Chapter 2 The results

The SS3 students' results were out a week before the close of the third term. Ifes and the other SS3 students used their scratch cards to check their results online. Some of their results were outstanding, while the rest of them were just average. No one got below the average mark.

Ifesinachi's result stood out, tall and shiny like a beacon upon a hill, among the rest. Out of nine written subjects, she got seven A1's and two B2's. Another student that came close was a female science student who got six A1's, two B2's and one C5.

"Mummy! Mummy! Mum, where are you?" Ifes excitedly called out to her mum as she entered the compound gate.

Ifes saw her father coming out as she approached the door of her living room.

"Come and give Daddy the good news!" Ifesinachi's father, Mr Ifaeanyi smiled, spreading out his hands, inviting his daughter for a hug.

"Daddy!" Ifes happily ran into her father's arms.

Her father whirled her around before dropping her gently. He glanced at the white envelope she was holding in her right hand. "Let's see what my baby has inside that envelope."

"Not yet," she said, dangling the envelope away from his curious grasp. "Why are you back early today from work?" Ifes looked at her dad questioningly.

"Because I want to share in my baby's joy." Ifeanyi tipped his daughter's chin with his index finger.

Ifes blushed shyly. "But you haven't even seen the results and you're saying you want to share in my joy."

"Well, in case you have forgotten, let me remind you that I am your father, and I know what my Princess can do." Ifeanyi put his arm around his daughter's shoulders. "So, can I see what is inside that white envelope?"

"No way!" Ifes jerked away, hiding the envelope behind her. "Mum will see it first!" Ifes said jokingly.

"But I saw you first," Ifeanyi said, pointing to himself. "I should also see the result first as well."

"No! Catch me first." Ifes gave a sly smile and started running away from her dad.

"You children nowadays. I will show you that I can run faster than Usain Bolt!" Mr Ifeanyi said with laughter in his voice as he flexed his muscles in preparation for running.

Ifes and Ifeanyi started running around the compound, panting and laughing. They practically ran around the compound building, the trees and even her father's commercial bus. She increased her speed when her dad got close to grabbing her.

Before she challenged her father to the race, she believed that her dad would get tired and quit running after her at some point, then she would emerge as the winner.

Unfortunately, things weren't working as planned. She was the one getting tired, but she still didn't want to quit so her dad wouldn't be the winner. She had started it, and she would end it anyhow.

"Hey! Hey! Do you want to kill my daughter?" Mrs Oluebube bellowed when she saw them through the open window.

"Oh, God! God! Thank you!" Ifes exclaimed happily in her heart and winked at her dad.

Ifeanyi smiled as his gaze met his wife who was now coming towards them.

"What is happening here?" Oluebube asked, her eyes flickering from her daughter to her husband. As she came closer, her eyes glanced down at the envelope in Ifesinachi's hAnd then she got the message.

"I told Daddy I was going to show you the results first. I love you so much Dad." Ifes went close to her dad handing him the envelope. "You and Mum should take a look at it together, I love you two so much!" Ifes beamed with so much passion in her eyes, then turned around and walked into the house.

On the graduation day, there were several performances by the students and even the graduates weren't left out. Cultural dance performance, drama, choreography and mime, song presentations, lots of speeches, both the boring and the lively, garnished the occasion.

The dress code for the graduates was a black suit and complementary navy blue tie. The other students were given the liberty to wear any cloth of their choice. The students took the advantage of wearing mufti to the graduation party to show off the best they had in their closets. Shoes like Balenciaga, Louboutin, Phyllis, Nike and Alexander McQueen shoes were all on display, though most of them were not straight out of the manufacturing line of these designer labels.

Ifes and three other SS3 students received most of the awards. She was the youngest graduating student among her set, having graduated at the age of fifteen. The other award-winning students were seventeen and eighteen years old respectively. Ifesinachi's six years in secondary school was indeed a success.

The SS3 students exchanged contacts after the graduation party. Ifes didn't have a phone at that time, so she wrote down all the contact numbers in her diary. They said emotional goodbyes to each other since they were going to be scattered to different universities nationwide, and most of them would probably be seeing each other for the last time.

Ifes had 255 out of 400 as her jamb score, and she had chosen University of Port Harcourt as her first choice university.

Two weeks after Ifesinachi's graduation, her parents woke her up in the early hours of the morning. It wasn't a surprise to Ifes that her parents called her so early. The first child of Nigerian parents should always expect such calls once in a blue moon at least.

"Good morning Mum and Dad," Ifes greeted.

"Good morning dear. How was your night?" Ifesinachi's mother asked.

"My night was great, thanks."

"Sit down," her father said, gesturing towards a plastic chair.

She sat on the seat adjacent to her parents.

"Ifes, we want to discuss something important with you."

Ifeanyi leaned forward.

"First, let me start by saying that as your parents, we are proud of you and your siblings. Your mother and I appreciate God for bringing you our children into our lives."

Ifeanyi inhaled and exhaled slowly. She could already guess where this conversation was leading.

"We know you've been a great assistance to your mother in her paper business, but we would like you to consider taking up a job of your own, so you can save some money to add up for your university education."

Despite the fact that he earned low income out of his commercial driving work, Mr Ifeanyi made sure his children went to one of the most quality and expensive schools in Awka. He felt bad having such a conversation with his daughter but it was necessary, and Ifes understood.

"Please excuse me. I'll be back soon." Ifes stood from her seat, trotted to the room she shared with her sister. Soon after, her parents saw her coming out of the room with a small wooden box in hand.

Her parents were dumbfounded as they watched her bring out money from the box. She smiled when she saw the perplexed look on their faces.

"Don't be afraid. I didn't steal the money."

Her parents gave her the look that read, "Why should we not be afraid?"

Ifes went on to explain that she'd been saving from the pocket money they gave her in secondary school. Though they were amused that their daughter saved money without their notice, their minds were at peace after they gained knowledge of the source of her money. She decided to use the money to trade bottled and sachet water.

Around 7:00am that same day, Ifes bathed and got dressed for the market.

"All the best, my dear." Her mother held her emotionally and gave her a purse that she would use in keeping her money, and a medium sized transparent one with which she used to carry the bottled and sachet water on her head.

As she whirled around to leave for the market, her mother held her hands from the back. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. I can talk to your father about this. We can look for other alternatives."

Ifes knew the emotional part of her mother was getting the best of her, so she flashed her mother a cherry smile. "I will not allow you to spoil my first day in business. Don't worry, I will buy Okpa for you when I come back and Abacha for myself."

Ifes looked straight into her mother's eyes. Mrs Oluebube quickly looked away to hide the tears that were now threatening to come out.

"Are you crying?" Ifes asked.

"N–no! I am not!" A sniff was heard.

Ifes gave her the look that read, "Are you sure?"

Her mother let out a bleak laugh. "Yes, of course!"

Oluebube watched as her daughter disappeared out of sight, then she buried her face in her hands and wept bitterly.

Ifesinachi's first day in her business came with its challenges, but she was successful. Market men, women and even people that came to buy patronized her. The wheelbarrow pushers patronized her the most since they were always working directly under the sun.

Despite knowing that the price of sachet water had increased to ten naira, some people still priced it for five naira. Nigerians could be very daring at times.

-----

The following week.

"Oga, no be like that I dey sell am oo," Ifes politely replied to the man who wanted to buy her bottled water for a lower price in Nigerian pidgin English.

"Oya, dey go na." The man hissed and looked away.

Ifes took up her pan of water and started to walk away from the rather rude man, but she abruptly stopped when something caught her attention. She tossed her pan on the ground, brushed her palm across her face and re-read the poster carefully.

To be sure her eyes weren't playing pranks on her, she went closer to read the poster again, eyes widening to a reasonably large radius for proper viewing.

A scholarship to study at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States of America!

Without giving it a second thought, Ifes took note of all the details on the poster and bolted to a cyber cafe to fill the form. She felt happy after filling the form because they were about to close the entry for the scholarship exam. As the exam date drew closer, Ifes studied frantically, with a determination in her heart to give it her best shot.

On the appointed day for the exam, Ifes got to the venue and was intimidated by the large number of students, some with thick glasses that made them look super intelligent and others with their heads buried in books, who came for the same purpose as her. The students started entering the exam hall according to their state's alphabets.

Starting from Abia, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom and Ifesinachi's state, Anambra. Other states like Bauchi, Bayelsa Benue, Borno down to Zamfara state followed suit.

Ifes put in her best and prayed to God for favour. Exactly one month later, the result was released.