beans and garri on my plate might as well have been sand.
Girls around me chatted about the day's test, argued over answers and laughed about a junior who had mistakenly entered the wrong classroom.
I heard every voice.
Yet I wasn't listening.
My mind remained beneath the old mango tree.
"I've liked you for a long time, Floral."
The words replayed over and over again.
They no longer sounded like imagination.
They were real.
Samuel had actually said them.
Across the dining hall, I noticed Daniel sitting with the boys. He laughed when one of his friends said something, but every now and then, his eyes drifted towards my side of the hall.
The moment our eyes met, he looked away.
I frowned slightly.
Something about him felt... different.
...
After dinner, the girls returned to the hostel to change before evening prep.
The hostel was lively as usual.
Buckets knocked against one another.
Girls queued outside the bathrooms.
Someone complained that her towel had been taken by mistake.
The senior girl kept reminding everyone not to waste time.
I climbed onto my bunk and reached for my prep books.
Gift looked up from her lower bunk.
"You've been quiet since dinner."
"Hm?"
"You hardly spoke."
"I was thinking."
She smiled faintly.
"You've been doing that a lot lately."
"I know."
She continued folding her wrapper before asking casually,
"Did something happen after prep?"
My fingers paused.
"Why do you ask?"
"I saw you leaving class with Samuel."
My heartbeat skipped.
"Oh."
"He wanted to tell you something?"
I looked at her for a few seconds.
Gift wasn't being nosy.
She sounded genuinely curious.
I could have lied.
It would have been easier.
Instead, I settled for half the truth.
"We talked."
"About?"
"Old memories."
She nodded slowly.
"I see."
That was all.
She didn't ask another question.
She simply carried her bucket and towel before heading towards the bathroom.
As she left, I released a quiet breath.
I wasn't ready to tell anyone.
Not yet.
Not even Gift.
...
Evening prep came and went.
The next morning, another paper awaited us.
The atmosphere in class was tense.
Students revised feverishly until the invigilator entered.
As I arranged my pens on the desk, Samuel leaned towards me.
"Good morning."
I looked at him.
For a brief second, neither of us mentioned the previous evening.
"Morning."
"Did you sleep well?"
"A little."
He smiled.
"I didn't."
"Because of the test?"
He shook his head.
"No."
Our eyes met.
Immediately, I understood what he meant.
Before either of us could say another word, the invigilator spoke.
"No more talking."
The test began.
...
When the paper ended, everyone rushed outside.
Daniel caught up with me near the classroom entrance.
"You look happy today."
"Do I?"
"You've been smiling."
"I didn't notice."
"You wouldn't."
He smiled.
Then, almost absent-mindedly, he added,
"It's nice seeing you smile."
I looked at him.
"Thank you."
Before I could say anything else, Samuel called my name from a short distance away.
"Floral."
"I'll see you later," I told Daniel.
"Yeah."
His smile remained.
But this time...
There was something tired behind it.
Something I couldn't quite explain.
...
The remaining tests ended without incident.
By Friday afternoon, the entire school seemed lighter.
Students celebrated the end of continuous assessment as though examinations themselves had finished.
Teachers were more relaxed.
The classrooms became noisier.
Even the prefects found it difficult to keep everyone quiet.
Our class teacher entered shortly before closing.
"You've all worked hard this week."
Several students smiled proudly.
"Since your tests are over, I expect you to continue reading. Promotion examination isn't far away."
A chorus of reluctant voices answered,
"Yes, Ma."
She laughed.
"I know none of you want to hear that."
The class laughed with her.
After giving a few more announcements, she dismissed us.
As students packed their bags, Samuel remained seated.
"So..."
I looked at him.
"So?"
He smiled nervously.
"I said I'd wait."
"You did."
"I still mean it."
I closed my locker drawer beneath the desk and turned to face him properly.
"I've been thinking."
"I guessed."
"I don't like rushing important decisions."
"I know."
His voice remained gentle.
"No pressure."
I smiled.
"You're very patient."
"I've had practice."
That made me laugh.
"You waited since JSS3."
"I told you."
"You really did."
Silence settled between us.
Comfortable silence.
The kind that no longer felt awkward.
Finally, I spoke.
"I don't have my answer yet."
He nodded immediately.
"That's okay."
"But..."
He looked at me.
"I don't want you to think I'm saying no."
Hope flickered briefly across his face.
"I just..."
I searched for the right words.
"I want to be sure before I answer."
Samuel smiled.
A genuine smile.
"I'd rather wait for a sincere answer than receive a rushed one."
My heart felt strangely light.
"Thank you."
"No."
He picked up his bag.
"Thank you for listening."
We left the classroom together.
Not as a couple.
Not yet.
Just two people walking side by side with an unspoken understanding between them.
Behind us, Daniel watched quietly from the far end of the classroom while pretending to arrange his books.
He lowered his eyes.
Then quietly zipped his school bag.