Part Thirty-Seven (Surprise surprise!)

                                    

                                          

Part Thirty-Seven 
                          
NNENNA'S POV
                          
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I was talking and laughing with Dinma and Umma, about Dinma's misfortune in the exam hall. She was complaining that she couldn't answer four complete questions that we were expected to write in the Biology theory section.
                          
She managed to complete three questions only, that she wasn't able to answer all the questions. I felt a little bad for her, but three questions out of four is still a pass mark. Besides, our teacher Ogbonna told her that it wouldn't fail her, only if she's certain of the three answers she rendered. 
                          
We were headed to the school canteen to spend the short break we had, before we go in for Biology objective questions. There's no need to continue stressing ourselves to read, we've written the most part of the subject, the objective would just be a walkover. 
                          
"Nawa oo, I no know the type of witch wey follow me enter this exam today. In fact, when I get home today I'm fasting and praying till tomorrow." Dinma complained, waving her arms around for emphasis. 
                          
"That's rich my dear. Forget all those fears they will put inside us about WAEC, one thing is that... students hardly fail biology exams." Umma advised looking directly at Dinma, who's standing in adjacent direction to her. 
                          
"What do you mean?" I asked.
                          
"What I mean is...excuse us please," she tapped a junior student that was standing in our way "Biology is living science and is a subject that's more concerned with correct spellings and proper labellings. Even though someone should answer all four questions from each section, but the person got so many spellings wrong, that's inevitably going to be a poor result." 
                          
"Yeah that's true." Dinma confirmed by nodding her head. 
                          
What Umma said reminded me of why our biology teacher always sounded as a warning, that we should always put into consideration our spellings and drawings. I'm glad that I didn't write down any spelling I wasn't sure of, and every label I made was on one side of the diagram. 
                          
"At least now that you know, you'll be more careful during the practical exam." Umma said, before we walked into the canteen. 
                          
As usual, the place was crowded with students. Sometimes I wonder how junior students could afford the money to buy food from the school. I always thought they came to buy one or two snacks and drinks, until I saw lots of them consistently carrying cellophane bags with food pack. 
                          
It was as shocking as it was difficult for me to believe. When I was in junior year, I don't buy food in my former school. To buy snacks was a rare case for me, and that was when my dad was still alive. When he died, we had to cut on our expenses. The house we had lived in in Ikeja was not easy to maintain coupled with three kids. Mother used to work in a big spa as a manicurist and earned merger salary, income rarely enough to keep up. 
                          
With the huge amount of money paid to keep my siblings and I in school, she realized she wouldn't be able to manage the house and all the expenses that came with taking care of three children and herself. After that term, she made the decision to leave the city. I was aware of the move beforehand of course, and I didn't like it but I could do nothing. Except I chose to be a dropout and a vagabond. 
                          
"That's why I hate coming to this canteen, there's always a queue and a crowd." Umma complained, loud for us to hear. 
                          
"No, there are lots of people here now because the other students are on break period. Don't you see lots of junior uniforms scattered over the place?" Dinma pointed out before making herself comfortable on an unoccupied chair.