The Thorny Path - Episode 10

 

The examination started on Monday and the students walked into the school gate with less books in their bags. Their bags were not heavy and they were so excited about writing examinations. They were happy because the school closed on time during examinations. They got to leave the school and go home.

"I hope you read very well, Yewande. And you won't be asking for answers in class," a boy said and some students laughed.

Yewande hissed and ignored them . She walked into the classroom and dropped her bag on her chair. She walked out readied for the assembly.
The students lined up according to their classes. Two girls in basic five who were assembly prefects walked to the stage and began to sing. When they were done, a teacher came to pray.
The proprietress drove into the compound and parked her car. They had stopped praying and some students and teachers looked at her. A teacher made an announcement, before the proprietress walked up to the stage.

"Good morning, students," she said. "I am so excited as everyone. Examinations is starting today. Are you people excited about like I am?" she said while shaking the white envelope in her hand in the air.

"Yes, ma!" they shouted.

"That is good. I am excited too

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. But I have greater news for everyone," she said.

The noises calmed and the assembly ground became very quiet. Ms. Aliyu and Tolani's mum laughed at a spot, they were standing. "See how everywhere is calm," Ms. Aliyu said.

The proprietress began to talk. "The result of the spelling bee competition came out yesterday. I got it in my mail in the evening," she said and looked at every one of them. "Who knows what a mail means?" She asked.

Some of the students raised their hands up and she pointed at someone in basic two. "Yes, You. Tell us," she said and smiled.

"It is a way of sending letters through phone or computer," the boy said.

"That is good. I am proud of. It is one of the closest answers," she said. "The result came out and our students were second and third respectively. I couldn't have been more proud."
Everyone began to clap. Tolani looked at Fuad and their eyes met. She looked away and her classmates began to touch her and she smiled.
Their proprietress looked down on the paper and looked up at them. "Our second position got one ninety-three and our third got one eighty-two. This is good," she said. "Can Tolani and Fuad come to the stage please?" She said.

Tolani and Fuad left their queues and walked to the stage smiling. The students continued to clap.

"Can we know who took second and who came third?" Basic three teachers asked.

"Oh," the proprietress said. "We will know about it."

The proprietress waved at her driver and he walked to the stage with two nylon of gifts. They were neatly wrapped and he handed it to one of the teachers on the stage. He walked away.
"The second and third positions are Fuad and Tolani. They will represent Lagos state and also Damian Nursery and Primary school in the national competition at the president's house in Abuja," she said. "Fuad came second. You can come for your gift." She waved at Fuad.

Fuad walked close and she handed the nylon to him. He handed the other nylon to Tolani and shook her. They walked back to their class queues. The students began to sing the assembly songs and marched to their various classes for their examinations.

Their examinations lasted for two weeks, as it was the case every term, and soon, the school vacated. Ms. Aliyu told them that the Nigerian spelling bee competition will hold during the holiday. Tolani and Fuad will be going to Abuja on that day. The examinations ended and they were to vacate the next Friday.

On the vacation day, everyone went to their teachers to get their report cards. Tega came the second position. Tolani was fourth. A new boy in their class came third and Nnenna was first. Ms. Aliyu began to talk to them before they went home. She talked to everyone first before she started to say something to them one by one.
"I can say Tolani took fourth because she took her spellings seriously more than other subjects. She got a hundred in her spellings this term, and also ninety-eight in her English," she said. "It is not bad because she did what she wanted in order to achieve her goals," she said. 
They began to clap for Tolani.

"And the new boy in our class, Michael. I don't know his strength but he must have been good in his former school. Michael, what was your position in your former school?" she asked.
"First position, ma," he said and brought his head down to the table.

"Oh," Ms. Aliyu replied.

Read " The Missionary's Journey " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. "That is very good."

"For Tega and Nnenna, they are good. Nnenna worked hard and got the first position this time. She is my brightest student. I am proud of her and also to Tega," she said and looked at both of them.

Tolani and Fuad represented the school at Abuja. Tolani became the second-highest, following a girl that was the first position. She was the youngest student in the competition and the third youngest to finish top three in the competition. She will represent Nigeria in America with the girl and boy. Nigerian newspapers took her pictures and wrote, "What is worth doing is worth doing well: Little children, should be like Tolani and never think they can't do anything because it seems like they cannot."
The proprietress pasted Tolani's picture on the school's notice board and wrote a moral story on a small cardboard sheet: Tolani is a girl who was not the best in her class. But she believed she can be the best in her class and everywhere. She worked on being the best and achieved being the best. Be like Tolani."

Tolani was celebrated by TV stations and different Nigerian media.

THE END!