Chapter 104: The Scary Scales Gave mom some Scare

***SCARY SCALES GAVE MOM SOME SCARE***

The scary scales on my body persisted until even after our WAEC. exams. Oh yeah, it was after the exams that what seem to be the real trouble of my life started. Mom found out about my swimming adventure, oh! How much that broke her poor heart. The problem was not only that mom found out about the swimming or anything, but it was also the things that followed her knowing that Is the real trouble.

I remember vividly, it was on Saturday, the day that we had our last exam paper, I woke up very early but did not leave the room till almost 8:AM, I just lay on my bed staring out of the window, watching the time all fly, oh I love how secondary-hood elapses in a motion ѕo slow, it was going to be a new day tomorrow, today marks the end of WAEC exam sorrow. I wish I could borrow a little Joy from my free morrow. Oh, A fresh start tomorrow, the journey of a JAMBITE will start again. Though I've always anticipated this stage of life, but deep down in my heart I was afraid, yes, I was afraid of leaving this comfort zone of the secondary hood, because I knew that leaving secondary hood means growing up, and I was one among the insignificant number that was afraid of growing. But it's a sure thing that as the ѕcarѕ of Secondary fades a fresh the journey of life will definitely come to be, the journey of higher education, staying outside the caring eyes of mom, everything will become more tense and severe. 

"Oh God, my steps may you lead, aѕ the journey proceeds and aѕ I ѕay goodbye to exams tomorrow, please lead me through the next level gracefully."

This I said in the middle of the mountains of thousands of thoughts in my head. Mom didn't go to work today, so I left her at home as we write for the Biology exam which was the last for us the Science students. According to mom, she was going to have a cleanup in the house. That's my mom for you, she has this restless personality, even when she is not working she is still working.

So, we left her at home in good health for the exam. As usual, the exams were easy because we already knew what was going to be set for the exams so we read based on that. But though, there was this boy who almost got me into trouble, thanks to my newly acquired lie skills which always come to me as a defensive mechanism I was able to elude the problem. 

His name was James, James Madaki. He bought the area of concentration from me, and instead of him going to study those areas he rather went and copy the topics out to use it for exam malpractice also known as (omo kirikiri) in my school. 

So, during exams, an invigilator came to me and asked me to get up which I did, then another one followed him up with James alongside him, immediately I saw James I felt weak, instantly I started regretting why I had to sell that to Jim, I know him true well, he was almost like Bright, just that he was not a bully like Bright.

"Now bring it all out."

So the invigilator said to me. He was an external invigilator, we do not know him from the school. The man had these scary and big watchful eyes.

"I said bring them all out, or, are you deaf?."

He added.

"I'm sorry, what am I to bring out sir?"

I asked playing the confused kid.

"Search him sir, and the rest of you stand up."

The man said to the other invigilator who came with James, and he also asked the two boys and a girl who sat in the same row as me to stand up. Without much time spent, my answer script, question paper, my pocket, and desk had already been turned upside down. My shirt was untucked but they seem to find nothing on me, they did the same to the boys but they only searched the girl's desk, no one touched her. Gender discrimination you were to ask me. Now after all these had been done I asked the invigilators with anger pain all over my face like someone being mistreated for no just course.

"What could possibly be the meaning of this sir? Why are we being harassed in such an unspeakable way? Without any explanation, you came harassing us and causing us unnecessary delay, what could be the reason behind this?"

I spoke with much courage that I almost felt that the external invigilators felt intimidated. 

"You said he gave you these papers and yet we can't find a single trace on him or anyone sitting near him"

The man asked James who seemed rather dumbfounded at the moment.

"He. He... But he..."

He stammered, and to my surprise, almost all the students spoke for me, Charity was the first that spoke, she said.

"That James that is confused is the person that they are listening to."

Followed by Chinwe and Cynthia who sat on the same row, they said in unison

"Sir dont mind that James, he is a dull student and a terrible liar."

Then everyone that u had sold to also sided me saying.

"We know Damian, he doesn't do such."

And many other students joined in speaking for my defense, this was something I have never gotten to enjoy before now. I love this place a lot, I love Abuja, and this is my school. I never knew that I, Damian is ever-lovable, but here made me see that I am and even more. At this juncture, the invigilator apologized to me saying that it was a little misunderstanding and that we may now sit and continue your writing. But though we sat and continued, but before that, I made sure that I made it clear that we were to be added the time that was wasted and the invigilator agreed. 

There was a huge jubilation after the exams, many students were just jumping and shouting pouring water on each other, many students kept breaking their pens and tossing them away while others tore their uniforms. Well, I and the Super Cee sat together discussing life after Secondary school. Well, mom and Aunty Paula had already started making plans on how I and Cynthia will go to the same higher institution. So, I had nothing to worry about missing my Cynthia, but the others were worried, we are all going to miss each other, but in the meantime, we are still around, though I dont know where the girls stay, but Cynthia do, and they also know Cynthia's place, which automatically means that it won't be hard to locate me too.

After everything in school, I and Cynthia went home feeling super excited. My excitement ended as soon as I opened the door to our house. When I got to the door, I pressed on the electronic doorbell, I pressed on it severally without any response, so I decided to try to open the door, and noticed the door was open? That was strange, we never leave the door unlocked before, actually, mom made the rules.