I frowned a bit as I checked my result. Just like all the other times, I "tried."
Tried for me meant taking less than the first position. It meant being among the top ten students in each subject but a part of me wanted to do more than try.
"Jumoke, what's your position?" I asked and stared at her. A part of me hoped she'd take the third position for the first time in years.
I watched as she smiled and looked away.
Tell me already. I mentally screamed.
I watched as she stole a glance at her results as if her position wasn't in her head.
"I took…" Jealousy sparked within me as she began to speak. I wanted this. I wanted this so bad. So why wasn't I getting it?
Why can't I ever be the first? Why?
"...first position." I sighed as she said so. She flashed me a smile and hurried to her seat. I returned it with a fake one.
"Ruth, do you still need to borrow my textbook? Should I bring it tomorrow?" I stared at her shiny dark skin and nodded. Pride tried to hold back my tongue but I didn't let it. I needed that book.
"Okay." She said in a chirpy voice. She turned to go to her seat when she paused at the last minute and stopped me. "Congratulations on your result. I heard you got the highest score in Biology. You're a scholar." She smiled and winked at me then walked away.
A smile formed on my face as I muttered, "Thank you." If I didn't like her, I'd hate her so much.
I sighed, walked to my desk and grabbed my books. It was time for Chemistry class at the laboratory.
"I heard you got your results today." I sighed and shook my head. I hoped she wouldn't talk about it.
The Chemistry teacher adjusted her glasses and scanned the class. I imagined for a second what she was seeing. She was probably seeing a mix of female faces of different skin tones wearing different looks.
Some of the looks were nonchalance, joy or like the one on my face, disappointment.
"I'm sure you now know what your strengths and weaknesses are." She nodded.
"Who got the highest in Chemistry?" The lab went silent as we waited for her to figure it out.
"It's Jumoke, right?"
"Yes, ma." We chorused.
"Who got the highest score in Further mathematics?"
"Jumoke." We chorused. She nodded and made eye contact with each of us.
"I don't know how you see the world but you need to sit up. You don't go out for tough competitions. You just sit here and put in minimum effort and expect to be the best." She tutted.
"It doesn't work like that."
Her words went straight to my heart.
Yes, I wanted to be the best but did I work that hard for it?
Did I?
"When you write your S.S.C.E and leave this place, you'll see that there's a world out there where you can't even be seen as one of the best because you're not working hard. You're not putting in the work. Read. Read like crazy. The other students in private schools are much smarter than you, much more exposed, so the advantage you have is your brain." She tapped her head.
"Use your brain and work hard. Work so hard that you'll be confident. Your results will show it. I hope you understand." As she said her last sentence, she glanced at me.
Her words broke the defences of my heart and struck me. I agreed reluctantly with what she said.
I wanted to be the best and I was disappointed that I wasn't and it was because I didn't work as hard as I should have.
Her words fired up something in me. I mulled over it and shoved it away when I saw her writing on the whiteboard.
She called me after the class and told me to sit.
"Ruth, how was your result?"
"It was fine, ma. I took the second position." I watched with bated breath as she thought it through. I knew what was coming.
"What about Chemistry?" I let out a breath. I knew she would ask.
"I was the second highest. I scored sixty-eight percent."
"Sixty-eight." She hummed. I let my eyes fall to her desk as shame engulfed me. Disappointment made room for itself in my heart.
I had failed myself and my favourite teacher.
"You tried." I kept a straight face.
I hate that word.
"But you can do better." She cocked her head and made eye contact with me.
I chuckled. "How? This is the last school exam we'll ever write. How will that happen?"
She smiled and removed her glasses. I sat up, to listen to her.
"It's not your last exam. Strive to be better. I'm sure I told you earlier." She pointed to the spot where she stood to talk to us.
"The world is very competitive and you can only come out as the best if you forget about secondary school fame and focus on the present. Work hard."
I nodded and let the words sink into me. It lit a fire in me that burned and gave me warmth. The fire chased out of shame and disappointment.
I nodded.
I'll put in my best. I swore to myself.
"So don't worry, alright?" She shot me a sly smile.
"I know you wanted to beat Jumoke and take the first position." I looked sideways.
She laughed.
"But the world is more than that. It's more than you and her. All you have to do is get ready for it." I nodded.
"You can go."
I nodded and left.
Her words stayed in my heart and made a home in my head. It pushed me to put in my best in all the examinations I wrote afterwards and I came out with A's.
Especially in Chemistry.
Here's my entry to the inkwell Creative nonfiction week #45
Your chemistry teacher was a good source of inspiration to you. I remember one of my teachers as well who always drill me and require the best from me.
She helped a lot and whenever I think of her, I pray for her.
I loved to use "she pushed me to success" cause I entered tertiary institution with Fire 🔥🔥 on my head, haha 😀. I never go broke cause my hostel is tutorial house.
Ohh my....some teacher are just marvelous.
I feel that people with the name Jumoke are really smart set of people. It's a good thing that you took your chemistry teacher's advice and studied hard. In the end, it paid off.
This was beautifully scripted Ruthie dear✨
Hehe 😀😀,that's true.....Omo I struggled with that girl ooo, the worst part is that I'm taller than her 😂
Well, I finally revenge in Waec
So you could have easily knocked her if you wanted to😂.
It's a good thing you took that revenge and showed her that Ruth's are also very intelligent.
So you could have easily knocked her if you wanted to 😂.
😂😂😂
Thanks for your time here Mentor
It was a pleasure.
You write really well. To be honest, I do hate my school days. Good work!
Awwn,thanks so much @selftheist
Haha 😀😀 I totally understand,my school days would been a bad experience too but I met someone who changed my thought.
Thanks for stopping
Life is like a wheel sometimes we are on top or in last position.
Yeah, you're right
Thanks for stopping by.
Wow!!!! Absolutely wow!!
Ruth you literally dragged us into the world of your story, I could see Jumoke, yourself and your Chemistry teacher!
Good job my !luv🥰🥰
@seunruth, @ibbtammy(2/3) sent LUV. | connect | community | HiveWiki | NFT | <>< daily
! help(no space) to get help on Hive. InfoHehe 😀 my mentor is here again ooo 🙌🙌. She wanna kill me with whining ooo That chemistry teacher really changed something in me..... She pushed me to success. I was the best in my waec then.....🙅🙅
Thanks for always coming to help me.
Yo!
What a read!
You took me back to those competition we had in primary school where merits were put in positions.
Although we don't look like it most times but this world is COMPETITION itself. The more we give in, the more we become better
Whoa...thanks for coming around
What a word! very true. Then it looks as though a burden. I was so surprise when I start hearing "school is scam" because that thing they called scam shaped my life even though I'm currently not using school certificate now. It has really thought me alot
The "school is a scam" is just an empty slogan.
Using this blockchain as an example;
No matter how we see it, all authors here are able to write because of the basic knowledge from school.👌
Congratulations @seunruth! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)
Your next target is to reach 8000 upvotes.
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Thanks for the update
You're a true champion @seunruth! Keep striving for greatness and you'll reach your Hive goals in no time.
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Thank you!
Alright
It sounds like you had an excellent teacher — very motivating and interested in providing the right guidance to her students. You had some hard lessons, but they served you well!
Thank you for sharing your creative nonfiction story in The Ink Well, and for reading and commenting on the work of other community members.
yeah I did,sometimes I consider myself very lucky. Thanks for the feedback
Post manually reviewed and approved for an Ecency boost. 😊
Thanks a million 😊
Yay! 🤗
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Thanks for the curation @josedam
I'm glad you enjoyed it
I recently read this phrase somewhere: "it's not about being better than everyone else, it's about being better than yesterday's version of you". Your story reminded me of it. Certainly, the world is much bigger than our four walls, that's why we must prepare ourselves to face it as it should be. Good story!
No lies @juniorgomez ....Thanks so much for this wonderful contribution. Glad having you here
With hardwork, you can be better. Again, I will advise you study hard and me the best you can be, not in comparison with another person, because you may never appreciate all the efforts you put in. First position doesn't guarantee that Jumoke will be a better chemist later. We all have seen those who take last position becoming financially more stable later than those getting the post positions. Keep doing your best.
I found this post from pypt with @shadowspub
This was a lesson I had to learn the hard way. I wish my folks told me to work hard because I can't rely on my natural talent. Or maybe they didn't - and I wasn't listening.
A good lesson, well told.
Oouch!
Sad to hear that you learned in the hard way and that really shows how lucky I am. But you're still lucky you learn cause are not opportune to learn so their life became miserable. Life is always good and opposite, positive or negative, lucky and unlucky.
You're the best version of yourself. Thanks for the contribution