SCHOOL LIFE AND GRADUATION

The final year exams brings anxiety and apprehension to even the most brilliant student. Those were the words of Professor Richard Akpan in his last lecture with 400 level students of the department of pure and applied chemistry, University of Calabar.


I am rushing down the departmental block to meet up with my colleagues in the chemistry laboratory for the last practical session of the semester and of my life as a university undergraduate. It is one week to our final year exams and we are all prepped up, everybody wants to leave this school system.

“Immanuella okon! Where have you been these days? I have not been seeing you” Dr Udoji says as he bumps into me at the hallway.

“I have been around sir, been preparing for final exams”

“Oh I trust you to squash it as always!” he said with a beaming smile.

“I hope so too sir!”

“Immanuella come here I need your help on this project” Dr mrs Davidson my year 2 industrial chemistry lecturer calls out to me as i walk pass her office.

“Sorry ma, I am on my way to a practical right now. I’ll see you when I am through” I responded.

“Hello Immanuella! Two female students standing at the entrance of the hall wave at me. I wave back at them. They are the Year 3 students I helped out with an assignment last week.

I am used to getting attention from everyone but sometimes it unnerves me.

There is no hiding place for a goldfish in a bowl. You are on a first name basis with everybody when you are the best student both in your class and in the whole faculty. Everybody wants to identify with you; lecturers, students etc. I am a good natured girl and I am free with everybody. My Cgpa for last semester was 4.82 points. Everybody knows that I will be graduating with a first class degree. I have even heard hushed talks about the Dean of the faculty of science wanting to retain me as a lecturer in the faculty. I have not given serious thoughts to it yet. Those are mere distractions.

Finally I have entered the laboratory. I can see my colleagues waiting for the lecturer to turn up. They are all in their lab coats this reminds me to remove mine from the big bag hanging on my shoulder.

”Immanuella thank God you are here now. I have reserved a seat for you, come over here!” Lanre cajoles me.
“Thank you Lanre but I am still angry with you over yesterday. Let my anger simmer down. Where the heck is Susan? I want to sit with her.

Susan is waving at me. She is on the second row and there’s an empty seat besides her. I rush to her side.

A female student turns around and looks at me as I take the seat. She frowns at me, i frown back and she looks away. She is a dark complexioned girl with a round face. She is wearing a purple chiffon top, her short shirt has a small slit at the back. Her ears are decorated with long striped earrings. Her lab coat is on top of the desk.

The girl is Njideka Victor Okoro. Njideka is my rival. We have been in stern competition for the top spot right from year one. Njideka is brilliant no doubt, she is presently on a cgpa of 4.5 and she is next in line to me. We are barely on talking terms.

Njideka envies me. I am more beautiful than her and she knows it. I am the one that gets all the attention from guys in this faculty. Who wouldn’t be attracted to me with my dark curly hair, light skinned complexion, small aquiline nose, seductive blue eyes, lips that curve into a warm smile, a slender curvy body with long legs. I am not self obsessed or proud. I am only appreciating myself because I know the truth about myself. Njideka has a selfish and manipulative character which makes her a turn off to everybody no wonder she has very few friends in this school.


The genesis of our rivalry can be traced to our very first titration practical in the old science laboratory in year one. All the students were grouped into groups of 10 members. Njideka and i found ourselves in the same group. We discovered out that we were the only ones who knew what the whole titration experiment was about. The other eight members of the group were just there to make up the numbers and to copy the final results. We had a disagreement over the formula of finding the Titre value.

My calculation was right; Volume of titrant divided by weight of sample. Her calculation was wrong. The other members of the group went along with my value while she stuck to her guns. When our scripts were marked and returned she found out that she was indeed wrong. From that day she turned herself into my enemy. I have tried mending fences with her all to no avail.

Mr Luke Eyo the lecturer has arrived and we are about to begin the Briggs Rauscher catalyzation reaction experiment.

Mr Luke is a good friend of mine. He has been with the department of chemistry for just one year and he is currently studying for his doctorate degree in this school. Luke is a handsome young bachelor. All the girls in this class have at one point in time or the other had crushes on him. Even myself I have not being an exception. I like him because he is a professional. He does not abuse his position as a lecturer by having illicit affairs with his female students. Mr Luke sometimes shows signs of affection for me. This has further fuelled Njideka’s jealousy. She has tried everything to get his attention.

Njideka claims to be a born again Christian but I know she is a hypocrite. I have caught her once smooching a guy under the almond tree during Miss Chemistry pageant night in year three.

The practical is over! It has been hugely successful and we are streaming out of the laboratory.

I am walking with Susan and we are heading to her room to eat and to relax.
Susan is my best friend and I love her to pieces! She is the one that fights all my battles on this campus, she protects my interests. She is the only one person in this Unical that understands me. Yes she is not on good terms with Njideka either. We read and study together and I coach her on grey areas. I help her out with our assignments and term papers. Over the past three years that we have been friends she has really improved in academically. She will be graduating with a good second class lower degree. Susan’s dad is a wealthy business tycoon and I know for sure we have offices waiting for us after graduation in his several companies!

The exams timetable has been released and there is a huge crowd in front of the notice board. The Final exams are finally here.

It has been two weeks of reading like a jackass, enduring sleepless nights trying to maintain the straight A’s in all my seven courses just to make that first class degree and topple all opposition on the way. God has been faithful! We are now graduates now awaiting our results.

It is clear that the department and faculty want to retain me as a lecturer after my youth service. The school will sponsor my post graduate degree. I have had a long talk with the Hod and I have asked him to let me speak to my parents to get their consent. I have seen Njideka all over the place lobbying lecturers. She wants to be retained too and I know she stands a good chance of being retained. Her result is excellent; a 4.5 Cgpa.
I can’t see myself working in the same office with Njideka. She might even harm me out of her envy. Susan’s dad has offered me a managerial position in his manufacturing company. Susan has been pestering me to take it.

Our convocation is one week away. The convocation ceremony will be conducted for three batches and we are lucky to have finished just in time to make it to the list.

Finally i have been given a notice that I will give the valedictory speech as the best graduating student in the 2013/2014 session. My cgpa of 4.82 has been unrivaled!

It is graduation eve, we are here in the store house to take delivery of our convocation gowns. We are in a boisterous mood, everybody is beaming with smiles. Who wouldn’t smile after successfully passing through the stress of University of Calabar?
I am surprised to see Njideka moving towards my direction brimming with smiles. What is she up to?


“Hi immanuella, what’s up? How are you doing? She says to me. I turned and to Susan and we exchange suspicious looks.

“I am fine, it is good to see you here” I replied cautiously.
“I heard you are the Valedictorian, Congrats babe! I can’t wait to hear you read your valedictory speech tomorrow” she says.

“Im a bit nervous Njideka”
“Don’t worry girl, it is going to be alright” she pats me on the back and moves on to greet a group of fellow students.



“Susan why is Njideka acting so friendly all of a sudden? What is she planning?”.

“Nuella I think she has realized that you’ve beaten her fair and square. She has seen that there is no point in carrying grudges from school to the outside world”.
“I guess so too, I am happy for her”.



It is graduation day and we are all sitting under the various canopies on the convocation ground decked in our navy blue graduation gowns. Photographers are having a field day snapping photos, musical groups are performing in the background, I have never seen such large crowd in my life. Dignitaries from all over the country are present in this ceremony.

I sit in the front row waiting for that joyous moment to give the valedictory speech. My parents and two brothers are sitting somewhere in the canopy reserved for guests. They are very proud of me.

“Let me see your speech” Njideka whispers to me. 
I think she has turn over a new leaf, her recent behavior is a sharp departure from her past.

I hand over the black file I was holding to her. The speech was inside the file, three A4 pages. I intend to keep it short and simple.

“Wow this is a lovely speech Immanuella” Njideka said as she pores over the writeup.

Ladies and gentlemen let us welcome the best graduating student for the session with a Gpa of 4.82 to give her valedictory speech. Put your hands together for Miss Imanuella Okon! The Master of ceremony announced in his baritone voice.



The applause is rapturous. My colleagues are all up on their feet giving me a standing ovation. The sound of the clapping of hands resounds round the venue.

Njideka quickly hands the file over to me and I gingerly stand up and take some swaggerlicious steps to the podium. This is the best day of my life.
I wait for the applause to die down as I open the file.



The file is empty! My speech has just been removed. I am totally shocked. Everywhere is quiet as everybody is waiting to listen to the voice of this brilliant 23 years old girl.



The devious Njideka has removed the speech. This is the ultimate embarrassment. I have to come up with an impromptu speech as soon as possible.



“Your excellency President Goodluck Jonathan the visitor of the university ably represented by the minister of Education Dr Princewill Ekpon.…………….please permit me to stand on existing protocol.....l”



I gaze into the crowd I can see Njideka with a mocking smile on her face, her eyes are glistening. She is laughing at my embarrassment. I should have known better. I should have kept her at arm lengths. Susan is sitting all tensed up, she knows something is amiss!

“I want to thank the management of the school for finding us worthy to graduate today both in character and in learning”….Few hands are clapping.

My anger is rising, I raise up my voice.



“But unfortunately some of us here are not worthy to graduate based on our character attributes!" A pin drop silence envelops the venue, this is an unconventional speech.

“Ladies and gentlemen I prepared a good speech for this occasion but someone, a colleague of mine just stole it few minutes before I got to this podium”.

The guests, dignitaries and students are all looking at me in bewilderment. I am past caring, this is the final and epic battle with Njideka. There is no room for diplomacy.

“Njideka Victor Okoro took away the script from this file!” I lift the file up for them to see. I point in her direction.
“She is the third person sitting from the left on the front row of Chemistry graduates. Yes that is Njideka the scheming and devious graduate!”



Someone is tapping me.
“Immanuella wake up! Immanuella wake up!

I jolt up and lift up my head from the table. I look around the room while I rub my eyes with the back of my palms. The room is in semi darkness and is illuminated by a blue rechargeable light.

Everything had been a dream.

“Nuella who is Njideka Victor Okoro and why are you shouting her name in your sleep?” My mom’s worried face looks down on me.

“I told you to go to bed when you get tired of reading, look at you shouting in your dream! She hissed and walked away.

I sit erect and look at the table. My Jamb past questions and answers brochure is on the table. 
I had fallen asleep while reading. My biro had slipped from my hands and was lying on the floor. 



Damn it! I was back to reality as a bloody jambite. This was going to be my third attempt at passing Jamb: the university entrance examination. I have been dreaming of university school life and graduation. As the harsh reality sinks in, I bit my lower lip in a futile effort to stop the tears that are streaming down my eyes. The prayer point I wrote on the piece of paper when I began reading is still lying on the desk.



“Oh Lord please help me! let this be the last time I will ever write Jamb. Help me get the required cutoff point to gain admission into the university this year in Jesus name Amen".



The end.