The Entrance Exam

I slept so peacefully that night contrary to my opinion that people who have important events do not sleep well the night before the d-day. I kept sleeping even when the alarm rang and went off.

My mom had to come and wake me up by herself by 6:30 am. The exam was by 9 am and we were required to be in the exam venue thirty minutes before the exam.

"Did you sleep well?" My mom asked me as I finally sat up on my bed.

"Yes, I slept well." I yawned and stretched myself.

"Alright, go and get ready. Remember to bring along all the necessary items including your writing materials."

"What will you like to have for breakfast?" She asked me as she was about to leave my room.

"Toasted bread with fried eggs," I replied as I yawned and made my way to the bathroom.

My mom nodded in response and quietly closed my room before leaving.

Soon enough, I  was ready and fully prepared. I crosscheck everything I was supposed to go to the exam with, like; my stationeries, an office file, and above all my application form. I gathered everything and left my room.

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"Elsie!" Fred called out to me from his room as I was going downstairs.

I turned and waited for him to meet up with me.

"Say aah," Fred gestured for me to open my mouth.

I opened my mouth and he dropped a piece of candy in my mouth.

"Lick it, it's a lucky candy." Fred smiled at me.

I smiled at him also and said thank you before I went down to the dining area. The candy was strawberry flavoured and I liked it. Recently, Fred has been more kind and caring, and we also quarrelled less.

I greeted my dad as I got to the dining area and sat down.

"I hope you are prepared for the exam?" My dad asked me.

"Yes, I am."

"Hurry up and eat your food, so that we can leave." My mom urged me as she served the meal.

"Fred, come and have your breakfast!" She called out to Fred.

"Will Fred be able to stay at home all by himself?" My dad asked my mom.

"Of course he can, he can watch movies and also go over to Katie's place to play with the twins." My mom replied.

"Elsie, why aren't you eating?" My dad asked as he has been watching me fiddling with my food.

"I have this fluttering feeling in my stomach and I feel nauseous whenever I taste the food," I replied in a wobbly voice.

"I think you are just anxious about the exam. You don't have to force yourself to eat if you don't feel like it." My dad said as he stood up from his chair and walked up to me.

"I'll pack up the food for you. You can have it after the exam." My mom added as she took the food away.

My mom came back later with the food packed in a lunch box and we set out for the exam venue.

"Alright, let's get going. It's almost 7:30." My dad said as he waited for us in the car.

"Fred, make sure you lock the door and don't leave the house. We will be back soon."

"Yes, Dad, I won't go anywhere," Fred replied as he waved at us.

"Bye-bye, good luck in your exam." Fred continued waving at us as Dad drove out of the compound.

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The exam was to be held at the town hall. The arrangement was made a few weeks before the entrance exam to accommodate candidates whose places of residence were very far away from the school. Each region or council area had at least one exam centre depending on the number of candidates coming from the area.

We soon got to the exam venue and it was already filled up. There were a lot of people there including the candidates, their parents or guardians and vendors who came to sell their wares.

We soon found a spot to sit down and wait for the exams to start as we got there on time around 8: 15 am.

"Elsie, I will be leaving. I need to get to work as soon as possible. Give it your best. I am counting on you. Good luck!"

My dad hugged me and left the exam venue leaving my mom behind to stay with me.

As I looked around and saw other candidates neatly dressed, looking confident and ready for the exam. I began to panic and started to shiver.

My Mom noticed it immediately and calmed me down.

She held my hand and spoke gently to me,

"Don't be scared. You will do well in the exams. Remember that you are the best version of yourself. You were the best in the state entrance exam in your school, so this one is going to be a cakewalk."

"Breathe in, breathe out," She said to me.

After the breathing exercise, I felt relaxed once more and more confident.

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"All candidates should line up and get ready to enter the hall. Make sure to hand over your application form to the examiners at the entrance of the hall. Good luck in your exams."

As soon as we all heard the voice over the PA system. We lined up and started entering the hall.

The exam began immediately after we were all seated.