I found myself writing it, reflexively. I did not know it was a holy action breaking a few rules in life until the day our first year second semester results were released and one of my course unit mark was missing.
There is that time when boredom knocks you down as you are sitting an exam. Perhaps you have finished before the actual exam time, or you do not have what to put down on your answer booklet. The situation is intense. All you are waiting for is the invigilator’s announcement to set you free. You are perhaps saying to yourself “I wish I had read earlier.”
I certainly do not remember the exact date and time when I sat this examination. All I remember is that it was at the end of my first year and we were sitting a paper in Comparative Political systems. As we wrote and wrote, my brains could not give any extra data in line with what the examination required but I was satisfied that I had done a good job. In fact, I convinced myself to have done justice to the paper because I had some information I was sure no one else had written. There I sat estimating how much I would score in the paper. Indeed, there was no doubt I had done my best and had nothing to add.
It did not take long, boredom overthrew poor me. There I was, gazing, biting my pen and finally dozing. I had to do something to avoid the shame of snoring from the examination room. I made up to make myself busy and started using my pen without concern. In doing so, I violated the examiner’s instructions- I wrote my answer booklet serial number on my question paper. Little did I know one examiner with a sharp eye had spotted me? He swiftly picked my paper but immediately put it down after realizing that what I had written constituted, in no way, a form of malpractice. With the fear I had acquired, all the boredom was gone. The examination came to an end and off I went with excitement to have ended the fresher’s life.
Months ran like days, days ran like hours and hours like seconds, the holiday ended and I reported to university as a proud continuing student. A few weeks down the first semester of my second year, our first year examination results were released. All other students’ results were at the notice board except mine.
I panted with fear but quickly decided to visit the undergraduate examination coordinator, who happened to have been the one who lectured us in the very paper that my marks were missing. On entering his office, he looked at me with due respect but with a sharp and fierce eye and said to me, “Cattle Keeper, what do you seek from my office?” My blood ran fast and my heart beat was as swift as electric turbines but was determined to explain my grievance. I fearfully told him. And his response was, “Cattle keeper (I don’t know why he called me a cattle keeper), you will have to re-do the examination. Do you have any proof that you did the paper?” he asked. “Yes” I said and showed him the examination permit of that semester. He laughed at me and asked me on how that would prove.
I gave up and miserably left his office but on the way to my hostel I remembered that I had written my booklet serial number on my question paper. I picked it and went back to his office, showed him that proof. He was surprised and exclaimed. “Cattle keeper, did you know that your marks would go missing!” He said this as he showed me a heap of answer booklets to search for my paper. Oh! What a task, sifting through hundreds of papers! But I was determined and God with me and in about an hour I searched and got my 70%. What joy filled my heart! From then I made it a habit to record my answer booklet serial numbers as I sit my exams. How many of you are suffering with retakes whose exams you had passed. Record your serial numbers and have a basis to claim your paper once things go wrong. Definitely the sun will shine on those who bow before it!