Image source; was generated through meta AI by myself.
I couldn't describe how overly excited I was when Mrs. Becky announced in class of a two day conference that would take place in Lagos. Three students in each class, who scored the highest in the forth coming quiz will be chosen to represent the Grace Land College in the next one week.
Growing up in the rural area, my parents sent me to the boarding school in another state. I have heard stories of the big city, Lagos. The sky scrappers, traffic jams, the bustling atmosphere, busy markets, and yellow buses, I wanted to experience all of them. I have always dreamed of traveling to Lagos and I have finally found a chance to do so.
The quiz will take place in the next three days while the trip will be in the next five days. As one of the top five students in my class, I can see the chances of me scoring a high point in the quiz. During the break, the siesta and the sports time, I would spend the whole time with my friends who would gist me about different happenings in the city of Lagos.
Adeola, my good friend, grew up in Ikeja, Lagos. I wouldn't mind going on this trip with her so she could show me the directions of her house, her dad's law firm, and her mother's boutique store. I wished we would be trapped in the traffic so I can buy 'kuli kuli' for Peju, my bunkmate. I had earlier promised to bring her something from Lagos. Sarah had once told me of the delicious ice cream traders do hawk under the hot sun in the traffic. I wished I would have a taste of that too.
"Are you busy?" Stephen's whispers brought me back to reality.
"Huh!" I stared in shock.
"Hey! We are in prep, what are you thinking about?
"Nothing, I'm reading." I lied.
"There's not even a book on your table, you keep staring at the ceiling."
"That's because I was cramming."
"Cramming what? Cramming for tommorow's quiz?
"Stop with all these questioning. What do you want."
"Errmm, I heard there will be calculations for the quiz tomorrow so I wanted to borrow your second calculator. Mine stopped working."
"Who told you that there will be calculations?
"Marvelous, she was in the staff room earlier."
If it's a quiz, then there should be questions on English Language and General Knowledge too.
"Rema! He whispered softly.
"What do you say?
"The calculator."
"It's inside the hostel, I will bring it to class tomorrow.
"Thank you." Stephen whispered and continued his reading.
I continued reading my novel. I was supposed to read but ignored that thought. "I need to return this novel to Patience tommorow."
The next day begins at the assembly group where the principal announced that the quiz competition will be taking place by 12 noon. I became slowly intensified with worry and anxiety. We wrote the quiz by 12 and just as Stephen had said, there were more questions with calculations than English and other subjects. I answered the questions to the best of my knowledge.
"Rema, do you want to join us at the basketball game on Saturday? Alice, the head of our basketball team asked me.
"No, I won't be around." I answered immediately.
"Why? Are you feeling sick?
"No, you know the conference the school is going for this weekend."
"Ohh...you are among?
"Yes." I answered confidently.
The next day came, and I anticipated the result to come out. During the break time, our class captain came into the class the announce that the quiz result for each class has been pasted on the notice board. Fear gripped me as I hurried the stairs with my friends to check the list.
"Yes! Yes! I'm going to Lagos." Stephen jumpes in excitement. I didn't have enough confidence to look at the notice board.
"Rema," Adeola shouted my name. "You are number 4."
"Stephen is number 3, Adeola, number 2 and Michael, number 1." One of our classmates read aloud. I walked back to my class in sadness. I was preoccupied with the excitement of going to Lagos that i didn't take my time to prepare for the quiz. I put my head on the desk and cried softly. Some of my mates begin to whisper behind me. I'm sure they will be making jest of my by now. Adeola came to sit beside me to console me.
"Another chance will come." She whispers with a smile.