Part Thirty-Nine

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Bella's POV

"Ten more minutes to go...one!" The lady who came to invigilate the exams counted.

My hands started shaking from the anxiety and exam tension because I haven't finished answering all questions, I couldn't properly write a word. It was as though I no longer had any control over my wrist bones. I tried stopping the shaking but all in vain.
I saw Adams going to submit his paper, so I called out to him.

"Adams! Hey! Please come," I pleaded, pouting at him.

He took his script and walked towards my chair "Yes..."

"Please help me complete number four, the B question. I'm almost done with it, just to complete some sentences."

He looked around. Thankfully, the hall was crowded and students were moving from one chair to another. He brought another chair positioned beside mine and sat down on it, then he placed his script on my desk before taking mine out from my hands.

He looked at my script for a while, trying to find out where I stopped writing. When he found it, he began scribbling on my answer script, and of course, he was using his as key.

"Here, I've finished." He passed the script back to me and picked up his own.

"Thank you so much, you're a darling." I felt really grateful to him at that moment. Not just anybody would have agreed to do what he did for me, and for that, I felt like I owe him a lot.

"Ehen... finally this paper has come to an end. Oluwa thank you for making it possible for us to conclude this exam in peace today." Peace said, walking towards me in slow steps.

"Amen oo, my own would have been a different story if not for Adams_" I started, but was cut off by Peace.

"Go and submit your sheet naa, or you want this woman to scold you." She pushed me forward, towards the direction of the invigilators' desk.
I totally forgot that I was yet to submit my answer sheet, I was carried away thinking of how my fate in this subject would have been.

We wrote Civic Education paper I and II, today. A lot of students, including myself, have always considered this subject as a walkover subject. To us, it doesn't require much reading, just much thinking, and accurate thinking at that. I spent a lot of time writing and writing points I thought were great, I didn't realize how very little time I had left until the invigilator announced that we should start submitting.

I neatly and carefully placed my script on the rough pile of answer scripts, I hoped that other students who were scrambling to submit theirs, don't toss mine to the floor. After that, I walked back to my chair. Peace has already carried my bag on her shoulder, waiting for me to come closer.

"Thanks," I collected the pink bag from her shoulder, as we made our way out of the hall.

"Eww..." She made gagging sounds, covering her eyes with her right palm.

"What?" I asked, surprised by her actions.

"Don't you see what Johnson is doing with that external candidate," she said to me.

"Where?" I couldn't get what she was seeing, as I haven't spotted them yet.

"Standing by the narrow pavement that leads to the main compound." She gestured towards their direction using her head.

I looked and that was when I saw Johnson and one of the external candidates, their lips sucked on each other's. Whether they were biting themselves or trying to cut the other person's lip, was none of my business. I had to get home on time to study for my next subject which would be French language. We were only six out of the  candidates writing WAEC, two external candidates included.

I shook my head in dismay at their shameless lovey-dovey display, then I made my way to the gate, Peace trailing slowly behind me. I was to wait for the driver to come pick me up, as dad wasn't chanced to do so. Outside the gate when I looked at the small snack shop I suddenly remembered Adams, I had to do something to appreciate him, even if it's in a small way. I bought two meat-pies and a can of coke before scanning the front of the gate, for when he might show up.

I waited for twenty more minutes plus before Chike showed up. I was so exhausted when I got home that I just wanted to lie on my comfy bed and forget all about school, as impossible as that was, cause I know my dad would definitely question me about my nonchalance towards my academics. Instead, I went into my bathroom and turned on the shower, then I pulled off my uniform. After dumping them in the laundry basket, I went on to remove my undies and brassiere, then I admired myself in the mirror.

I really couldn't understand why a lot of people classify me as being-too-skinny, to me, I'm quite okay with how my body structure is. I'm not on the plump side, but I can boldly say that I have flesh in the right places. Which of course, I rarely let people see. I'm the type of person who would cover my body completely when I'm outside the house, but once I'm in my own compound, I can even stalk around in bra and panties.

"Oh! Finally I get to lie down on this bed." I said loudly to myself, as I plopped down on the queen-sized bed with pink-linen duvet, in short jeans and white croptop. I pulled my laptop from under the headboard and keyed in my password.

If I was going to make it in French language, I have to improve on the use of words and phrases in a sentence. So I might as well get started on some french vocabularies, even the pronounciation of some words. As soon as I switched on to the WiFi, the dinging sound of some messages came out loud, then I turned down the notification sound. One message from Dr Robert Keedan caught my attention.

I opened the message from my Gmail, scared half to death of what I might see. If I know Dr Keedan as much as I think I do, then whatever he's sent to me must be of great importance. With shaking hands, and a deep gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, I scrolled down to where the message began.

Miss Esan Bella, please call me when you get this message, as it is not something I would like to text you. This has to do with your mother's health. Call me as soon as you get this.
Always at your service.

Dr Keedan
Sacred Hearts Hospital.

I touched my neck, only to feel the beads of sweat already formed there. What could have happened to my mother while I was away, I know that she wasn't doing alright before I left and that's why I insisted she seek medical help. I really hope her condition has not degraded more than the last time I was with her.

Dad came home before my bedtime tonight and I couldn't be more grateful. I had to tell him what Dr Keedan and I talked about, concerning mom's health. I carried my French textbook with me, pretending that I was busy studying all day, but the truth was that, I haven't even grasped anything from the book since the text from Keedan came in.

"Hey princess," he placed a kiss on my forehead "how was the paper of today?"

"It was okay, I did very well." I gave him my best, reassuring smile.

He returned the smile with a chuckle before bringing out a plastic box filled with chocolate. M&M was the name of the brand that manufactured the chocolate, as it was designed in gold lettering, on the cover of the box.

"Here, for you. It's a gift from Angela, she wants to celebrate you on your future success." He offered before me. The familiar glint in his eyes whenever he mentioned her name or something that involved her was there, my dad was truly swooned over this woman, and to think her daughter was my worst person in school.

"Oh! Please let her know that I'm grateful." I received the box with both hands. Mirian eyed me from the end corner of the sitting room, giving me sign language that meant I should share with her. She doesn't know that the chocolate was the least of my problem right now.

"Before I forget, I'm making plans to go to Angela's place to pay her bride-price and let her people know that someone's coming for her, but I can't do that unless I've spoken with your mother about it."

I whipped my head up so fast that I thought it would fall off my neck. He can't be serious about this, how can he bring this up. Mother at that moment, wasn't doing so well, yet he wants to rub the reason for her detrimental state of mind to her face. Perhaps this was the right time to tell him about what mom has been going through.

But doing that would mean I was ready to break my dad's heart. I had to choose—breaking my dad's heart to save my mom, or, breaking my mom's heart by supporting my dad. This was a tough nut to crack.

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QQ: who would you choose between if you found yourself in Bella's situation.

Sidenote: Things are taking hell of a turn from here, especially with Bella's mother's mental health at stake.

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