The final year examination was to start a week before others started. The timetable was published and everyone switched to exam mode. Cassey was in 300 level, computer science. I told her I needed space to prepare for the exam. Exactly what I told Rita also, this was my career and future, I needed to come out in flying colors.
The question papers I stole from my HOD's car were still there. There were no signs from cassey that something went wrong. As long as I was concerned, everything was ok.
The control process 3 I took was a wrong one. It was the one he handled us at the first semester. If only I had looked carefully, I would have seen the MEC 521, instead of the MEC 522 that was the second semester version.
But the Robotics was perfect! At least I had one less course to worry about.
Once in a while, I will bring it out from inside my box where I tucked it away, with a smile on my face, I will read through the questions once again. They were difficult questions, one that you require a combination of two or three text books to solve. Once in a while, I will copy out one of the question in a plain sheet, then head to the library to find text books that will help me solve them.
There were six questions on the paper, with options of answering five. So far, I have found possible solution to four of the problems. The other two were his trademark questions, gotten from his much rumored indian text book. It was also rumored that the text book was not in the market, and that he was the only one that had that text book. Yet, no one knew the name of this text book. I wasn't bordered with those ones. If I could answer four questions out of five perfectly, then I'm good to go.
One of such days, I returned from the library, busy tucking in the plain sheets I used in solving those four questions when samuel, my room mate walked up to me.
"My cousin Odili will be coming tomorrow".
"Ok", I replied. He looked too serious, I wondered if it was just a mere visitation from his cousin that was troubling him.
"Where is he serving", I asked.
"Serve ke? He has been in the house all these while. He said he had a carry over that gave him an extra year. He wants to stay here and write it. He said its just one course".
Odili was a senior course mate of mine. I met him through my room mate, he was a class ahead of me. I do collect lecture material, text books and exam past questions from him when he was at school. He was an average student and helps in giving my heads up on what to expect of every lecture and courses.
"Of course, no problem". It wasn't a big deal. At least, its just for the exam. If it gets too crowded, I can always go to rita's.
"What course is he re-writing?", I asked him.
"I don't know. Its something that has to do with that movie: Robo-cop!
Robotics!
"I don't know what you guys are even studying in that department self", samuel continued. He was studying Government and Public administration, as long as he is concerned, life starts and ends with his course. You dare not start an argument with him in relevance of courses. He will always win you!
"You know that the only time you can apply what you studied at school is when the government provides conducive environment for you", he started his endless speech of how his course is the real deal!
"You guys and your oil companies can only survive when we say so. If you guys vex us, we will enact an environmental law forbidding exploration of oil in this country, and just like that, you guys will be washing plates at iya basira restaurant".
I smiled at his joke. Its easy for guys to limit the options of an engineer to oil fields alone. I have tried many at times to educate him on the versatility of engineers. I even cited examples of many Nigerian banks that have engineers as their general managers.
"Its only half baked engineers that work in banks", he always joked.
"That's not true. Engineers are critical thinkers, based on the number of calculation courses that requires critical analyses that we are exposed to". I continued.
"We do more math courses than accountants, economist and so many other courses that you think are fitted for bank works".
"Anyway, if you guys mess up, we will ban you and the banks too". Samuel concluded. He was a case study, I gave up on him.
_____________________________
Few days to the start of exam, Odili arrived, demanding for notes, material, text books and even lectures on Robotics. It was so demanding of him. I had other courses to attend to, and my project was still stalling. Whenever I pick my books to read, he will bring out a material on robotics and start asking me questions. It was so annoying that I decided to leave the room and go to Rita's.
I packed a few of my things. Reached to the inside of my bag, and brought out my stolen question and the solution to four of the questions, neatly solved in two plain sheets of paper. I went through the solution again. I have almost memorized all of them. I don't need the paper, I was going to revise it, then go inside the exam without it. As I glanced at it again, I noticed most of them were etched in my memory. I don't need them again. As I was contemplating on what to do with them, Odili walked in and I hastily shoved it under the bed.
Odili and I talked for some time. He was still complaining about not understanding all the lecture notes I gave him on Robotics. I informed him that the HOD gave us some hint on where to concentrate and how the exam will look like. He was more than interested as his eyes were fixed on me.
I asked him to bring all the lecture notes, and I took time to highlight certain areas, simulations, equations and systems that were necessary to answer the questions I already had. It was more than enough. He thanked me greatly and I left for rita's. . .
. . .Forgetting the stolen question paper and its solutions I shoved under the bed. . .
I spent the remaining days prior to exam at rita's. She was also preparing for her degree exam, department of History and International studies. She wasn't doing an intensive preparation. She still had spare time to watch lots of movies, go for outings and hang out with her friends. I made sure I wasn't a liability to her. Although she was happy to have me over, I still gave her the required space when her friends come over.
The s'ex at night was great. It was a wonderful way to relieve off the stress of the day. We would make love over and over again, finally collapsing in each others hands to sleep off. I'm a light sleeper, and sometimes would wake up in the night to read. After few minutes of reading and staring at the almost Unclad body of rita lying carelessly on the bed, I will be turned on. On such occasions, I will kiss her until she wakes up, then we continue the love making again. She was always ready for me.
The early morning s'e'x was fantastic. Sometimes she will wake up, and wait for me to wake. With that refreshed body system, and my d'kk having an automatic early morning Attention, we would plunge into each other again.
I do call cassey once a while and we will talk for a long time. She sounded normal, and I was certain nothing was amidst.
_______________________________
The exam started and within the first week, I had taken my first two papers, including the Control Process. They were good, control process was mean, but I was sure a gave it a good tackle. It wasn't going to be below a C. I had another two papers the next week, including robotics. After that, I was going to have a full one week break before my last paper.
Tuesday of the next week, I took my third paper. The next one, Robotics was to be a day after it, on thursday. After the tuesday paper, I got back to Grace lodge to rest and revise for Robotics.
Rita was not around, I helped myself into the room, collecting the key under the foot mat where she normally kept it since I started staying with her.
I rested for few minutes. Just two papers and my project to go. Everything was working out fine. I needed to do a final revision on Robotics, but that can wait till tomorrow. I needed sleep, after it I can revise the answers from the stolen question paper.
Then it occurred to me! I left the question and its answers hidden under my bed at palmville.
Jeeezzzzz!!! How could I have forgoten that! I needed to rush down there and get it.
I rushed down to palmville, samuel was not around, so I unlocked the door and entered.
I went straight to the foam which was on the floor, lifted it up. . .
. . .the question paper and its answers were gone!!!
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