The Interview

"I won't tell her but you have to promise me you will stop playing in the rain frequently. You could catch a cold."

"Yes sis" Fred replied.

By the way, what's a bucket list?" Fred asked me.

"Mmm, it's a list of things one hopes to do, places to visit, foods to eat and other things one might want to achieve in their lifetime," I explained to him.

"I have gotten a gaming consul, so one item is off my bucket list," Fred said in excitement.

"Getting a gaming consul should be a part of your wish list and not a bucket list."

"Sis, then what's the difference between the both?"

"Hmm, a bucket list are things you want to do for yourself while a wish list are things you want or wish for. It's basically things you want others to do for you because it's your birthday or on a special occasion." I corrected him.

"Enough with the talk about bucket and wish lists, let's go and eat."

I held Fred by the hand and took him to the kitchen because I knew he didn't like the food mom cooked in the morning and would try to avoid it.

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The next few days, I kept myself busy by reading likely interview questions and watching videos on how to comport oneself during an interview. I even heard rumours that the interview is the final determinant to getting into the school.

The morning of the interview day......

We woke up very early to prepare to go to school and we all went together including Fred as we couldn't leave him all alone at home.

"Dad, Where's my file? I can't find it.

"I have them here with me," Dad replied.

"What's keeping your mom?"

"She is packing up food for us," I replied.

"Women! Always wasting time. We can buy food there. Why is she always insisting on cooking whenever we go out?" Dad murmured.

It was stressful for my mom to always prepare homemade meals for us but she always kept saying it was more healthy and more nutritious to do so and we can always save money when we don't buy food or have to treat ourselves for food allergies.

We set out on our way to the school. It was in the same state but in a different town. The journey seemed long for me. One hour had gone and we were not anywhere near to the school. I slept off as I got tired of looking out the windows.

"Elsie, wake up. We are almost there." Mom said to me as she tapped me gently.

I opened my eyes slowly and sat up properly, I didn't want to miss the sight of the school.

In a few minutes,  we arrived at the school. There was a big signpost with the words, "Welcome to Elite Academy - The Home of Champions.

We soon got to the gate but there was a long queue as all the cars were being checked before they are allowed into the school.  The gate was brown and very huge, typical of gates you would see in a military encampment with High fences that stretched as far as I could see with my eyes. The security personnel on duty were all looking mean and serious as if they were searching for a criminal.

It got to our turn and we were searched before being allowed into the school. Dad parked the car, and we came down. As we left the parking lot, I began to observe the school compound. The parking lot was the sports field and we had parked in the basketball court. The sports field was on the left.

We walked until we got to another gate which was smaller and red. We entered and went into the main school compound. There was a statue of "the thinker" at the centre of the compound and little water fountains around it, water gushed out of the fountains and went over the statue. It was a sight to behold.

We were led into a hall just behind the thinker's statue where we waited for the interview to start properly. We were only allowed to move around the premises where the hall was located.

At a time, Fred and I got bored of sitting down at a place and we went outside, there were two pathways beside the hall, one on the left and one on the right. We turned left and continued walking until we met a barricade and had to turn back.

The little view of the school we were able to see was spectacular. There were so many trees and flowers and I could count up to three lawns within that small area and a little lawn in which the statue and fountains were housed. Pine trees, masquerade trees, hibiscus and prude of Barbados were everywhere in the school compound. We were able to see some students dressed neatly in their uniforms going their way and I imagined myself being in their shoes.

"Attention! Everybody the interview will start soon." A voice on the microphone announced.

Fred and I quickly went back inside as soon as we heard the announcement. I didn't want our parents to look for us.

We were led to another hall while our parents and guardians stayed back in the main hall. To my greatest surprise, question papers were distributed to us.

"Ooh! Not again!" I screamed in my head.

I felt as if I was being interviewed for a job in a top firm. The questions weren't based on school work and were just aptitude questions.

I thought I was the only one that was shocked but there was an uproar in the hall. We were all speaking in hushed tones.

"You have only one hour to attempt the questions." An examiner informed us.