Chapter 3 A New Town, Another Star

The cartons were sealed.

The curtains were folded.

And the house Faith had grown used to was now full of silence and dust.

Her family was relocating.

Her father, Lazarus, had gotten a new job in another town better pay, better opportunities. Anne, her mother, wasn't too happy about leaving their old neighborhood, but she agreed it was for the best.

Faith didn't complain. She just folded her clothes carefully, packed her books in neat piles, and kept one storybook aside for the journey.

She looked out of the moving vehicle window and whispered a quiet goodbye to the streets she'd known all her life. She didn't cry.

Change didn't scare her. It just made her quieter.

▪️ A New School, New Chalkboard

In the new town, things moved slower. The air felt different.

And the school they enrolled her in Harmony Primary School was smaller, but more structured.

She was placed in Primary 4.

Her first day was quiet.

Only a few pupils had resumed it was still the first week of term.

Faith sat at a wooden desk by the window, her books stacked carefully beside her pencil case. She didn't know anyone yet, but she had that same calm fire in her eyes.

The class teacher gave a quick classwork to "warm their brains back up."

Faith picked her pen and started.

Five questions. Five answers. Five marks.

Clean, fast, no drama.

The teacher's eyes widened.

"You're just joining us?"

"Yes, ma," Faith replied softly.

The woman smiled slowly.

"Interesting."

But the class murmured behind.

"Make she calm down... Pearl never resume."

▪️ The Name Before the Face

By break time, whispers were already flying.

"She did well today, but wait till Pearl comes."

"Pearl always carries first in this class."

"That Faith girl go hear am."

Faith ate her lunch alone on a corner bench. She didn't reply anyone.

Not because she was scared but because she had nothing to prove with noise.

She wasn't trying to be number one. She was just doing her best.

And if her best made some people uncomfortable, that wasn't her fault.

▪️ And Then, Pearl Walked In

Two days later, she arrived.

Pearl.

Even before she entered the class, Faith heard her laughter from the corridor.

The room lit up. Classmates rushed to her, hugging her like she had been gone for a year.

Her uniform was spotless. Her hair was well-packed with white clips. Her backpack was branded. She even had a double-layered water bottle.

Faith didn't wait for introductions.

She stood, walked up to her, and said clearly:

"Welcome, Pearl. I've heard a lot about you."

Pearl paused surprised, maybe even confused. Then she smiled and replied,

"I've heard about you too. Seems we both love books."

And just like that, the expected battle line... turned into a bridge.

▪️ The First Test Result

Two weeks later, the class had its first test English and Mathematics.

When results were announced, the room was still.Faith: 29/30

Pearl: 30/30

The class gasped, expecting jealousy. But instead, Faith clapped for her.

Next test?Pearl: 28/30

Faith: 30/30

This time, Pearl gave her a playful side-eye and said,

"You want to start trouble, abi?"

Faith laughed.

"I just want to stay sharp."

And that was how it began a silent race, not to drag each other down, but to pull each other forward.

▪️ When the Class Started Changing

Something began to shift in the classroom.

Other pupils, once distracted, started adjusting:Chidinma stopped playing with her ruler and started copying notes.

Emeka, who rarely paid attention, now raised his hand more.

The noise during handwriting lessons reduced not because of fear, but because excellence had become normal.

Faith and Pearl didn't force anyone.

They just did their work quietly, consistently, perfectly neat.

And soon, the class noticed that being serious wasn't something to be mocked anymore. It was something to admire.

Even the teacher said one day:

"This class... something is different this term. Keep it up."

▪️ Home, Growth, and Joy

At home, Lazarus and Anne began to notice the change.

Faith spoke more. She was happier. She helped around the house. Her baby brother now walking would crawl toward her books, and she'd carry him gently away and laugh.

She even began correcting her father's Igbo to English translations when he told bedtime stories.

"Daddy, it's not 'shaked'... it's 'shook.'"

He'd shake his head and say,

"This girl. I don't even know who you're turning into."

And Faith would reply, eyes twinkling,

"I'm still becoming."

That term, Faith didn't just change schools.

She changed perspectives.

She met a challenger. Became a friend.

Set a standard. Became a mirror.

And as her classmates rose with her, so did her confidence quietly, but surely.

She didn't need to outshine anyone... She just had to keep showing up.