The Legacy of Seán – Part 1: The Orphan’s Plight

Chapter 4: The Wonder Boy | Episode 9

In school, Kevin consistently excelled in his academics through outstanding performances in classwork and examinations. He stood unrivalled in achieving the highest marks across a wide array of subjects by demonstrating remarkable speed in calculations and precision in laboratory experiments.

Yet,  the students at Stourbrook High School remained sceptical about Kevin The Nerd’s extraordinary aptitude because he had not yet been allowed to showcase his extracurricular talents.  They didn’t have to wait long, though. It was Annie and Sam who first got a glimpse of his talent in teaching Mathematics. 

One fine day as Kevin strolled through the school corridor during the break, he noticed his friends Annie and Sam huddled together in a corner holding a fat textbook, looking perplexed. These two are from the same class and section. Ever curious Kevin decided to approach them and inquire about the conundrum they were facing.

‘Hi, what’s going on here?’ Kevin asked the two.

‘Er, we’re stuck…,’ Sam fumbled.

‘…with this crazy jumble of numbers, and we don’t know how to solve it,’ added Annie. She was not a fan of this subject and consequently had never been able to score above the grade of B in any of her mathematics tests in the past.

‘Calculus, is it?’ asked Kevin, wearing a sly grin. He got a secret delight in dancing with the mathematical devil.

‘Yeah,’ sighed Sam. To him trying to solve the calculus sums meant trying to untwist a snarl of woollen strings while blindfolded.

‘Let me take a look.’ Kevin, always ready to help, gave a glance at the problem and immediately grasped its intricacies. 

‘Huh, I see. This one’s tricky but not impossible. Watch closely,’ confidently he took the pen and paper from Sam and began breaking down the complex equation, solving it step by step. 

‘Whoa, that was fast! How did you do that?’ Both Annie and Sam were surprised.

‘It’s all about understanding the steps. Once you get the hang of it, calculus becomes a piece of cake,’ Kevin grinned. In the next few minutes, he shared the trick he used to solve the sum and some tips for them to improve in the subject.

‘You’re nothing less than a little Einstein, Kevin!’ Annie was exuberant. ‘I told you Sam, this crazy problem can only be solved by a genius,’ she added. Kevin’s grin widened. 

Seeing the boy’s skills in the subject the two requested him to tutor them till the examination ends. Kevin readily agreed to take on the role of mentor for them in mathematics. 

So, every day, after school, the trio spent hours together at Aunty Gupta’s place, with Kevin sharing his knowledge and helping them grasp the complexities of the subject. Annie and Sam soon found themselves benefiting from his tutoring. They gained confidence and clarity in their studies. 

Two weeks later on a Thursday, Annie stood by the school gate, as usual, eagerly waiting for Kevin’s arrival. She had important news to share with him. As Kevin approached with his bicycle, he noticed an excited Annie waving and calling out to him.

‘Hello, Kevin! Good morning! How are you today?’ she asked.

‘Morning, Annie! I’m doing great, thanks. What’s up?’ Kevin looked at her. She looked doubly enthusiastic that morning.

‘Did you hear about the science competition that was going to be organised in our school this month? The one about Chemistry and Mathematics?’ she asked again.

‘Yeah, I did! I’m actually hoping to participate in it,’ Kevin said enthusiastically.

‘You must. You’re like a wizard when it comes to these two subjects,’ she asked.

‘Yeah! I was hoping to use my ‘wizardry’ in these subjects for quite some time,’ Kevin chuckled, playfully swaying the measuring scale he held, moving it from left to right as if it were a wand.

‘Let’s go inside and enlist your name.’ Annie pulled his arm and started heading towards the Principal’s office.

The two kids were feeling thrilled. Annie wanted to prove to her other friends that her new companion was exceptional, and Kevin wanted to have a little fun with his favourite subjects.

Kevin got enrolled and started preparing for the competition. While his peers sought guidance from their tutors and class teachers, Kevin chose to practise independently. His unorthodox approach and tenacity in the subjects left many surprised among his classmates. Only Annie and Sam believed wholeheartedly in Kevin’s talents and were sure that he would excel in the competition. 

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