After showering, I found my parents still sleeping. I woke them up. "Hey pops. It's time you get out of bed. Mom you too", I said, shaking them quietly. My dad jerked up like someone being chased by an evil spirit. "Oh my God! I must've overslept", he said rushing into the bathroom. My mum was still rolling in bed. I guess I had to leave her to sleep to her heart content.
                           I dressed up in my white designers shirt and black jeans wearing my white Nike canvas. "Yeah I think I'm forgetting something", I thought. "Oh! My lucky charm", I said, rushing to get the bracelet Bliss gave me. "Wear it always when you want to write any exam. It's a symbol of luck", I remembered her words.
I wore it and sat in the living room waiting for my dad to dress up. He dressed up in his native Igbo attire- Isiagu and his 'okpu'(cap) which was decorated with white feathers.
No doubt, he was a man of culture that I even wondered why he married my mum, an American.
                          He beckoned on me to come along when he was done. I immediately moved outside, where his brand new IVM G80 SUV was packed. I hopped into the car and we zoomed off. From Nnewi to Awka was a 2hrs drive. So in 2hrs time, we were already in the serene environment of British Spring College. The GSS security gave my dad a gate pass and I wrote my name in a book. Like a signing book, before we were allowed entrance into the school compound. What an orderly school!
                          My dad drove to where he was asked to parked and led me to the principal's office. The principal was a fair and handsome man, typically in his late forties. He gave me this welcoming smile that was capable of reducing tension if I had one. "Sir please, move to the International Unit. His papers are there", the principal said.                               It wasn't hard to locate the offices there. The big bold inscription "INTERNATIONAL UNIT" was boldly on one of the doors and we entered into it. They were three people in the office- two men and a woman. The woman who had a chocolate skin and a long braided hair looked at me and smiled. "You are Sam, right?", she enquired. I just nodded. Didn't feel like using my voice at that moment. "Well, come over here", she beckoned on me to sit beside a computer.
"Our test is CBT based. Once you're done, click submit and your scores will be revealed immediately to you", she said. I looked at my dad who just gave me a thumbs up and left the office so as not to distract me.
                           I logged in with the details provided and was right into the test. It was time based. 2hrs to answer 100 questions each on English and Mathematics. I looked at my lucky charm and it felt as if Bliss's presence was with me. I heaved a sigh of relief and started answering the questions. Although, I had few difficulties, I still managed to complete the test 30 seconds before my time was up. I didn't have enough time to cross check so I hopefully clicked "submit". My scores immediately popped out on the screen. "Congratulations, you got 80 in Maths and 98 in English". "Wow, that wasn't bad", I said to myself.
                            The chocolate skin woman whose name I found out to be Mrs Betty, came over to me and looked at the screen. She nodded her head in affirmation. "You are really a smart kid. Congratulations you pass!", she said smiling. Her colleagues seemed to be attracted by what she said and came over to where we were. "Wow! 98 in English, not surprised", one of them said.
                                  My dad came into the office and was pleased to hear my latest achievements. We were directed to the uniform's office where my dad bought all the uniforms. "What were you doing all these time I was in there?", I asked my dad. "I was talking to your principal.  He gave me these handbooks.", he said bringing out two handbooks. "This one is the student's handbook. I have gone through these. You will find some rules strange and wicked but you have to follow them", he said, giving me the student's handbook while scanning the parents handbook. He abruptly dropped it. "We'll see this stuff well when we get home", he said as he closed his handbook and made his way towards the car. In a twinkle of an eye, we were heading straight for home.
                             At home, my mum had already prepared lunch and set them on the dining table, while she kept working on her laptop.
She was an online marketer who partnered with Longrich International - (a product manufacturing company) and was also a writer. I guess writing was her hobby. Her books were popular back there in the United States, that I wished to meet her in person. What a life! She turned out to be my mum.
"Hey, you guys are back. I dei Kwara nke oma,(did you write well?)", she asked, her English accent overpowering the Igbo language she spoke. "Don't insult my language, honey", my dad warned playfully. "Don't you see that I'm trying", my mum said sadly. "Oh! Forgive me. I was joking", he said, his two hands on his ears.  I just stared at them and smiled. I wished to have that kind of love they had when I grow up.
                         My dad told her about my success in the entrance which she didn't seem surprised to hear. "Mummy told him to do his best and he did. He's got my brain. I know he would make me proud", she bragged.
I didn't expect my dad to just keep quiet. Something big was coming! - Their usual play fight. I just went to the dining before they started their thing and started eating my food. If they weren't hungry, I was!
                         My mind drifted back to California. "Who knows what my friends are doing by this time? Julie will obviously be hanging out with her Charles and what about Bliss. I guess must have found someone else. Anyone she is with right now. I only pray they make her happy", I thought.
My parents came back to the dining. Must have finished arguing. "Hey son. You haven't eaten much. Hope you weren't waiting for us", she said, noticing my 'lost' behaviour. I shook as I got myself back to the present.
My spirit must have travelled far. "What were you thinking about?", my dad asked concerned. "Nothing, just remembering old times", I quickly replied."Ohh! Sorry we disturbed", he apologized. We all ate in silence. They must have felt guilty for bringing me out of US but that's not what I wanted them to feel. I didn't like filling the air with gloom. I felt sorry for them.
   I brightened up and suddenly an idea came into my mind. "I haven't told Julius and Adaobi that I qualified. I guess it's high time  I focus on making new friends here"