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THE SYSTEM- Part 6 - Education - Nairaland

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THE SYSTEM- Part 6 by youngProphetvz: 8:09pm On Jul 30, 2017
Sola lifted up his head from the table and as if everything and everyone was suspended -the hot sharp headache was still very much there. He looked around; front and back, left and right; that was an option. He could choose to seek their help but their was another option. Sola lifted up his eyes, upwards, up he did, up to the hills, that was another option. He had decided to go for the latter option, with agony and with all his strength he prayed:
"Hey God, hmm...I have a favour of you, you know at least for my mother's sake not mine but her's, HELP ME."

And that was it, Ade who by now had finished answering nine questions of the seven they were expected to answer had seen Sola lifted up his eyes and prayed. He felt sorry and guilty at the same time, guilty because he had always been the one discouraging examination malpractice and influencing him to stay clear of the act. He himself would not indulge in the act despite all the pressure, not because of two things but because he was a moralist. He believed that every student should write what they can by themselves. If, they fail they do so honourably and if the other way round, that means they deserve it. He wasn't the born again type like his friend but still he would not indulge in examination malpractice because of honour.

At another glance Ade saw Sola burying his head to his work, he seemed to be writing hurriedly. Whatever Sola was writting Ade didn't know, but he wished that the looking up of his friend had paid off.

"Time up, your pen above your head, eh that girl if i catch you." And that was it, with shouts of joy the final year students came out of the examination hall, they were through with the 'king of all subjects' exam. Most of them were glad and were full of relief that at last mathematics had come and gone.

Outside the exam hall Sola walked dejectedly looking worn out, tattered, battered and more like a walking corpse. His uniform was soaked in sweats. He stood for a while and then looked around him, many of the students were in groups, many around Tobi. They wanted to confirm how correct they were. In one corner were the big boys and most of the other students. Some were singing, some dancing; laughing, chatting, and playing. Some other students were arguing, Sola couldn't almost hear them:
"No that is not it, after taking the coefficient then, differentiate."
"No, that is not correct, after taking the coefficient you integrate, see, take a look at the question again."

The argument continued but Sola had had enough, he had to escape from 'this' away from the deception, the falseness. He dragged himself away but no one seemed to have taken notice of him they were all engrossed in the post examination scenario.

Inside one of the classes, Sola sat down dejectedly, more like a HIV/Aids patient. He just sat, this time unusually his thoughts seemed to elude him. He stared at the whiteboard before him as if it were responsible for his predicament. Almost five minutes later, Ade walked in, excitedly:
"Hey, I've been looking out the whole school for you, never knew you were here. How was the exam." There was no response. Ade understood and he pulled his friend, hugged him and as if the floodgates of kanji dam were bombed, Sola burst out in uncontrollable tears. Ade heaved and hugged him tightly, he felt the same way and also burst into tears and kept mumbling 'I'm sorry'.

***

It was two months later, lots had happened: The SS3 students of 'Imperial Model College Lagos' had finished their final exams and graduated. Ade had won twelve prizes and awards on that day including: best prefect award, most outstanding student, neatest boy, best in biology, chemistry, further mathematics and of course best overall, and many more. Sola had also won a prize; 'Mr. Adio's honesty prize'. he was not there. He couldn't attend the valedictory service, his father saw little or nothing in it.
"sebi oti pari examu re, kini otu ku?(since you have finished your exams what again?). Sola dad had commented when Sola approached him.

Sola himself would not have loved to go,what did want to do there? he would ask himself. It would only remind him of what he didn't want to remember. Ade had visited him severally and told him how the V.S went. He had collected the prize on the behalf of Sola but had to do a lot of persuasion before Sola could collect the prize from him.

But that was weeks ago, Ade had travelled abroad to London. He had come visiting one day as usual and told Sola the news. Sola received it with mixed feelings; he was happy and glad for his friend, truly happy. He had leapt for joy when Ade broke the news to him but at an impulse, he became quiet. It was as if the full implication of the news had just dawned on him. His friend understood and they spent the rest of that day together in silence. Sola was at the airport to see his friend off. They had both cried at the airport and Ade's parents had to do a lot of pleadings for Ade not to miss his flights. Sola knew very well that if it were possible, his friend would have brought him along.

But all that was in the past, It was now a Friday, Sola sat on his bed. It was a midday, he was bored of course, like every other day. He knew that the boredom would continue for months and that if he was lucky that the institution he had applied to decided not to embark on another strike. The school has a reputation of striking more than a thunder. More importantly if he passed his exams. He was not working on the farm that day: he had been having a serious high fever for some days and his father had decided to give him a day off.

Talking about his exams, the past months since he wrote the mathematics exam had been a very difficult one for him. His fears had tormented him a lot without mercy, fears of failing maths paralysed his mind. Thoughts of the aftermaths of failing maths would not leave him alone: what would happen to his mother; if she survived, if his father would ever find a place in his heart to forgive him. His thoughts tormented him: in the farm, at home, in church; everywhere he went and every time. His thoughts would not spare him even at night, at midnights he sometimes find it difficult to sleep, the thoughts kept on tormenting him.

He had been to the chemist shop opposite their house. He had to do a lot of explanations and descriptions almost in frustration before the middle aged man popularly known as 'Doctor' but who had never been to the four wall of a university; could give him some prescriptions. It had been better when Ade was around but now he was all alone with no other friend around and no place to go other than the farm and church, the thoughts drove harder.

He stood up, walked to the window, looked out of the window, walk back and sat down. Sola had lost count of how many times he had completed the circle that day. But something seemed unusual and striking about that day.

He had heard earlier that week on the news that Waec would be releasing the 2017/2018 WASSCE result that very week. Since then, things had grown worse. He could hardly sleep, he worked lazily and half mindedly in the farm. His father would not cease scolding him, complaining that his going to school had turned him to a lazy bone. Sola knew that the serious fever which made him to stay at home that day could not be unconnected with the announcement he had heard earlier that week. It was Friday and Sola had waited patiently since the beginning of the week; he knew that if truly Waec would release the results as they had said, it could not be later than that day. He didn't sleep_ or couldn't sleep that very night. His mother had noticed his restlessness, anxiety, and apprehensiveness despite his trying hard to appear calm. She of course, didn't know the reason for his son's disposition as both She and her husband knew nothing of the announcement made earlier that week.

Sola's parents had always known their son to be an intelligent student, after all, all the results he had brought home since his JSS 1 had proven him so. He had never taken a position lower than fifth and he always bring the 'best student in agricultural science' prize home at the end of the session. They therefore could never ever think that their son could ever fail Waec. They never suspected their son's emotional conflict and only take his new disposition as a consequence of Ade's departure.

That fateful Friday looked exceptionally bright, gay, and sunny; very unusual of the raining season in July. However, this only tormented Sola more as it reminded him of the day he wrote his mathematics examination. The fateful day had also looked bright and gay. He sat on his rat infested mattress much like a sitting corpse; he had a phone in his hand: a 'Phantom 9' phone. The phone was a gift he had gotten from Ade's parent on his graduation. The phone was probably worth more than every other thing in his room all together.

He was trying to play PES 2016 on his phone when a call came in. It was his neighbor, Bummi; they had both finished from secondary school that same year.
"Hello."
"Hello Bummi, how are you?"
"Fine, I called to ask how far about your result"
"Result!" Those words hit Sola like stones but he still managed to continue speaking "Is it o...u..t?"
"Yes now, 'shey you have not heard ni,' they released it this midnight."
"Oka..y, thanks, I will ch...e..c..k it no..w."
"K, bye."

Fear suddenly gripped Sola, he was scared to the earth, he was too scared to move, he simply sat on the bed and stood still. He had anticipated today and had planned how he would handle it but here he was too scared to move. Sola knew it was not going to be easy; he looked at his phone, he had learnt that all he has to do is to simply enter 'www.waecdirectonline.org' and fill in some details and that would be all. But those few steps seemed to Ade like a huge mountain that is impossible to climb. The thoughts he had battled with for a long time came in rushing with more force almost making his head to blow off.

He thought of his mother, the poor woman was sleeping in the only other room in the house. Sola tried to imagine what would happen to her if he failed mathematics, she might_. The thoughts continued, Sola silently sobbed, he had obviously let her down, he was a bad son and his mother does not deserve him as a son; not his hardworking, poor woman. He recollected how she had struggled to make sure he was graduated: all the wrappers sellable had been sold. The poor woman would do three, four jobs together in the rain and sun, heat and cold. She would risk her life just to ensure that her son didn't drop out of secondary school. The poor woman who also appear far above her age despite having just a surviving child was to Sola: a coach, role model, an advisor, a mentor, a prayer warrior and many more. And Sola would just walk up to her and announce
"Mummy am sorry, I know I have let you down, please forgive me, I failed my..."
"No, no, no, God forbid." Sola muttered,

Unfortunately for him, his thoughts were far from over, it shifted to his father. The poor man had laboured all his life, Sola's thoughts were, however, interrupted by a sound from the back yard. He walked to the window to see what it was and was surprised to see his father.
"Why...? So soon," he mumbled. It was just midday and it was very unusual for Sola's father to return back from the farm that early. It usually would have been 6pm or 7pm. When Sola heard the back door opening he quickly went to greet his father. He met him in the kitchen and greeted him.

His father as if knowing what his son next words would be said:
"Yes I know, I am very early today but you see, I couldn't curtail myself. It calls for celebration and I just have to rush back home, luckily for me, as I was coming I..."
Interrupting, Sola asked "Baba(father), I don't understand. What calls for celebration?"
"Ah ah, it was Saki, you know Saki now?"
"Saki, who is that?"
"Saki, your former classmate in primary school."
"Yes, I remember him but what happened."
"Yes, I met him on the farm and it was him who gave me the good news"
"But baba, you are yet to tell me the good...."
"Well, he told me that the exam you people did, that the result is already out, he said it came out this..."

"So my father ready knows, that means trouble, ah what am I going to do..." Sola began to think while his father continued talking. He was brought back from his thoughts by his over joyous father who kept on talking in loud joyous voice:
"....luckily, as I was coming I met with baba Aina: the butcher and as God is faithful, he just butchered a cow. I have made arrangements for a quarter of it, he will be here any moment...."
"But dad, I have not even checked it"
"Then go and quickly check it, be fast about it so you can join me in peeling the yams. I have harvested the best ones, we are making pounded yam. I have also invited all my friends whose houses are on the way, before evening this whole place will be agog, so be fast and join me and is your mother back...."

Without checking his son's countenance, baba Sola left for the back yard humming his favourite song obviously overwhelmingly over joyous. If he had been a little bit patient, he would have noticed his son's overwhelmingly sorrowful face.

Sola left for his room, he took a glance at his fast asleep mother on the way. He could not summon strength to wake her up. In his room he sat down and laid on the mattress.

*Note: By God's grace part 7 to be released by 8.10pm on monday

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