There was a student in every Nigerian class who never owned a pen. They were pen-borrowing professionals. They would walk up to you mid-exam with the confidence of a CEO. "Borrow me your pen." Not "lend me." Borrow. As if it were a loan with repayment terms. You hand over your Bic. They use it. They forget to return it. The pen dies in their custody. The pen economy was ruthless. The rich kid had a Parker or a Mont Blanc. The broke kid had a pen with no cap. The cap-less pen dried out and stained pockets. The pen with a chewed top had been borrowed by someone with anxiety. The pen that made clicking sounds was confiscated by the teacher. And the Biro wars! Blue ink versus black ink. The exam that specified "write in blue" and you only had black. The student who mixed inks in one pen to create a strange purple. The pen that leaked during WAEC and destroyed your answer booklet. A pen in Nigerian school was not just stationery; it was currency, status, and survival. Were you the pen borrower or the pen lender? And what's your most traumatic pen-related school memory?
