Becoming Faith

dden

he had built a name that echoed

rus

rk as the standard. Her parents had grown used to the pride of seeing "1st Position" at the top of her res

w first position, h

essing w

loud, but her results were. SS2 First Term came and went like every o

on: Olamid

ion: Laza

en in front of t

of the world... bu

o

t a m

cked withou

ing outwo

time in years,

rival from junior schoo

even lions rest

insult. It wa

pted it withou

th

didn

idn't

n ask, "How di

who had seen her result before s

d of the world,"

face setbacks,"

ste of the challen

list

her room, dropped her bag,

she had

a l

s, a little was enough f

cked herse

r reading rout

lanations into lessons for herself, teaching an invisible class at home. Formulas becam

ates began

gree breathe this t

l, noticed. But she didn't

wasn't chas

ersion of herself tha

r Befo

f SS3, the school

isapp

ime va

s started soundin

e was loud

ons, extra classes, ext

private marathon, and Faith was righ

ide, it was that she had already covered

had read them all during her scholarship years, when she

n

she r

ike she hadn't re

line was re

w notes fro

diagrams f

logy to herself l

ry equations like t

ke she was competin

l she wa

it wasn't about tak

bout beatin

.. it was

big

t determined

heard the stor

that got

ents who myste

hat never

know what she was doing she was scare

hat didn't

ning, her teac

ou've done your part. Now go

a little at

eally, wh

a brill

had taken first posi

Lazaru

ne wh

ho fought

ied not for clap

ht of her

er brother w

ny Primary School who mig

more than a pen i

rrying res

xam began, ever

ere now watched by

ere spa

ions wer

smiled

rst paper English Langua

before," she whi

this a thou

t, her pen b

the next, she ga

writing to balancing equations she poured out

Bles

s stro

. Con

he period, but the respec

warriors. Just

me the

st, most stressful

nty for the holidays. It was supposed to be rest but how do y

usins treated h

ith her little cousins. Even visi

er, fear qui

omething

script g

if I

she had never had

was

ime, her result was com

e living room with her phone

ULTS NOW AVAI

art dr

nds we

she wasn

ited a

n t

aunt to check it f

far, Faith, she told he

ned the

n her d

"Check

ld her

reen l

. Pain

h

s.

fr

scr

in, panicked.

e in the air, tears

d," she

ed ever

dan

pra

rents who also scr

t just a

confi

hts she stayed u

ces made by her pare

rivalry, every failure she b

aith lay on the bed, s

f

anx

t p

ossed anot

t chapter w

for

herself

hersel

fully, finally, joyfully

ift of

ay rolled on l

as beh

closed like a

me, Faith wasn't waking up to alarm

free but

ve her just two weeks to rest. Two weeks of sleep, laughter, a

her came into her room with fo

y, "but it's not forever. What sk

lready thou

ion had also sharpened. She knew university life was coming

ded side

communicat

ed someth

that didn't involve a sewi

the same thing she

aining center for creative

e around her di

u sure that one

ng many didn't: the re

ons. Job interviews. Speeches. R

ees still paid other

pen this gift now, I can h

, and Friday, she dressed u

ught:How to write

ft a compe

ammar that most

lic speaking and

ch others what

every lesson like it w

uickly, sh

"Who taught you how

and replied s

eighborhood writing application letters for seniors, coaching junior

much just small "th

n't about

out the p

aith Writes" or something catchy and begin offering writing help to students

er little sou

y of h

of stayi

er parents had

dad once said, watching her scribble something on

't say muc

pped her notebook, a

, she wasn't wri

riting he

rd at

ions, firecrackers, sweet ri

it all, Faith d

celebration

th jou

with s

go

lost, not wondering

register

to sco

er space in a fe

ondary school girl anymore, but as a you