The weekend came faster than I expected. With the quiz competition just days away, I decided to visit my parents — partly to clear my head, partly because I hadn't seen them in a while… and partly because something had been weighing on my heart.
Tope's secret.
I couldn't stop thinking about it — the way she held back tears while still pressing on like nothing was wrong. She never asked for help. But I could tell she needed it.
When I got home, the usual warmth greeted me — the smell of jollof rice from the kitchen, my mom's tight hug, my dad's proud smile.
"My son," my dad said, ruffling my hair like I was still a little boy. "I hear you're finally focusing in school!"
I laughed. "Trying my best, sir."
After dinner, I sat with them in the living room. The TV was on, but my mind wasn't really there. I turned to my dad.
"Dad… what would you do if someone you cared about was struggling — but too proud to ask for help?"
He raised a brow. "Depends. Are they your friend?"
I nodded.
"Then you help them quietly," he said. "No need to announce it. Sometimes the best kind of help is the one nobody sees."
That night, I transferred a small amount of money into a sealed envelope. I didn't put my name on it — just a note inside: "For someone who deserves more than they let on. No strings attached."
Back at school on Monday, I slipped it into Tope's backpack while she was out of the classroom.
Later that day, she walked up to me, eyes wide and confused. "Did you…?"
I gave her a look that said don't ask. She stared at me for a second, then smiled — the warmest, most real smile I'd ever seen from her.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I'll pay you back someday."
"You already have," I replied. "By believing in me when nobody else did."
As we sat under the tree to go through our final notes before the quiz, I felt something shift. This wasn't just about the competition anymore. It was about friendship, trust, and doing right by each other — no matter where we came from.
And when Tope said, "We're going to win this," I believed her with all my heart.