Chapter 5 The Final Lap

Primary 6 came quickly.

It felt like only yesterday that Faith was the quiet new girl in Primary 4, eyes wide and mind sharp.

Now, she sat at the front of the highest class in the school older, taller, and even more focused.

From the very first week, one word danced on every chalkboard:

Common Entrance.

Teachers didn't waste time.

Notes flew.

Mock exams piled up.

Timetables stretched.

And still Faith remained calm.

But deep down, she knew this was different.

Because this exam wasn't just about Harmony Primary School.

They'd be mixed with other schools in the town including her former school.

And the thought of failing in front of people who once knew her?

Unthinkable.

She read harder than she ever had.

She practiced late into the night.

Even Pearl noticed.

"Are you okay?" she asked one day, eyes narrowed.

"You're reading like you want to break the ceiling."

Faith smiled, tired but sure.

"I just want to prove... something."

Pearl didn't ask what.

She already knew.

When the exam day arrived, the school bus carried them all to the large center where hundreds of pupils waited some nervous, some excited, all clutching sharpened pencils and registration slips.

Faith spotted girls from her former school in the crowd.

One of them waved. Another just stared.

Faith adjusted her socks and faced forward.

This wasn't about the past.

This was about becoming.

The exam came.

The exam went.

And for two whole weeks, the school held its breath.

Until one Monday morning during assembly, the Headmistress stepped up with a printed sheet in her hand and joy in her eyes.

"I'm pleased to announce," she began, "that Harmony Primary School produced two of the top three scorers in the entire region."

The pupils leaned in.

"In second place, we have Faith L."

"In third place... our very own Pearl O."

"And in first place, from Bright Future Academy Adanna I."

The claps were thunderous.

Some teachers teared up.

Others simply shook their heads in wonder.

"These two girls," one of them whispered, "have given this school a name it has never had before."

Graduation Day

The hall was decorated in blue and white balloons.

Parents filled the seats. Pupils wore sashes and small paper crowns.

The atmosphere smelled like Jollof rice, fresh pencils, and pride.

Faith sat beside Pearl, both dressed in neatly ironed uniforms with gold "Class of Excellence" tags pinned to their chests.

Each pupil was called forward to receive their certificate.

Then, the Headmistress returned to the podium for one last announcement.

"This year," she said, her voice calm but warm, "we've seen something we haven't seen before two girls who have not only led academically but have inspired this school without raising their voices."

She turned to Faith and Pearl.

"For the first time in our school's history, we are awarding a Joint Academic Honor to Faith Lazarus and Pearl Okonkwo."

The hall erupted.

Some parents stood up and clapped.

Cameras clicked.

Faith's father held her mother's hand tightly.

Pearl turned to Faith and whispered,

"You did it."

Faith replied, softly,

"We did."

Later that evening, when the crowd had thinned and the floors were sticky with cake crumbs, Faith stood in the empty classroom one last time.

She walked to her desk. Touched the edge.

So many memories.

So much growth.

Pearl joined her at the doorway.

"Secondary school," she said.

"You ready?"

Faith looked around the room, then back at her.

"I've been ready since Primary 4."

They smiled not because everything was perfect but because they were proud of who they had become.

They didn't just pass exams.

They passed through change, friendship, fear, and pressure.

And they didn't just graduate from school.

They graduated into confidence.

Into womanhood quietly blooming, boldly growing.