THE BOY WHO DIDN’T WANT PROMOTION
He didn’t fail.
In fact, he passed.
But mathematics?
Mathematics was his biggest problem.
From Primary 1 to Primary 3, Chinedu managed to survive by luck, mercy, and copying answers from the smartest boy in class. Numbers confused him, division scared him, and multiplication tables sounded like incantations.
Still, he was promoted from Primary 3 to Primary 4.
That should have been good news.
But Chinedu was not happy.
Because Primary 4 had a name that alone caused fear in pupils’ hearts.
Mr. Any Palava.
Everyone knew him.
A well-known primary school teacher in those days.
The man who tracked Primary 4 like it was a battlefield.
Mr. Any Palava did not joke with mathematics.
And he definitely did not joke with pupils.
He was very good with the cane.
And very creative with punishment.
Sometimes it was the cane.
Other times, it was a thick plastic ruler that landed accurately on knuckles like it had eyes.
Wrong answer?
“Come out.”
Slow response?
“Stretch your hand.”
Wrong multiplication?
Swa!
Chinedu knew himself.
If he entered Primary 4, his palms would not survive the first week.
So he did the unthinkable.
He did not want promotion.
While other pupils were excited to wear new uniforms and sit in a new class, Chinedu was begging his parents to let him remain in Primary 3.
“Please, I’m not ready,” he said.
Ready for what?
He himself knew.
He was not afraid of school.
He was afraid of Mr. Any Palava and mathematics joining forces against him.
Unfortunately, promotion is not by choice.
Primary 4 was waiting.
Mr. Any Palava was waiting.
The cane and plastic ruler were waiting.
And Chinedu learned very early in life that sometimes, the next level doesn’t ask if you’re ready—it simply calls your name.
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