Chapter 12: Exam Starts, Urgh!
Dear Jesus,
Day one!
Day one of the series of days to come that will determine if I’ll make it to my dream college, McCheynne College.
I prayed and felt your leading to study gynaecology as my course in college.
Apart from the joy of assisting in the birth of a new child, I want to be a light and fight again abortion, the murdering of unborn destinies.
The case of Felicia also made me to see that some pregnant ladies are victims of circumstances. I want to be able to lead them to Christ. I guess my love and passion for children won't go down the drain then.
I initially wanted to study paediatric medicine but you showed me a better purpose.
The preparation for my final examination has been consuming my time. Study, lessons and tons of mock tests prepared for us by our teachers… I feel like I could swoon under the weight of it all.
Felicia, having fully recovered, was hesitant to return to school. It was Priscilla, Kathlyn and I who encouraged her that since she's not yet heavy with the pregnancy, she should at least write her final exams so that she can get her School leaving certificate.
She had the fear of what people will say. We told her to ignore any snickering if they eventually discover. We also encouraged her to be strong in You.
I hope she'll be able to stand. Her school, St Louis High, is renown for spreading and twisting rumors so bad and so fast that the focal point will almost literally die of shame.
We started our SCE (Senior Certificate Examination) today. First paper’s English language; paper 1 (which is the essay, comprehension passage and summary part) and paper 2 (that’s the multiple choice question part).
Before I left for the exam center at school, dad and mom prayed for me. Dad anointed me with the anointing oil. I believe that the anointing for wisdom is upon me and that I’ll get favour in the sight of the examiners in your name.
Another problem, or should I say temptation, I faced was the pressure to engage in exam malpractice.
This being an external examination, we had a very nonchalant invigilator sent to our center. In fact during the exam, the man was so comfortable to doze off while the giggling students freely indulged in ‘helping’ each other out.
Priscilla later told us that some of them had laid their hands on the questions and answers for that paper on the internet prior to the start of the exam this morning. They called it EXPO.
‘The Dazzling Diamonds’, with Genevie as their mouthpiece of course, even came to confront me that I snubbed their advances at me to help them during the exam.
I explained to them as calmly as I could muster that I can’t engage in such sin against God and that they should also stay clear of such sin for their own good.
They scoffed and after hurling some derogatory remarks and threats at me, they walked away from me were I was revising Lexis and Structure under a shed.
Kathlyn and Priscilla came back from the tuck shop where they went to get some snacks and I briefed them about my short ordeal while they were away. We encouraged ourselves in the Lord and prayed both for those girls and ourselves.
We continued joint revising until the time for our next paper.
Something strange occurred during the course of the second paper.
A girl in SS3 Humanities class, whose name is Michelle suddenly started writhing in pain while clutching at her tummy.
It was so severely frightening cos she fell to the floor and was groaning in agony.
If not for the fact that we were in an exam hall, I would have gone to pray for her. Since I couldn’t, I remained in my seat and silently prayed that you take care of her while the disruption was causing panic in the hall. Paramedics were called upon to cart her away to the sickbay.
Much to the relief of those of us who were worried, we were later informed that she’s okay. It was only a case of severe intestinal ulcer that was aggravated by her skipping breakfast this morning.
At the back of my mind, I knew she was targeted for payback. She was the girl who dared to inform a teacher about the malpractice that was practiced freely during the first paper.
I just felt rather sorry for her predicament - her pain and then her inability to complete her second prayer.
The examination was like a trigger. I had always sensed something sinister going on beneath the veil in Charios High. The occurrences today only helped to confirm my suspicion.
I only waited a few minutes for Kathlyn and Priscilla to finish up. We live in the same area, Mangrone Strait.
Priscilla and her mom live in one of the ground apartments of a block of flats very close to Shalom-Eloh estate.
Our country, one of the minor islands of the West African tropics, is well known for numerous tall buildings. Only the few elites live in Reserved Areas and estates.
We boarded a bus. While we were on board, we brought up the issues in our exam.
"The darkness is real, we need to keep shinning as lights for Christ. Let us not be conformed to this world," Kathlyn said in response to my observation about the malpractices and Michelle's incident.
After we got dropped off at the bus stop at the entrance of Shalom-Eloh estate, Kathlyn and I waved Priscilla goodbye and started walking in.
We had not walked a few meters away from the gate when my phone beeped in my bag.
Normally, we weren't allowed to bring electronic gagdets to our school, but since we were already writing our final exam as seniors, that was overlooked.
I was planning to call my dad to come pick us up after we were done if the bus comes late (the transportation system wasn't hundred percent reliable. It wasn't safe for three teenage girls to be walking such a great distance from Charios High to Mangrone Strait unchaperoned during the wee hours of the evening).
Thinking it was my parents, I hurriedly pulled out my Android phone and checked the screen. It was an unknown number.
Strike one!
I'm really not a fan of picking unknown calls. Many stories of people who were gruesomely killed by unknown phone calls had circulated the media earlier this year. So, I ignored the call.
My phone rang again.
"Who's that?" Kathlyn asked, her blue eyes wide as she peered into the screen of my phone.
"I have absolutely no idea," I replied.
Curiousity got the best of me after the third ring.
Thankfully, I'm not a cat, so I guess the saying 'curiousity killed the cat' is invalid for me. Right Jesus?
"Hello!" A male voice sounded out my speaker.
Strike two! A male who's not my dad is calling me. This is one weird call, I said in my mind.
"Hello! Please who am I speaking with?" I cautiously inquired.
"This is Fredrick. You gave me your number in the hospital the other day."
"Ooohh! Hi!"
I turned to Kathlyn and mouthed to her 'OMG, It's Fredrick'. She rolled her eyes at me as we continued walking.
"I just wanted to check on you. I never saw you since that day again and I wasn't able to call because I accompanied my psychology professor to do a research in Nigeria and I've been really busy. I'm sorry. So how's your friend?"
"She's fine. She was discharged two days ago."
"That's good to hear."
There was an awkward silence that hung for three seconds. I guess we're still much of stranger to have anything to discuss.
"Hhhum, I gotta go now. It's nice hearing from you Radiance."
"As it is you, Fredrick. I'll save your number. Thanks for calling."
"Goodbye."
"Bye."
I squealed after he disconnected the call. Kathlyn gave me the what-is-wrong-with-you? look. With that I shut my mouth up.
Kathlyn is very cautious and bold. She told me not to allow emotions or what I think are emotions to becloud my judgement. She reminded me that I don't even know if he's a true Christian.
Thank you Jesus for giving me a friend like this who can spank me back to track if I derail.
We came in view of her home. I gave her a hug and proceeded to my own home which is just a few houses away from hers on the same street.
Mom made me to arrange the shoe rack I had been postponing to arrange since last week. She hates any form of mess and that rack in the visitor's room next to mine was a disaster.
It wasn't fully laziness that kept me from doing it. All the events kept tumbling into one another and I also had to study for my exams
Mom had the perfect timing in mind for me. The first day of my exam. How nice!
Dad came home late. Too many counselling and deliverance cases, he said. He looked really worn out and tired.
Being a pastor isn't an easy task. Lord, let your Grace be sufficient for him.
I remembered Michelle and the Dazzling Diamonds gang in my prayers tonight. They need to have a real encounter with you before it's too late.
Night night, Lord.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone