Chapter 5: Three-State Exam—Real Battle Begins

Next morning, Three-State Joint Exam start.

School compound dey bubble, everywhere serious. Security dey for gate, parents dey pray for car park. Some students dey hug Bible, others dey solve last-minute maths.

Morning breeze dey blow, but sweat still dey my back as sun dey rise over the compound. I wear my proctor badge, dey waka for corridor. The smell of chalk and distant akara dey mix for air.

As I enter Ifunanya exam room, I look her. Her speed no dey fast like before; she dey think before she write.

Her face dey calm, she dey take her time. I see say she dey try keep her promise.

I nod, waka go Exam Room 1.

Exam Room 1 na where all top students dey, na dem get highest score.

The class cold, AC dey blow, but tension dey for air. Some dey press calculator, some dey mumble formula.

Most dey write fast—only Binta never start.

She cross leg, dey play with biro, dey look window. Pride full her body.

I check her paper, instead of calculation, na rubbish she write:

"This exam useless, make e die."

"Trash exam, trash proctor, all of una be mumu."

"Why Binta result dey good, who she be? Make she die!"

...

I shock. This one pass normal mischief. If dem catch her, na wahala.

All these bad words full the answer sheet.

At the same time, she dey talk to her system.

[This time, swap my paper with her own. Make sure nothing spoil!]

[No be only score—I want the whole paper swap too!]

[Gbam! Request received. This time, swap go happen without restriction. No matter whether Ifunanya finish or not, swap go work, and e no go affect reality.]

[Good. That girl, last time she no finish paper, disgrace me. This time, after swap, I go disgrace her!]

Her eye red, she dey smile for herself, as if say e sure for her.

I shock as I hear her plan.

Just because swap fail last time, she wan destroy Ifunanya reputation?

If swap succeed, all those dirty words go show as if na Ifunanya write am.

With the weight of this exam, e go finish Ifunanya.

I breathe deep, waka go door.

For my mind, I dey say, 'God abeg, no let evil win.'

Ifunanya, na your hand e dey now.

I close eye, try pray inside my heart.

As I wan comot, Fair University Entrance Exam System for my mind talk:

[Detected cheating system carrier near you. Analyzing.]

I freeze, stop for door. My heart dey knock like generator. Sweat dey my palm. I do quick, nervous sign of the cross, whisper, 'God of my village, abeg.'

My mind dey race. For Naija, if two masquerade dey run, na the third person go suffer. This one... another system user dey here?

I grip the doorknob tight, dey wait for wetin go happen next. My spirit stand. E be like say real battle don start. Tomorrow, person go hear who really get system for this school.