She almost missed the professional examination.

“Apology is not about saying I'm sorry, but it is about the meaning you put behind the apology and admitting that you are the wrong part.”

Unarine Ramaru

Since I finished my last paper at the University, I have been looking forward to the professional examination that would be done in the school premises. It was a computer-based test and everyone was waiting for the day. We were supposed to have done it some weeks after the final paper, but it was postponed when my school decided to embark on their strike under Colleges of Education.

The day before I travelled, I got a message from the board of TRCN (Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria) that we can now proceed to print out the final slip to get my exam time and date. I quickly placed a call to my friends and informed them that we can now print our slip which would be presented at the examination centre.

This exam is for those wanting to pursue a career in teaching or lecturing in a higher institution and without the certificate, you can't be employed except for private schools.

After talking to my friends, they told me to help them print theirs so I could let them know when they should come to school. They already left the city to hustle while I was still around. I went to print for the three of us and I checked and saw my examination was on Friday which was on the 12th of August while my friends were on the 11th which was on Thursday.

After seeing my time which was 2pm and I checked another one which was the same time, I didn't bother to check the last printout and I concluded that it was the same time for us but the date was different.

One of my friends came around on Wednesday and stayed at my place so she could prepare herself for her exam which was the next day. I was happy seeing her because the last time we saw each other was after our final paper and everyone had gone their separate ways.

We gisted and laughed about so many things and it never occurred to me to give her the printout to keep. My mind was that she would get it the next day since it was just an ordinary printout.

The other friend planned to get here very early since her city is just 2 and half hours to my place. We ate and slept waiting for the next day which was Thursday.

The next morning, we saw those whose exam was at 8am, and we wished them good luck. At least when they come, they would narrate their experience to us so we can get prepared for what is coming to us too.

We continued talking and laughing and she said something that there would still be some students who will miss the 8am exam because some would just be leaving their homes.

All the time we were talking, we never knew my friend was among those who would miss the exam.

I finally decided to give her the printout and when she checked through, she screamed and saw her own time was 8am whereas, I told her it was 2pm. At the time we knew, it was past 10am, which means the first batch had already done the exam and the next batch would be called in.

Immediately she told me her exam was scheduled for 8am, my heart was out of my body. I started shaking because I never expected something like this to happen. Will I be the cause of someone missing her exam? Will she miss this year and come back next year?

First thing first, I switched off the gas as we were cooking for breakfast. Immediately, she was told to start running to the school if she would still find grace.

I put on my clothes, and we left the house. Getting there, she was told since she has missed her batch, she can't do the exam again since the computer has been scheduled for a different time.

At that moment, I couldn't think of anything again and I saw my friend's eyes, turned red. She couldn't speak more that time as she started pressing buttons on her phone to call some people. All I was saying to her was “It's my fault. I am so sorry please.” I kept repeating that, so she would know I really meant it and I never knew something like this could happen through me.

I wasn't paying attention to those who were greeting me because I wasn't myself. I was just praying in my mind for God to help me because I admitted the fault was from me. I didn't look through all printouts, as I concluded it was the same time but a different date for us.

After a few minutes of standing under the morning sun, someone signalled to my friend and they were talking. Then, I saw that she was told to sit with some categories of students under a shade. These students were another batch who would be called inside the hall and when I saw that, I was relieved. I knew she would write the exam.

I waited for another one hour, waiting for her to finish as she entered the hall. I quickly checked my other friend and my printout again to be sure as I don't want such a mistake to happen.

This incident happened only by grace because if she wasn't allowed to write the exam, it means the money she paid had been wasted and she would pay another next year which could delay her in some ways. Something we pray to do once and for all and nothing should hinder us at all.

It was until she wrote the exam that I became calm and okay. I felt such a big relief after then. Thank God!

Thanks for your time.

Image by Josh from Unsplash

[August 16, 2022] (No 228 articles for the year)