"You're perfect for the start, good impression matters a lot remember?" Shade added, leaving me speechless.
"It's not fair, I'm not prepared to take the lead, I'll retaliate for sure." I retorted with a hiss and flipped further the seminar handbook we perused and revised before the group presentation. It was our penultimate year and seminar presentation was a major block we needed to pass in addition to the theory examinations before we were promoted.
The other group members, Tolani and Ireti hastened up with the revision while the rest of us dashed out to have our baths. The campus hostel had limited rest rooms and oftentimes, we went in batches to have our shower. Shortly after we had our bath, Tolani and Ireti proceeded with theirs while we dressed smartly and corporately.
The seminar presentation was one we dreaded majorly because of an invited external examiner alongside Prof. Alade who was notorious for being strict and miserly with scores. My girls and I hurried out of the hostel in a row, revising possible questions that could arise from the presentation. We encouraged ourselves to be optimistic but deep within us, we were defeated already, the combination of the duo examiners was a horror we had no choice but to confront. My heart pounded so hard I could feel it beat against my chest, my group was first to present on the list and the examiners would have ample time to piece us if they wanted.
My friends and I walked into the lecture hall that had other students seated at the back seats like a flock led to the slaughter. I saw small groups of other presenters rehearsing their topics also. We sat somewhere behind the seats allocated for the lecturers and continued in low tones our discussions. My heart continuously beat hard and fast as I expected the lecturers to walk in at any moment for the 10 a.m. seminar. Barely a few minutes later, our level lecturer walked in and addressed us to maintain decorum. The other lecturers began to walk in one after the other at irregular intervals, finding a suitable spot allotted to the lecturers. The two reserved seats for Prof Alade and the external examiner soon got occupied as both arrived together, laughing and catching up while the hall went dead silent. Prof Alade was a lecturer to most of the departmental lecturers and thus, commanded much respect and loyalty. His gait was awkward, walking and tilting sideways as a result of a rumored accident some years back.
We all settled in and straight to business, my group was called to the moderately elevated stage. We stood right in front of the lecturers while the projector screen occupied the larger part of the stage. Immediately after the first slide, Prof. Alade interrupted.
"Did your supervisor see your PowerPoint presentation before today?" His eyes fixed on me.
I was speechless at that instance. Our supervisor saw the work and advised some corrections which unfortunately we didn't revert to him because of time. I didn't know if I should answer in the affirmative or otherwise.
"Seems the young lady has lost her words, let's not make her lose herself in the presentation." The external examiner, a huge and unfriendly-looking man in his early sixties chuckled.
"Alright, spill it, let's see if you have something tangible to deliver." Prof. Alade waved to me.
Unfortunately, the scared me lost not just my words but myself already. I had heard Prof. Alade had a sarcastic way of urging unsuspecting students to follow the wrong path continue till he marked them down or vetoed their results. I saw many eyes on me, expecting me to continue with the presentation but I stood glued, and unable to continue.
"The group leader should continue from where she stopped." Prof. Alade said to my other team members, unknown to him that I was the group lead. The complacency from my colleagues must have made him realize I was the group leader. "Or you're the group leader?" He asked, facing me and all I could was give an affirmative nod.
"Alright, any member in the group can continue, let's give the shocked leader time to regain herself." The external examiner chipped in.
Kemi picked up from where I stopped and continued the presentation since her part was the next to take. Prof Alade and the external examiner seemed to be lenient after my blackout and waited for the questions and answers before calling me forth to defend the group which I did excellently as though nothing had happened some minutes earlier.
My mood was not fully recovered even after the presentation. We were mandated to stay back for other group presentations which we obliged. Nobody dared question Prof. Alade. We returned to the hostel later that evening and despite efforts to cheer me up by my colleagues, I remained cold. I was scared not just for myself, I worried more about the group's performance since I fumbled from the onset.
Kemi walked into the room and mimicked Prof. Alade. "Did your supervisor see your PowerPoint presentation before today?" She asked with all seriousness, staring at my colleagues. Tolani stood up from her bunk bed and froze for a moment, the whole room exuding a pin-drop silence. Almost simultaneously, all four girls burst into laughter, and like a communicable disease, I joined hysterically.
"You're a clown." I retorted.
"Cheer up baby girl, we'll be fine." Tolani walked up to me and gave me a bear hug which I hurriedly buried myself in. The other girls came closer and surrounded me with their arms, hugging me. I felt loved and accepted.
We settled shortly for the theory examinations that night and read till daybreak. It seemed the questions were those we had solved the night before and we kept smiling and rejoicing when we met after the papers. Barely two weeks after our examinations, the results were released and like a dream, my group got a B pass in the seminar presentation. We danced and reminisced further on the events of the day we had the seminar. Deep within me, I was glad we came out successful.
