A NEW BEGINNING

 

I had studied all through the night whilst watching TV– I chuckle now at the level of my stupidity– and was confident that I could answer any question the next day. On seeing the question paper that day, in the exam hall, I had a mini heart attack. Everything I'd read– more like crammed– had suddenly vamoosed, disappeared, vanished!

I stared at the paper for good forty minutes, not knowing what to write. When time ran out, I submitted. While walking out of the hall, I remembered I didn't write my name on the paper. Well fuck shit! It's not like I wrote anything in the exam. I walked out of the hall, squeezing the question paper and dropping it in the bin. I didn't need a constant reminder of my failure.

Getting home, I was bombarded with questions from both my parents; “How was the test? Was it okay?”

I felt like they were mocking me. They knew I always failed  my exams, yet they'd keep asking.

“Fine,” I mumbled and ran upstairs and slammed the door to my room.

I couldn't believe I failed this exam; Mathematics, for that matter!

I had English the next day, by 10:00 am.

Oh well...

* * *

As I lay on my bed in the darkness, later that night, only one thing ran through my mind; this is my only shot and I will make good use of it. By sunrise, we rise, attack and conquer. There's no stopping it. This is war, and I'll go all out.

By morning, I did something that had never happened in the history of NELSON HIGH SCHOOL– I went to the library to read. An olodo going to the library to read.

Quite impressive, if you asked me.

Even the librarian gave me the look. I shrugged and went to sit down. Opening my English textbook, I didn't know what to read. It was English after all, what's there to read? Comprehension passages? Essays? I took out my note and went through all the assignments. I heard someone cough. Turning, I noticed a few girls laughing and pointing in my direction. I raised an eyebrow and they smirked. Well, smirk on bitches, this babe is about to ace her English test!

The next few hours I went through my book, over and over. The bell rang, signalling that it was time for the exam. I ran to the hall and said a short prayer before the exam began.

When I went through the question this time, I smiled. Reading without distractions was actually worth it. And so, writing down everything I remembered, I submitted even before the time was up.

After the exam, I made a resolve to read everyday, no matter how little. Smiling in satisfaction, I  said to myself, 

“This is a new me. This is a new beginning.”

©Ugly duckling.