EXAMS.
'' Omo, pass me the paper na,'' she whispered fiercely. '' Why you too dey do me-me-me first tins?''
Omo glanced at her and made a please-have-patience gesture with her eyes. She scowled, checking her Hubolt for the time.
Thirty minutes left.
She looked around the exam hall. To her left was Pastor Sunday, She hissed at him. They called him Pastor because when it comes to exam runs, the dude is mean as a pitbull with a sore throat. He has an extremely high IQ but never helps out when you ask him. He won't even let you copy from a distance, his arm was always covering his answer sheet.
Directly in front of her was Fadilat, but she was as useful as a sweater on a hot June afternoon. She had the IQ of a boiled egg and her handwriting was so terrible that you could go blind trying to decipher her scrawls. Whisperers said she used her body to her advantage. Mark, the class clown used to say '' na toto power she dey use pass since 100 level o. I for call am bottom power but she no get yansh.''
To her left was Omo aka Chukuli mistress. She had sat next to her for a reason, her cheating prowess was unrivalled throughout the department. There was no tactic she hasn't employed. From 'Laptop' to 'Palmtop', from tiny pieces of paper stuck in her waistband or rolled into her sleeves. To 'Desktop' scrawlings on the desk she sat and once, she even used Blackboard-top. And the fat invigilator didn't even notice. Shekina!
She turned to look behind her(after checking to make sure Mrs. Ewuere wasn't fixing her 'winch' eyes on her,) Vincent was behind her. An average fellow who has never had a carry over. She turned her head away, he wasn't bright enough for her to break her neck copying from.
''Omo, please nah.'
She looked annoyed. ''I dey come, abeg.''
God, she whispered. I must not carry over this one o. Not in my final year.
She stared at the question again, cursing the old hag who set the questions. Na witchcraft be dis no be exam, she muttered to herself.
She twirled her pen between her thumbs, cursing everyone and everything. Cursing herself for not preparing her own expo, cursing Omo for being so selfish, cursing ASUU for not announcing an impromptu strike, thereby leading to the postponement of the exams, cursing Boko Haram for not making a bomb threat.....
'' Ten minutes more,''
The invigilator's voice jolted her. She hadn't realised how quickly time had flown. In panic, she looked towards Omo, and hardly realising what she was doing, she reached out and snatched the paper Omo was hiding between her answer sheets and copying from.
'' You there, what is that?''
She looked back, towards the direction of the voice. Omo, too, looked back and the eyes of both girls widened in horror. The H.O.D was standing eight paces away.
The paper fell from her hand, she shuffled her feet to step on it, but Omo's feet had also instinctively moved to do the same. Both girl's ankles knocked against each other. They winced.
'' Both of you,'' the H.O.D pointed. '' Pick that paper and come with me.''
She picked the paper and moved ahead of Omo. Her heart was calm. Resignation and an eerie peace descended on her.
Shebi na only she want pass, she said to herself. Now we go see how she go do am. Me no fear anything. My yansh big pass Fadilat own.
E.H. David.
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