Hello Nijans and Hivans.
Since the prompt of the week was released some days ago, I had thought of what to write until I came across the story of the girl who changed her JAMB (Joint Admission and Matriculation Board) results. I read the same story with a level of patience and now, it made me recall one thing I did when I was in secondary school.
I just resumed the senior class (SSS1). The problem of choosing a career was before me like a mountain. During that period, only a few schools would conduct career or aptitude tests to place students in the department where they would fit in. My school administrators did not consider the aptitude test. We were just muddled up into any class that we liked.
The class of choice was not the problem here. What gave me a tough time was Mathematics. It was a very serious issue. Anytime I see a figure raised to the power of any figure or alphabet, it would appear like Latin to me. The first term started with the Law of Indices. A topic I later found simple but at first, I was just in class, nothing that the teacher taught made any meaning to me.
When it was the middle of the first term, we were made to write assessments in all subjects. Of all the subjects, the assessment in Mathematics was different. Before the assessment ended, I knew what the score would be. By mid-term, we were given all the scripts of the assessment we wrote.
On my Mathematics script was a beautifully crafted 90% score. I cunningly place the Mathematics scripts in the middle of other scripts and happily handed them over to my mom. She checked the scripts, one after the other. As she got to Mathematics, she called out my name with a voice that she had detected something.
Mom, I'm in the restroom.
I shouted at the top of my voice in response to her call. It was in that picture I knew that I was in a huge problem. There in the restroom, many thoughts encroached on my mind. All was to defend myself. After like twenty minutes, I went to my mom.
Mom, you called?
She gave me a bad smile
You know why I called you, don't you?
Now, my palm was beginning to get sweaty. To hide my palm is the only way out of the problem at the moment.
Mom, you are making me scared.
I said, trying to work on her thoughts but that just made her push the more.
You can't possibly score 90% in Mathematics.
My mother knew about my weakness in Mathematics. How come I didn't think about this in the first place before changing the score?
Why did you add a zero to the score?
She was so sure that I can't score that high in Mathematics.
The argument continued all day. For every point she raised, I had a lie for an answer to her.
My mom used to trust me when it comes to telling the truth. I just don't want to make her feel disappointed. She knew my frame. When my dad got home that evening, the first thing my mom did was inform her of the manipulation I have done. Something I have not confessed to.
Dad asked me to kneel. Without hesitation, I did. It was in my presence that he took his mobile phone, pretending to be calling my mathematics teacher. That was the last straw that broke the camel's back. I gave up the argument and told the truth.
My mom was so bitter. She was so disappointed in me.
How could you, Kezzy. For over five hours, you kept defending yourself for the wrong you did.
Tears started rolling down my cheek. I felt so devastated. My dad just ate dinner and went to bed.
Telling A Lie? Not Anymore.
After that incident, I learned not to betray the trust that had been put on me. No matter what happens, telling a lie to cover up another lie will only end up in shame.
No matter bow courageous one is,when he or she tells a lie, they look stupid.