I passed through my community's school in my high school years, and it was known to us that students don't graduate, it's either mathematics or English language that was always missing in the final year result, and these subjects are considered key subjects to get into higher institutions.
We knew this but we stayed put due to the free education and the stereotype that "community school students are more brilliant." Of course that was true because we always remain outstanding compared to other private schools around.
"But if we are this good, why do we always fail the final exam?" That's the question everyone asks but there was no satisfying answer.
When it was my year to graduate from the school, we studied very hard, with a focus on English and mathematics, because we were ready to break the stigma. We even enrolled in extra tutorials classes so as to confront the exam with different tactics.
The exam came, we did very well, and the teachers helped out too, after we contributed a little amount of money to shut the mouths of external supervisors.
We were sure that we wrote very well to warrant merits in all the subjects, but when the result came out, we were shocked like electric shock. A lot of us merited high grades in 8 subjects excluding English and Mathematics. As for me, I was able to merit 9 subjects, including English. I was very surprised because I did well in mathematics more than English, how come I merited English instead of Mathematics? I asked this question till I got tired.
"It's our fate, that has been the school's routine." One of us said as we all decided to accept our fate and move on to the next exam (NECO) in the same school(They were two exams: WAEC and NECO. The two of them were registered freely for us due to the free education policy)
During this particular exam, the teachers made sure they supplied all the 'chips' we needed to pass because they were pained too and ready to break the yoke of failure. After the examination, we were all confident of passing because we believed that the answers supplied by teachers couldn't be wrong answers.
But to our very surprise, the results came out the same as the previous, we merited everything except English and mathematics💔.
"This school is cursed." That was it, it was obvious because the streak of failure was not ordinary.
That year got exhausted, and the next year, I and some of my friends from the same school enrolled again for two sittings, one at the same school because it was cheaper(supposed to be free but since we're going to rewrite, it's no longer free to us), and the other one at a private school.
The exams came, we did very well and 'manners' fell from heaven on both sittings.
When the result came, we were shocked beyond belief. The one we did in our school as a repeat, came as usual, but the one we did in the external school was more unusua, we were just 11 candidates that merited 6 subjects without English and Mathematics, while the others merited 1, 2, subjects without English & Mathematics😭.
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After that year, my dad approached me and said, "Don't you think we should enroll you in a class to learn a skill since the results don't want you to move further in education?"
Tears filled my eyes upon hearing that because it's not like I was dull in school, I was among the first 10.
"Give me a little time, I'll think about it and give you feedback," I said to him.
A few weeks later, one of my cousins suggested that I should go and write my next exam in a miracle center (a center for malpractice), and I fully agreed because I was ready to do anything to pass. I had been a good boy all those while, but nothing positive came out.
I met my dad, informed him of my next step, and he fully supported me financially.
I informed my cousin of my readiness and he introduced me to a center. I registered, did all the processes and paid the huge amount of money for 'sorting'(malpractice fees) and waited for a month preparing for the exam.
When the exam month came, I left for the state (a totally different state from my home state) and rented an apartment.
This one was the same exam but in an advanced pattern, so we were going to the exam hall in casual clothes instead of school uniforms (we were seen as adults).
The first two days of the exam were simple subjects with which I didn't have issues, I did well even though 'miracles' didn't happen as we expected.
On the third day which was the mathematics day, we went prepared, expecting 'manners' to fall from heaven, but it didn't happen because a very strict external supervisor was in charge and he didn't allowed anything malpractice to take place,....upon the money we offered him.
Yes, I was frustrated that day because mathematics was one of the subjects I was looking for. Although I tried my best and did as I've been doing in my previous exams.
The following day came, which was the English subject, and everything went well because we had our ways.
After the exam, I placed the outcome in the hands of God because I knew that mathematics didn't go well.
When the result came out...
After three months, an announcement was made on release of our results.
I waited for two weeks for my colleagues to check theirs but none of them did, so I decided check mine because I couldn't wait anymore.
On a Friday evening after returning from church, I picked up my phone and purchased the scratch card online. My body was shaking out of fear because I was about to see the end of my school life if I fail again. I entered my room and locked the door to avoid disturbances.
I logged on to the site and entered my details, the site began to scan in search of my result...my heart was beating fast.
"Yeeeeeeh Jesussssssss!" I shouted so loudly that everyone in the compound heard me and they came banging on my locked door.
I just merited all the subjects. Tears rolled down😭.
I got up, went to unlock the door to meet the people on my door and when I did, I met my dad, mom, my siblings, and neighbors standing in awe; they were scared that something bad might have happened. I told them that I just cleared my result and I merited all. Everyone jumped into celebration mood.
Thanks for reading.
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