"Omolara! Omolara!! Where have you been? I have been looking for you." Funmi, the closest to me among my school friends, asked when she saw me setting alone on the school field.
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"I have been in the staff room for over 20 minutes. Mrs. Ajakaye, our English teacher, called me earlier," I replied.
"You don't look happy; did anything happen there?" She asked.
"She complained about my grades, and I feel really sad about it," I replied, Funmi, and she sat on the grass with me.
"Did you fail? But our result isn't out yet." Funmi asked, looking confused.
"She wasn't happy with what other teachers were saying about my first term result," I replied, and Funmi sighed heavily.
"If they complained about you, what then is my fate?" Funmi stuttered, but I didn't have an answer to her question because she had been struggling since resumption as well.
It was our first term in senior secondary, and I already knew that I was in the wrong class, but I felt reluctant to make the necessary amendment because I didn't want to be mocked like I did with my classmates to Femi, a boy who left science for art class in the middle of the term.
After completing my junior secondary school, I was confused about what I really wanted to become in the future. Deep down, I was so interested in journalism, acting, and a few other things related to art, but my parents wanted me in the medical line.
Throughout the holiday before resumption, I thought about it carefully and had to seek my friends opinion. Only two among them didn't opt for science, so I didn't just go with the crowd since it was my parents choice as well.
Resumption came, and things started smoothly for me, but as we dived deeper, I started struggling to understand a lot of things, most especially with physics and chemistry. Several times, I have to beg my friends to stay behind so they could explain things to me, and some times, I visited their homes just to learn and catch up with them.
I struggled with classwork, assignments, and even impromptu tests, but I didn't want to bow out that cheaply. Telling my parents wasn't an option because I was one of the best students in junior high, and to them, struggling in senior high would mean that I was giving an excuse to quit science class.
I and Funmi joined our other friends in the classroom after we left the field, but I couldn't join them in playing as usual, like we do on every last day of the term.
Mrs. Ajakaye's advice didn't stop ringing in my head as I watched the other students play and being confused got me emotional.
I got my result sheet and was moved to tears seeing 56% as my grading for the term. Funmi even did better than, and she waited behind to console me. I thought about everything my parents would say about my grades, and it breaks my heart a lot.
"Don't you think I should just switch to Art and save myself the stress? This isn't what I really wanted for myself," I said to Funmi while sobbing.
"What would everyone think, and you know we won't be keeping touch as usual?" Funmi replied.
"That's true and I can improve if I do better. You girls can help me, right?" I replied, wiping my tears upon noticing the school cleaners coming in our direction.
"What are you students still doing in school after closing?" The cleaners asked us.
"Nothing, ma, we were just leaving." I replied, and we left immediately.
We walked past the staff room towards the school gate, and I noticed Mrs. Ajakaye coming behind us.
"Good afternoon, ma?" I greeted and tried taking her bag, but she refused.
"Good afternoon. I hope you have seen your card." She asked me.
"Yes, ma," I stuttered, feeling ashamed to even look at her face.
"Have you thought about it? The earlier, the better for you." Mrs Ajakaye stopped walking.
"I made this same mistake and waited until I was preparing for my secondary school leaving examination before I admitted that science wasn't what I wanted. I spent an extra two years trying to correct my mistake, and lucky for me, things worked out. I know people who couldn't further their education because of that mistake you are making, think about it thoroughly," Mrs. Ajakaye replied, and I began crying again.
"You don't have to cry, and I am only saying this because you were one of my bright students in junior high." She patted me on the shoulder and went her way.
"That was a wake-up call! We need to do the needful, or what do you think?" Funmi asked me.
"We?" I asked, looking confused.
"I wanted art too initially," she replied.
"I will switch if my parents agree," I replied.
That night, I kneeled before my parents as I presented them my result and pleaded they allowed me switch to art.
Surprisingly, there was no objection and they even blamed me for not telling them the moment I knew I couldn't cope.
I couldn't thank them enough for giving their consent. I spent the holiday collecting text books and reading to catch up with the art students. A lot of people were surprised to see me in art class, and I didn't regret making that decision.
