THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA.
Episode 4
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The following day, Nneoma prepared and left for school alone.
Dera was at home with her mother. They were seated outside discussing.
“Your father insists that Nneoma will write the exam.”
“Will she even pass?”
“Who knows, I’m just worried. I wish you were selected.”
“I don’t even want to stress myself to read for any competition. Thank God I’m not even in school, let alone being selected.”
“Shut up that your mouth! anu mpama!.”
She grudgingly left her mother and entered the house.
Later that day, Nneoma came back from school and met more works, but she wasn’t bothered. She did the chores effortlessly as usual.
She had made up her mind that nothing would stop her from reading for the scholarship exam.
Dera was enjoying her stay at home. Whenever her mother leaves the house, she would leave too.
She was so careful about her movement that she always came back before her mother.
Nneoma usually comes home to meet more chores than usual. Her father would stop her from doing more whenever he came back home earlier.
Later on, when it was due for Dera to go back to school, her mother followed her as requested by the school authority.
The scholarship exam was also scheduled to hold that same day.
After the morning assembly, Dera and her mother left for the Principal’s office.
When they got there, they met the girl that Dera fought with already seated with her father, on a bench in the corridor, waiting for the principal to come.
Dera and her mother sat as they exchanged greetings with those already seated.
In no time, the principal came holding some books and a cane.
He greeted the parents waiting. He then opened his office and entered.
A few minutes later, he called in the parents and asked them why they were waiting. They told him their purpose for coming, and he offered them seats inside his office.
He welcomed them.
“I know they have already served their pun!shments but I just want you both to know the kind of behaviours your children display in school.”
He then faced Dera and the other girl.
“I want you both to tell us the reason why you fought two weeks ago.”
The girls were silent for a little while, the other girl later narrated all that happened. Dera was silent all through.
“You are not saying anything,” the Principal said to Dera.
“What she said is true,” Dera muttered.
The principal then admonished the girls and asked them to go back to their class. He then thanked the parents for honouring his invitation and gave them some advice about their children and they later left.
As all those were happening, the selected students for the scholarship exam were preparing the enter the mini auditorium that they used as the exam hall.
Nneoma and one boy were selected from her class. Other students were selected from other classes. They were all representing different categories.
A team representing the oil company and a few teachers were in the exam hall waiting.
The chairs and desks were already spaced out in preparation for the exam.
The students were called in one after the other and afterwards given the questions and answer sheets.
About an hour later, the answer sheets were collected. All the representatives were given consolation packages for participating as they left the exam hall.
They were all happy going back to their classes with those packages that you hardly can tell who wrote well in the exam.
Nneoma went back to her classroom and later opened her package. She was happy to see a mass set, an alarm clock, a customised pen, a meat pie and a soft drink. She took the snacks and kept the rest inside her bag.
Dera was quietly watching her.
When the school dismissed, Nneoma and Dera went home.
Nneoma kept her bag at its usual place and went about her daily activities as if nothing happened. She decided that she would show the gift to only her father.
Stella didn’t want to talk about what happened at the principal’s office, she was more concerned about Nneoma’s affair. So Dera told her about the gift that Nneoma received in school.
“All those things are nothing, I can buy them for you if you need them. She will not even succeed in that exam.”
Dera was quiet.
Later in the evening, Nneoma showed the items to her father.
He was so happy for her. He went on to encourage her more.
A few days later, during morning assembly, the principal walked up the stage with an envelope and greeted everyone.
“I am happy to announce to you that the result of the scholarship exam is out.”
The students shouted in excitement.
“Audience!!!”
The students were calm.
Then the principal called out the names of the four students that made it to the scholarship exam and asked them to step forward. Nneoma’s name was the second name he called.
The students roared as the students walked up to the stage.
It seemed Dera was the only angry face seen in the assembly ground.
The principal congratulated all of them. He then told them to come with their parents to his office the following day.
Later on, after the assembly, the students all went to their classrooms.