Hope episode 20 – 22

Hope

Episode 20

Anticipation*

That same day in SS 2 Science.
Emmanuel walked in on Seun and Ramon discussing about him.
“Has my friend started boasting on winning the Math Olympiad?” Seun asked jokingly.
Ramon couldn’t help but laugh. Emmanuel was surprisingly calm.
“He wouldn’t dare. “Ramon said”, He knew what happened the last time he boasted”.
“Yes! I remembered

. He didn’t even qualify for that year’s Olympiad. None of them did”, Seun said.
“Not even the mighty and proud Emma”, Ramon added.
“I will make Nightingale proud this year”, Emmanuel said calmly not minding his friends comment. “Last two years. I was young and full of pride”
“You were even foolish”, Seun added.
“But this year will be different. I promise to do my best”, Emmanuel said still not minding Seun. “This is my last chance to proof my worth”.
“I was afraid the principal won’t call your name due to the disappointment he felt two years ago”, Ramon stated.
“I was also”, Emmanuel said. “It shows he still believes in me”.
“I hope his faith isn’t misplaced. Even his daughter, Bidemi disappointed him in last year’s Math Olympiad in the junior category”, Seun spoke again.
“To be honest, Bidemi tried her best”

. Ramon said. “Imagine she was the only one that qualified”.
“Yes, she even advanced to the semifinal stage”, Emmanuel added. “She was the school’s shining star that year. I respect her”.
“See mumu dey respect him junior. Sha make us proud”, Seun said.
“Yes make us proud”, Ramon added. “The qualification exam is just three weeks away”
* * * *
Same day, in SS 1 Commercial.
“Hey! Class rep. What’s up?” Titi called while walking towards Bidemi.
“I thought I warned you to stop calling me that”, Bidemi said looking up from the book she was reading.
“You did and I told you I won’t stop”, Titi replied.
“Whatever”, Bidemi responded. “What do you want this time around?”
“When is your dad going to announce the name of the students to participate in the Math Olympiad?”
“If not that you’re my friend. I will say you have mental problem”, Bidemi said irritated by her friend’s question. “Were you not in the assembly hall this morning?”
“I wasn’t”, Titi replied. “You know how much I dislike assembly”.
“Since you were not there. Maybe you should go and ask the principal yourself because he already announced the names”, Bidemi said with sarcasm in her voice.
Titi stood up to leave but Bidemi immediately held her back.
“Where do you think you are going?” Bidemi asked.
“To ask your dad na”, Titi replied.
“You are nuts. You know I’m joking”, Bidemi said.
“Are you telling me or not?” she tried to break free from Bidemi’s grip.
“Okay, sit down.

. I’ll tell you”.
“Better”.
“For the junior category. Oreoluwa, Ayo and Funmi were chosen while …”
“I knew it. I know Ayo would be among”, Titi scre-med.
“Will you listen to me or not?”
“I will. Continue”.
“Senior Emmanuel, Senior Adura and Senior Perfect were selected for the senior category”.
“Thank God, senior Perfect is among”, Titi said.
“Why did you say that?” Bidemi was surprised.
“Because Adura and Emma disgraced us in the junior category two years ago. I have no faith in them”, Titi explained. “But you see senior Perfect, she is perfect. Since she joined our school while in SS1, I heard she has been doing well in math and this is the opportunity to prove herself. I also heard she participated in the Math Olympiad two years ago for her previous school”.
“Yes that’s true”, Bidemi admitted. “It was in the junior category but she didn’t make it to the finals. She was disqualified before then”.
“Yeah, my point exactly”, Titi said. “That year was the same year Emma participated and he didn’t qualify but senior Perfect did and even made it to the semifinals”.
“I see, senior Perfect is just too perfect”, Bidemi finally admitted and smiled

Episode 21

One Love*

It’s been more than a year now since Mr. Badmus proposed marriage to Esther, Mrs. Cole of which she gladly accepted. After all, it is all she every wanted. She is in love with him and ready to be with him for the rest of her life. Six months after he proposed, they got married and ever since they have lived together under Mr. Badmus roof with Bayo and Ayo
. Mrs. Cole had now become Mrs. Badmus and she liked it.
Mrs. Badmus no longer go to work as her husband did not agree to it. Mr. Badmus however equipped the shop in front of the house with provisions and gave it to her. He also promised to build a larger place for her in the heart of the city if she so wished.
On Saturdays, the couple go out together to have a nice time. Sometimes Ayo tags along but most of the time she stayed back to study. If Bayo is home for the holiday, they all go out together as a family. On this very Saturday, Mr. and Mrs. Badmus went out together as usual.
“Mom, Dad, I’m home”, Ayo called from the sitting room. She had just returned from Bukky’s house and calling on both her parents before she remembered that her Dad’s car isn’t at the garage. ‘They must have gone out but the door isn’t locked. Who could be at home?’ she thought.
“Is that Ayo?” Bayo called from upstairs

. When he heard no response, he decided to come downstairs to the sitting room where Ayo was. He found Ayo sitting on the couch.
Ayo stood up immediately she saw her stepbrother and ran into Bayo’s open arm. She was glad he was home at a time she needed him most. “I didn’t know you were coming today”, she said. “I thought you said tomorrow”.
“I wanted to surprise you”, Bayo replied. “I guess mom and dad have gone out as usual”.
“Yes”, she answered. “I’m just glad you’re home”.
Bayo smiled. “What about Bukky?”
“She’s fine. I just left her place now”.
“Okay”.
They both sat down on the couch. Judging by the looks on their faces, they seemed happy like the perfect siblings.
“When are you going for the qualification exams?” Bayo broke the silence that has ensued between them.
“Next weekend”, Ayo replied looking down.

. She has been thinking a lot and it was obvious on her face. She wasn’t sure if she would qualify for the Mathematics Olympiad.
“Sis. It’s going to be okay”, Bayo comforted her. “Uhm”, was all she could mutter. Bayo noticed she was afraid and he has come to help her become strong both academically and emotionally. He knew her weak aspect which was her speed in answering questions and with his help she has improved to some extent.
“I have come to help you sis. Just trust yourself”, Bayo advised. “It’s all you ever dreamt of so hold fast to it. Do not let it go. Believe and hope, Ayo and success shall be yours”.
“Amen. Thanks for your advice”, Ayo managed to say, then smiled.
He smiled back.

Episode 22

Battle for the chosen 54*

At exactly 7:53 on a Saturday morning, 9 students and 2 teachers arrived at the Ultimate Examination Centre (TUEC). TUEC is the venue for the Mathematics Olympiad qualification examination. The students and teachers that arrived just now are none other than from Nightingale Academy.
TUEC is a Centre owned by the state government. It has 2 large halls where students write examination and each hall can accommodate up to 2000 students at once

. It was constructed for the sole purpose of the Mathematics Olympiad. One hall for the junior students while the other for the senior students.
For the competition to run smoothly, the state was divided into 4 educational zones and more than a hundred schools are under each zone. Each schools from each zones are allowed to select six students from their school, three JSS 3 students and three SS 2 students, to write the qualification examination in the junior and senior category respectively. Every year since the beginning of Olympiad in 2011 up to a thousand students register in each category and from this number only the top 54 performing students are chosen from each category.
Ayo has never seen so much students before when she stepped into the examination hall. According to what she heard, this year is the first time the number of registered students will exceed 1000 in each category

. If she wasn’t scared before, she was now. To be among the 54 selected in more than 1000 in the junior category would be a tough task, she thought. She couldn’t help but imagine ‘What if I don’t qualify? Would I have to wait two more years when I get to SS 2? Would I be given another opportunity like senior Emma? Despite her thoughts, all she could do was hope she qualifies.
“Welcome students”, the chief invigilator said after each students in the examination hall have been given the optical mark recognition sheet (OMR) along with a question paper. “Please listen”, He paused and only continued when he was sure he has gotten the students attention. “First and foremost you are to read the instructions on the question paper carefully. Then, on the OMR sheet, you write your name, the name of your school and your examination number in the spaces provided. Mind you, make use of a pencil to write all these”.
“Now”, the chief invigilator continued raising a sample of the OMR sheet. “You shade the correct answer with the use of a pencil on this. Erase completely any answer you wish to change. Do not…”
Ayo had heard this plenty of times from Bayo, Perfect and Bidemi. It has now become a memory verse for her. She awaited the last instruction, ‘start’. She saw the chief invigilator check his wristwatch, take a look at the students and 20 other invigilators in the hall and said the word she was waiting for.
50 minutes into the examination, Ayo raised her hand.
“Yes, what is it?” a female invigilator asked on seeing her hand raised.
“I have finished with my work ma”, Ayo replied and attempted to move out of her seat.
“Go through your work again”, the invigilator instructed and checked her wrist watch. “You still have about 40 minutes left.

. So have a sit”.
“I already did ma”.
“Okay how about you check one more time. You never know which mistakes you might have made. Moreover, I can’t let you leave until you have spent an hour”, the invigilator said. “Besides how come you manage to answer hundred questions in 40 minutes?”
Ayo sat back and looked in silence. She was surprised herself. It seems she’s faster than she thought she was or the questions were so cheap. The invigilator left her to attend to another student.
“Excuse me ma”, Ayo called the invigilator again just after 5 minutes she left.
“You want to submit right?” she asked when she was now in front of Ayo. “Since you are so eager to submit go there”, she said pointing in the direction of a table near the exit.
Ayo took her belongings and went forward to where the chief invigilator was sitting, a table in front of him. When she got there, the man just pointed to a portion of the table. Ayo took the cue that she should put her OMR sheet there which she hurriedly did and stepped out of the examination hall almost immediately. When she got outside she sighed and was rest assured to be among the chosen few and she could equally say the same about her classmates.

Tbc