Dedicated to God and to everyone who helped me find Him.

...

THE FINAL BELL goes off signalling the end of the exam. The final exam. The last day of school. Come tomorrow, I would no longer be a school student, I think as I hand over my answer sheet to the invigilator and step outside the hall along with the rest of the students, walking towards our freedom. 12 months of hard work, all for the past 2 weeks, had been completed.

"Rissa!! Wait!" My best friend, Abeena's unmistakable voice calls out through the crowds' excited chatter. She pushes through the crowd and comes to a stop in front of me.

"Hey girl," I smile at her slightly dishevelled form.

"I know what you're going to ask me. Don't ask. I think the paper was horrible!" She says.

"Firstly, I wasn't going to ask you anything. And secondly, the paper was fine. It's just biology."

"You're just saying that because you love biology, Miss Doc. You're going to become a doctor after all," she smirks.

"Don't call me that Bee. I'm not really sure whether I'll clear the entrance test," I reply.

"Oh, you will. I'm sure of it. Besides, you've wanted to go to medical school ever since... since 7 months ago, was it?" She enquires as we cross the road to our school campus. St. Andrews Secondary School wasn't a centre for the SSC examinations, rather, the neighbouring school was. Every morning, we'd assemble at our campus, say a prayer, sign the attendance register, leave our stuff there and take a five-minute walk through the back gate to this campus. After the exam was done, we'd return to our campus and retrieve our stuff.

"Eight months ago," I correct her, "since Nana died." My Nana passed due to some medical mishap eight months ago. We'd admitted her in the hospital when Nana had trouble breathing. The doctors ran some tests to find out what was wrong with her. Initially, they established that she had pneumonia. A while later, they said she had a brain stroke. By that time, Nana had already slipped into a vegetative state and had to be discharged from the hospital. Three days later, she passed away. Mum was so devastated. I mean, Nana hadn't even turned seventy yet, but she had to leave. We felt that if someone in our family was a doctor, we would've at least had an inkling of what happened. But no one in my family - maternal and paternal side - had ever gone to medical school. After Nana passed, I felt that I should be the first.

"Well, you decided that you want to be a doctor since that time. And be a doctor you shall. Allah will guide you through," she assures me. We come to a stop at the doorway of our school church. "Go ahead," she says, taking my stuff from me, "I'll wait here for you."

"Thank you, Bee," I give her a grateful smile and walk into the church. I take a seat on one of the pews on the left as I always do and close my eyes and shoot up a silent prayer.

Hello Father. I hope You are doing well. I'm not going to tell You about my day, because I know You're watching from above. But, I do want to tell You this. I'm worried about my future. I decided on medical school, but, to be honest, I'm still conflicted about it. Would I be a good enough doctor? Is it what I really want? Or is it just someone else's expectation drilled into my mind? Will I even clear the entrance test? I really don't know. It's like a battle with myself. I'm so confused. I don't know what to do. Which is why I'm leaving it in Your hands. I know You have plans for my future and I trust You. Thank You for helping me to focus on today's exam. I hope to get a good score in biology since it's essential. I will, right? I pause for a minute and open my eyes before continuing.
Please take care of my family. I'll be waiting for Your answer. Thank You Father for blessing me unconditionally. I love You.

Looking around the church, I realise that it might as well be the last time in here. A wave of nostalgia washes over me as I remember the first time I stepped into this church. At four years old, gaping at the glass paintings on each window. And now, at 17, admiring its beauty in every way possible. More students fill into the church as I get up to walk out. As I do, my eyes find the whiteboard where a nun has just finished writing the verse for today.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29 : 11

It seems that God has provided me with my answer.

...

Abeena and I walk into the classroom that currently holds our bags and books and all the other stuff we didn't take with us to the exam hall.

"All this talk about our future is so exhausting that I forgot an important fact," Abeena says as we search where we dropped our bags before rushing off to the exam.

"And what is that?"

"Where on earth is our third musketeer?!" She exclaims, throwing up her hands, as if she's frustrated, but not really.

As if on cue, my other best friend, the third member of our group, the so-called third musketeer, the captain of our batch in school, Alan Wellington, walks into the room with an air of authority around him. He should have that. His father was the mayor of Westminster after all.

"There you two are! Do you know how long I was searching for you two?" He asks.

"Of course, you were Al. More like you were crying in a corner because the paper was horrible!" Bee quips.

"No it wasn't. I thought the paper was fine," Alan replies, laughing.

"That's what I told her too!" I laugh with him.

Abeena rolls her eyes. "How did I end up with you two as my friends," she mutters.

"Trust me, there's not a single day that I think the same," Alan says laughing all over again, as he pulls out his stuff from the pile of other bags.

"Idiots, I'm friends with idiots," Abeena mutters and we laugh.

"So, what's your plan for the vacation?" Alan changes the topic.

"Spend time with cousins," Abeena says, a grin plastered on her face. Alan and I share a knowing smirk. If Bee's grinning about spending time with her cousins, who she absolutely hates, it's only because a certain someone is going to be there. Bee notices the silent understanding between us, 'cause with a cautious voice she asks us, "What? Why are you two smirking like that?"

"Abeena, don't you hate your cousins?" Alan asks.

"Um... yeah? Why?" She asks leaving me to wonder if she really didn't get it or if she's feigning innocence.

"Then why on earth are you grinning about spending time with them?" I tease, "Unless, your lot of cousins includes a particular someone." Realisation dawns on her face and she starts blushing.

"Yeah, I got all the proof I need. You are one naughty girl, Abeena Mushraf," Alan chuckles. By now, Abeena is red as a tomato.

"Why can't I get to tease you two like this? Your love lives are totally nonexistent. You, Rissa," she points at me, "always have your head in a book and you never notice any boy who comes across. And you," she says pointing to Alan, "glare at every girl who comes within half a mile of you, that they don't even come near you!"

"That's good right?" I say, "That way we get to tease just you," I tease again, as we walk across the midfield to our usual hangout spot at school.

"That's true. Besides, having a crush is too exhausting," Alan waves off. "You have to spend every minute of your time wondering if they like you back or not. No siree! That's too tedious and I'm better off. Plus, I'm like, future mayor, so I cannot afford to make such mistakes."

"There's no use talking to you," Abeena shakes her head at Alan. She turns to me instead. "What about Nathaniel?" She asks me hopefully.

"Bee, just because you're crushing on your cousin doesn't mean I should. Nathan and I are like siblings in every way possible. I even call his mother 'mummy' sometimes, even if she's my mum's older sister. And we practically grew up together, so, he's like my own brother," I point out.

"Well, there's no point in blaming you, I guess," she sighs, "Oh, and he's not my cousin. Well, not exactly. Dad's cousins' sister in law's son. What does that make him to me?"

"Second cousin twice removed? Or whatever that means. I never really understood it anyway," Alan replies.

We reach the stone benches underneath the banyan tree at the corner of our school campus, just before the parking lot. Our usual hangout spot. Abeena and Alan take a seat, while I keep standing.

"What's our plan for today?" Abeena asks.

"What plan?" Alan enquires, turning to face her.

"We planned to go out on the last day of school. Remember?"

"Oh." A strange emotion passes through Alan's face. "Well, I'm not coming."

"Why not, Al?" Abeena asks.

"I've got coaching class. If I'm going to get into medical school, I need to crack the entrance, so I'm attending coaching class," Al explains, unlocking his phone. Phones weren't allowed in St. Andrews, but today being the last day, I don't think they'd mind. Just then, Alan's phone starts to ring. "Oh, it's my mum. Just a minute."

Alan moves away from us to answer the phone and Abeena turns to look at me. "Aren't you going for coaching class, Rissa?"

"Bee, you know how the situation is at home, right? I'm trying to reduce as many expenses as possible. And coaching class right now is a luxury we can't afford," I reply wistfully. My dad had lost his job a month ago. Thankfully, we knew it was coming and started saving up well in advance the moment his salary started decreasing. It is very much needed at the moment, with college admissions coming soon and all that. Bee was the only one who knew about this situation. I didn't wanna tell Alan, his father being the mayor and all that. As much as we were friends, there was still this barrier between us.

"So what are you going to do? You'll need to learn something for the exam and the state syllabus isn't enough for it," she points out.

"I know. Which is why I have YouTube. I'm going to search for classes online on YouTube. It's not just there for entertainment, right? Plus, Stephanie said she'd give me her notes from when she attended coaching. So I've got backup," I say. Stephanie, my cousin, attended coaching classes for a year for the medical entrance. She didn't get in though. Now, she's a proud agriculture scientist.

"Well, I'm rooting for you, Miss Doc. I really hope you get what you're looking for," she smiles at me as Alan comes back from his phone call.

"That was mum. She wants me to come home. Class starts at 4 pm and it's already 1," he says.

"Um... okay. We'll see you later, I guess?" Abeena says to him.

"Guys!! Gather around here please!" Someone shouts from the basketball court. A crowd starts forming in the basketball court and we follow suit to find out what was happening. "As y'all know, today's the last day of school. This might as well be the last time we all are in the same place. So, to commemorate this moment, we're all gonna stand in front of the Pillar and take our batch photo. Is that okay with y'all?" Silvia, the assistant captain of our batch implores.

"Shouldn't you be the one asking this?" Bee asks Alan, to which he shrugs in reply. And then to me, "Where's Nathaniel?" 

"I have no clue," I shrug in response. "Probably slacking off with his friends," I tell her as we make our way to the pillar.

There are so many significant places at St. Andrews; the church garden, the banyan tree, the stone benches near the food court, the midfield, the tennis courts, but the most beautiful of them all is the Pillar. It was a huge pillar with our school motto, 'Gloriam uirtutemque' engraved on a clayed shield. Surrounding the pillar on all sides were four tall lanterns, about 1 inch shorter than the pillar. I don't understand the need for four lanterns, but it was still beautiful. We pile up in front of the pillar, our entire batch, and had one of the non-teaching staff take a photo. And after that and a huge round of photoshoots were done, we exchanged hugs, promising to keep in touch, to invite each other for each other's weddings. Yeah, just the leaving school, won't meet each other for a long time vibes. Just like the last day of school would be.

...

Abeena and I sit on one of the stone benches at our hangout spot. It's been a while since Alan left, and since we're not going out as planned, we decided to leave to our homes a little later.

"Can you believe it, Rissa? That we're already 17 and graduating from school? 'Cause I sure as hell can't. To me, it seems like I came in here as a 4th grader just yesterday. Time sure does fly, doesn't it?" She says, drawing a pattern on the stone bench with a twig.

"Yeah, it does. But I've been here since kindergarten, so it seems a bit longer to me. But, yeah, I can't believe it either. Fourteen years of school has come to an end," I reply, "Do you remember the first time you and I started talking?"

"Yeah, I became too talkative and wasn't studying well and the teacher changed my seat next to yours so that I could focus better. I wonder what she was thinking when she changed my seat," she says.

"Probably that I was the only girl in the class who wasn't talking too much and that I would be a good influence?"

"Maybe. What she didn't know is, once we get to know you well enough, you don't stop talking," she chuckles.

"Why does everyone say that? It's like a label on me. Silent before you know her well. After that too verbose," I roll my eyes, "You're like, the fifth person who commented the same."

"Well, people who don't know you think you're silent. Only we know the truth."

I just roll my eyes in reply.

She stares at the century block, where our classrooms were located and sighs. "I just can't believe it. All I wanted when I was young was to grow up and go to college. Now, I just wanna stay here. St. Andrews really became our second home, right?"

"Well, you're right. But, all things have got to come to an end. This change, going to college and all, it's going to be good for us. We get to go out into the world, learn a lot of things. Imagine the possibilities available out there," I say, holding my hand out, as if pointing to the future.

"Maybe. But you've always seen the good in everything Rissa. To me, it seems like I'm leaving behind the best days of my life," she sighs.

I shake my head. "That's where you're wrong Bee. The best is yet to come."

After some time, Bee and I decided to go home. The moment was nostalgic for both of us. The thousands of memories that we made in this place, we would always cherish it. St. Andrews was more than a home for us; it was what shaped us into who we are right now. I knew that I would come back here again, after all, my sister is still a student here. But this would be the last time here as a student. But I was excited to step into the future. Worried, yes, but more excited. After all, I still believed this: The best is yet to come.

...

Author's note:

Hey guys!

I'm guessing that a lot of explanations are needed in this chapter. Lemme explain.

St. Andrews is a made-up school name. But the places I've written about were there in my school. The stone benches underneath the banyan tree in my school was my favorite hangout spot with my friends. And about exams and the last day of school. We didn't have a graduation day. Just state common examinations and the last day of the exam was the last day of school for us. We write entrances to various colleges to get in. So, the school life here is just as I had it.

Gloriam uirtutemque means Honor and Courage in Latin.

Most of these were the feelings I experienced when I was leaving school. Now, that I'm in college, I really miss my school days.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading!

Stay blessed,
Destiny Grace.