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For several weeks, Ifenna was not himself. His formerly cool house became a hot chamber for him and he manufactured every conceivable excuse to keep himself outdoors. He became irascible with everybody, not excluding his parents. His actions caused a rift in his relationship with his parents but he was past caring. He refused to show his result to any other person, or discuss it either.
It was admission time and students whose name made the admission lists of various schools were buys running around for their registration. Ifenna never bothered to visit the University of Nigeria where he had applied, to go through their list. He knew that, with his UME score as low as it was, he need not bother. He got some money from his father and registered for another UME.
The aura of the December month and approaching Christmas did little to enliven Ifenna’s spirits. One day, early in December, as he was leaving for his usual outings, he met Fidelis who was on his way to their house. The two friends had not met since they came back from Egba. Fidelis hailed Ifenna as he drew nearer.
“Ife guy, Ifesco, how far?” They shook hands.
“I dey o, Fideh. How’s everything?”
“Fine. How about you? Have you gone to check your result?”
Ifenna nodded. “Let’s go somewhere and sit down first. I’m on my way out. I’m tired of staying in that house.” Ifenna said, leading his friend through the gate. They continued up the street until they got to one shop with seats in front. Ifenna was friendly with the shop owner, Basil, and he often used the shop as a refuge when home became too hot.
“Good morning, Basil.” Ifenna greeted.
“Yah, Ifenna. How are you today?” asked the robust looking middle-aged man.
“I’m fine.” replied Ifenna as he shifted two chairs to the farthest end of the shop’s veranda. Obviously Ifenna needed no eavesdroppers as he conversed with Fidelis. As they sat down, Ifenna sighed and said,
“I’ve gone to check my result. It’s a mess.” He gave Fidelis details of the result. “So as you can see, I’m totally shattered.” He concluded.
Fidelis started laughing. Ifenna looked at him quizzically.
“So, why the laughter? Do you think I’m joking?”
“No, you don’t understand, Ifenna. Yours is better. You need to see my own result. It is incredible. I got one credit—in Physics, two Passes; others are F9’s. But I’m not bothered.”
“You’re not bothered? Don’t you know that this result won’t take you anywhere, even with your high score in UME. What was it you got in UME?”
“244. Leave everything, Ifenna. I have no problem. In fact I have news for you?”
“What news?” asked Ifenna, looking unbelievingly at his friend.
“I went to University of Nigeria last Friday, you know that’s my choice university?
“Mmhhu?” urged Ifenna.
“My name is in there in the merit list – Civil Engineering”
“How did that happen?”
“The department’s cut-off mark is 240. That is how it happened” replied Fidelis, smiling.
“But you can’t still be admitted with your O’ level as it is.” Ifenna argued.
“Yes, but who is going to know how my present O’ level is? Wake up, man! Remember what we filled in our JAMB form – Awaiting Result. So, for me, I’ll still be awaiting my result till the GCE results are released. Then, I will present my own O’ level.
“I see. So you are now a campus guy”.
“Yeah, all the way! I’m starting off my registration next week. Cool down, Ife. You will be joining us by next year if you do your JAMB runs very well. Have you seen that boy that messed up your UME since then?”
“You mean Edwin? Forget him. I don’t even want to see him again. Next year I will arrange something better. By the way, Fideh, when is the GCE results coming out?”
“It should be in February. That of last year came out in February this year”.
“Lets hope we will clear our results this time,” said Ifenna.
“It is certain, assured; a sure-banker. The results will be excellent. Trust success Academy. Guy, I’m so happy, rejoice with me and forget that stupid WAEC”
“Fidelis, you don’t know what I’m passing through. May be it’s because you are living with your brother. You don’t know what pain-in-the-neck parents can become because of this result thing. And to think I have another full year waiting for me is no solace at all. All the same, I won’t prevent you from celebrating your admission.
“Now you are talking. Let’s celebrate. Later we will discuss your case and arrange things for you. We run things, things don’t run we. Tell that shopkeeper to bring two bottles of Star for us. I’ll pay!” Fidelis brought out his wallet as if to buttress his point. It was evident that he was in high spirit. Ifenna smiled and gave the order. Two bottles of cold beer were soon before them. The next minute, they were sipping the alcoholic fluid and chatting away.
Ifenna avoided meeting his relatives as much as he could during the Christmas’ festivities. The ceremonies he attended were limited to parties by friends and fellow youths. On occasions when he inevitably came across elderly relatives who asked about his studies, he simply uttered ‘I’m doing well. Everything is okay’. Then he would disappear as fast as he could to avoid further probing. Even Nnenna, his sister, was spared the details of his woe. It was when her cheerfulness towards his was not reciprocated that Nnenna felt concerned.
“Ifenna, you are not been your usual self, what has happened to you? “She asked one day.
“Nne leave me alone,” Ifenna replied brusquely, without shifting his eyes from the television he was watching.
“Ife, have I done something that you don’t like?” She persisted.
“This girl stop bothering me! “Nnenna was taken aback at the outburst. Ifenna then looked at her and continued, “you won’t understand what is happening to me until you are out of school. Until then, spare me your questions, okay?”
“Whatever! “ Nnenna retorted. She was annoyed. She stood up and left for her room. Ifenna continued watching the television, without much interest.
Gradually, however, Ifenna’s mood improved. He started forgetting about his WASSCE result. He was even more cheered by the hope that by February, he would have an excellent
O’ level result with him. Some weeks into the New Year, he reckoned that time was ripe to start making plans for his second UME exam. He wondered what he was going to do. Reading was out of the question. ‘That will be too tasking for me’ he thought.
One day, late in January, he met Edwin on the road. Edwin was the first to greet.
“Ifenna! Longest time. How are you?”
“I’m not fine,” declared Ifenna matter-of-factly.
“You are smart, aren’t you. Hit and run, that’s what you are. I don’t even have the mind to talk with you.”
“I don’t understand. What are you talking about?” asked the bewildered Edwin.
Ifenna looked him over, considering whether to accept Edwin’s surprise as real or to save his breath and keep moving. He decided for the former.
“You did not ask me about my UME score, mmh?” asked Ifenna tentatively.
“Yes, yes, yes! Pardon me. What was your score? I hope it is something tangible.”
“As tangible as 152 can be. Edwin, I paid you well to help me and you did the opposite. I could as well have written the exam myself! Thank your stars we didn’t meet immediately after I saw my result...one of us would have bled to death!” Ifenna ranted.
“Look, don’t talk like that. It’s not my fault that you got a low score. I tried my best that day. You think running around that bush was very sweet. Chill! It’s one of those things. You don’t win all the time. When you enter the University, you will learn that. Come to think of it, I didn’t even gain anything from that. The money you paid me disappeared just like that.”
Ifenna interrupted him.
“Well, spare me the long story. Just go you way.” He said and started going.
“I can help you write another JAMB. This time it will be 400 over 400. I need cash, lots of it now that I’m writing my final-year project.” Edwin said mockingly.
“Fuck you!” Ifenna cursed.
“Then learn how to read your book, Jambito.” Edwin called after the briskly walking Ifenna.
Fidelis was the one that brought the news that GCE results had been released. He had come to invite Ifenna to his Matriculation. They were in Ifenna’s room.
“Have you gone to check?” Ifenna asked.
“Nope. Maybe, we’ll go together later today.”
“Is it at Success Academy?”
“Yes, of course. I guess they must have packaged our beautiful results for us by now.”
“We shall go later. You will be there at my matric. I don’t need to ask you, do I?”
“I will come.”
“Yeah come and I will introduce you to lots of sharp guys and girls. I promise you, if you see UNN babes, you won’t want to go back.” Fidelis enthused.
“Are you serious?”
“Like they say in the Bible: ‘Come and see.’ When you come, you go trust.”
“You guys are enjoying O! Oh, let this present JAMB not disappoint me.” said Ifenna.
“Have I told you how I met Edwin?” he asked.
“When was that?”
Ifenna proceeded to narrate his face-off with his former ‘mercenary’. When he finished, Fidelis was beside himself with annoyance.
“Oh, he had the nerve to mock you on top of everything. Ifenna, why are you so chicken-hearted? You should have planned something and taught him a lesson. Forget about his being a fourth year at the University.”
“Fideh, leave him. Leave him. I know why I kept quiet. Let me concentrate on important issues first. Later we will trash things out. You understand?”
“Well, that’s for you. If it’s me, I know what to do.” Fidelis said. After a brief silence, he asked, “what are you doing about the coming UME?”
“I’ve not decided on something yet. I’m afraid, after Edwin who else am I going to trust?” Fidelis thought for a while.
“I have an idea.” He said.
“What is it” prompted Ifenna, quickly sitting up.
“I’ll introduce you to the guy that helped me. With him, you don’t have any fear.”
“You are very sure of him?” Ifenna asked anxiously.
“You know what my JAMB score was, don’t you? He did it for me. It will cost you quite some money but that won’t be a problem, I believe?”
“Certainly” declared Ifenna, nodding vigorously.
“Please when are we meeting this guy?”
“As soon as I can get in touch with him.” Fidelis stood up.
“Get ready, let’s pay Success Academy a visit.” he said.
Thirty minutes later, they were sitting before Mr. Amandi, the proprietor of Success Academy.
“Good day sir” greeted the two boys.
“You’re welcome.” He replied, his intelligent eyes scanning their faces. “Sorry, I forgot your names.”
“Fidelis Okoye.”
“Ifenna Udemba.”
“Thank you. Now I guess you are here for your GCE results, right?”
The boys nodded in the affirmative.
“Ehm. You see, we’ve got a little problem. For the first time since we launched this Academy, the exam body, that is, the WAEC has withheld the result of our centre.” He paused to check the boys’ reactions. They simply stared at him.
“The results of all the candidates that used Egba Secondary School centre has been withheld. But we are pleading with you not to lose hope. We are seriously pestering the Board to accelerate the release of the results. Please boys, bear with us.”
The boys were dumbfounded; Ifenna felt an itch in his eyes. He prayed that treacherous tears would not betray him. It was Fidelis who talked, or rather, whined.
“When are we to check again?”
“Well, I can’t say for now. Let’s see...this is February? Let’s hope that by April they will be out. Do not worry, we will take care of everything.”
The boys left the office, crestfallen. Silently, they came down the stairs and stood in front of the storey-building, by the side of the stair entrance. The earthly hell perpetually rose by vehicles, pedestrians, hawkers and area-boys in Awka road raged on as if in defiance to the boys’ woes.
“What are we to do now? Wait?” Ifenna broke the silence.
“Wait? No way. I will go to the WAEC office to verify this rubbish the man fed us. Maybe we could get our results there, even if it means greasing some palms.”
“Yes. That’s a good idea. I will go with you. When do you think we can go?”
“I had planned to get back to school tomorrow but as things are now, I’ll have to postpone it. I have to clear this problem. What about tomorrow?”
“Perfect,” agreed Ifenna, “I’m always around anyway”
They decided on where to meet and dispersed. Back at his house and alone, the full impact of Ifenna’s plight came down on him. His whole being was in tumult. ‘UME, SSCE and now GCE, what is all this’ he lamented. He shied away from thinking about what would happen when his parents would hear the news.
The next day, Ifenna and Fidelis traveled to Nise where the state’s office of WAEC is situated. To their disappointment, they were told that the office only handled the examinations and results of the centers within the state. Egba was not within their area of jurisdiction. Before they left, however, Ifenna and Fidelis convinced one of the staff to make enquiries for them about their results at the national office. Money exchanged hands and they were asked to come back the following week.
Ifenna went back the following week, alone, as Fidelis had gone back to school. They had agreed that Ifenna would bring news about the result issue to him when coming for his matriculation. The staff did a nice job. He actually brought the prepared standard GCE statements of result. These he handed to Ifenna. The latter checked the names and examination numbers on the documents. It was theirs alright. When he read through the statements, his heart sank. Their results were seized. It the dawned on him. The results of the Egba Secondary School centre candidates were seized, not withheld. Mr. Amandi had lied to them.
Dejectedly, Ifenna left the WAEC office premises and traveled back to Onitsha. At Onitsha, he went straight to Success Academy. Luckily, he met Mr. Amandi in his office. Without greeting or talking, Ifenna handed him the two statements of result. The man looked up sharply. He was visibly shaken.
“How on earth did you come about this?” he asked waving the documents at Ifenna.
Ifenna was boiling. “What happened to our results?” He demanded furiously.
Mr. Amandi took a look at him and decided that the young man was hardly in the mood for entertaining verbiage. He calmed Ifenna down and opened up.
“Somehow, they discovered what we do at Egba every year and struck. Believe me, this is the first time this kind of thing is happening to us. Between you and I, you know that telling everybody that your results were seized would mean bad business for us at this Academy. Please try and understand. Feel free to register with us any other time. This kind of thing won’t occur again. Never...”
Ifenna grabbed the results from his hands and stormed out of the office.
Two days later, Ifenna traveled to Nsukka for Fidelis’ matriculation coming up the next day, Saturday. Like Ifenna, Fidelis was shattered by the news of the seizure of the results. That night, they stayed up far into the night bemoaning their fate, and planning. They decided to register for the GCE again since the deadline for the registration of May/June SSCE has passed.
Fidelis insisted on remaining in school. The next day, he matriculated.
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