Today was not funny for me at all, it just has to be one of the worst days I’ve faced in a very long while.
My exam was slated to start by 3 PM and I was already working with that in mind. I put things in order so that by the time I’m ready to leave, there’ll be nothing that’ll delay me. Moreover, there’s nothing much for me to do. I don’t have a lot of chores, so I simply have to get my writing materials ready for me so that I don’t forget them on my way out. That was my plan as I waited for the clock to strike at 2:30 PM so I would get on the road.
Apparently, Mother Nature had other plans.
I did a little bit of reading as I waited, and also did some work as well. However, sometime around past one, I noticed that the air had grown a bit chilly than usual. It was too cool considering how we were in the afternoon. When I walked out to my balcony to investigate, I saw that dark clouds were gathering. Rain was on the horizon.
If I had gotten on the road at that moment, I might have missed all the troubles I went through. But I stayed back, thinking that it won’t fall until later in the day. How wrong I was! As if on cue, the rain began to fall by two on the dot! It came in hard and it came in fast! But there was still time, so I wasn’t bothered.
Thirty minutes went by and the fear began to seep in that staying back might not have been the smartest decision to make. The rain was nonstop, it kept thundering into the cemented floor and it was all I could hear. As the time raced on toward the hour, I could feel myself begin to get really jittery. I couldn’t put it past our lecturers to begin the exam despite the rain. The exam was to begin by 3 and end by 6, any delay would mean being there by past 6. None of them would want to be in the school longer than they should.
Eventually, with just ten minutes to spare, I forced myself to get out. Before leaving though, I wore a hoody and leather cap to protect my face from the rain. My phone and stationeries were in the pockets of my hoodie. I prayed severely that I would find a bike to take me to school.
When I got out, I realized that while it was still raining, it was no longer as heavy. It was that kind of rain that falls like a drizzle, but five minutes in it will still drench you to the bone. A very sneaky rain because you won’t even notice you’re being drenched.
I had no choice though, I was tired of waiting and I had to get to my exam hall if I was going to sit my paper.
I didn’t find a bike, and even worse, the road was filled up with flood. It was basically impossible to move without dipping your legs into the water. However, the people of this community were kind enough to erect some stone-like structures that we could step on to avoid the water.
And that was how I began to hurry to school. If you had seen me, you’d have thought I was an assassin in a movie what with my hoodie and face cap. Nothing mattered to me except getting to school. However, with the flood and having to pick my step all through the journey, I got there later than I should have. And the exam was already underway.
As I said, they didn’t wait!
I wasn’t that late though, I only walked in ten minutes after they started so I didn’t miss much on time. I settled down but was really uncomfortable because of my drenched clothes. The exam hall was on the first floor of a three-story building, so the wind was something else entirely. I took off the hoodie and spread it over one of the doors to air out. Thankfully, my shirt underneath was dry enough and I managed it. The invigilator said nothing at all as I spread out the hoodie, what was he going to say? There was nothing I could do with the wet cloth.
I settled to begin my exam, but my pen started acting up! The wet hoodie messed with the ink and it kept breaking. And you probably know just how frustrating a pen that doesn’t write well can be. It wasn’t for long though, after a few minutes, it got back to its sense and I started writing!
My ordeal affected my flow, but I still made it work. This exam could have gone better for me if not that I went through all that stress. I have no one to blame though but myself, if I left the house that minute I saw the clouds turn dark, I would have gotten to school in time and I would never have been drenched.
However, all is well that ends well. Despite everything, the exam ended on a good note and for that I’m grateful. It took a while, but I eventually found my flow and I was able to answer the questions.
The exams I’ve been writing this semester have been teaching me a lot of things I didn’t really know about myself, and finding out all this is a process I’ve been enjoying so far. I can’t help but look forward to more to come.
