After the SS2 students' promotional examinations to SS3, they all traveled home for the two-week holiday, and while enjoying the holiday, a memo was passed via the school website.
The memo was about the poor performance of students in the previous examination, and it was said that out of 120 students in SS2, only 12 passed and were promoted to SS3. The memo also made it very clear that the school was so disappointed because its favorite students failed woefully.
When Kofi heard the news, fear gripped him because failing the class would mean a repeat of the class, and that means extra pay. He gets another realm of taunts each time he remembers the line that said all the class favorites failed because he was among the most intelligent in the class.
The two weeks of holidays got exhausted, and they all resumed school to fight their fears.
They were welcomed back by the principal of the school, and during the assembly, he emphasized how displeased he is with the result of the promotional examination of the SS2 class, and the air got filled with murmurs from different angles. He made them understand also that he's a man of integrity, and there's no way he's going to adjust the result to bring in more passes, that is to say, only the twelve candidates will be promoted.
A time was scheduled for them to be going into the principal's office to check the results one after the other, but before then, some of the students began to make smart moves by bribing their way to some of the teachers in order to get a clue of the list of people that passed so as to reduce tension. But they didn't succeed because the principal was personally in charge of the result.
A few hours before the said time to check the result, Kofi gathered some of the classmates to meet the Prefect of the class to discuss what to do because it couldn't be accepted that out of 120 students, only 12 would be promoted.
They all met the Prefect, and Kofi asked him, "What will happen if you're not among the promoted students? We have to do something about this."
"It's impossible; I'm very sure I'm among the passed students." The prefect said with a smile and confidence written all over him.
"I'm baffled by your confidence. Didn't you hear when the principal said the most intelligent student in the class failed?Wait, is there something you're not telling us? It seems you've secretly seen your result," Kofi questioned the Prefect.
While smiling, the prefect answered him back, "Bro, I haven't seen my result; I'm just too confident that I haven't failed."
They were still discussing while the bell rang for them to gather to check the result.
That particular moment, goosebumps took over their skins, and everyone of them became extremely scared.
They were made to assemble in the staff hall, where they'll be entering the principal's office in a set of five.
The staff in charge of selecting students to go inside the principal's office was so curious too, so he decided to select the first five from the league of "not so good" students in the class. They entered the principal's office and came out within 3 minutes with their faces soaked in tears and sweat.
When the others saw them crying, they had to believe that the principal wasn't joking when he said only 12 students were promoted.
The next five were selected in a mixed manner that comprised both the dullards and the brainy, of which the Prefect was among them.
They came out of the principal's office with only the Prefect smiling while the other four were dropping tears like rain.
When Kofi saw that the Prefect passed, he had to believe that the Prefect had somehow seen his result but didn't want to admit he had.
It's time for the next set, and Kofi got selected among the next five. He went inside with mixed feelings but was still hopeful to come out smiling.
They came out within 3 minutes with tears on their faces, as usual. When the students saw that Kofi failed, they instantly lost hope because it was obvious that the remaining 11 students couldn't be guessed or figured out among them.
The moment became the worst of Kofi's life; he felt so heartbroken, and he went to a corner to satisfy his emotions with tears.
Then suddenly, they saw the principal walk out of the office with a big book in his hand.
"Where is Kofi?" the principal asked, as he was gazed his eyes everywhere to locate Kofi.
Kofi walked out from the spot he was crying to meet the principal, and the principal gave him the biggest news: "Sorry, I mistook your number for another; you passed; you're among the 12 promoted students."
Kofi couldn't believe what he just heard; it seemed like a dream to him, and he was pleading to wake up because the news was too much to believe.
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Then he screamed so loudly and ran away, full of excitement, and his friends ran towards him to celebrate with him.
The rest of the students continued to check theirs, and just as announced, only 12 students were promoted, with two boys (the prefect and Kofi) and ten girls.
Afterwards, a PTA meeting (Parents and Teachers Association) was organized, and the parents pleaded with the school management to reduce the cutoff mark to get in more students. The school succumbed, and 83 students were added to the promotion list, making it 95 students in total.