Tears and Trust

Chapter 9

On January 8, school resumed properly to its full activities and before the end of the month, the registration for UTME, WASSCE and SSCE conducted by JAMB, WAEC and NECO respectively, commenced. The most privilege among the final year students who were born with a silver spoon, the likes of Joy and others registered for the three examinations. Other registered for UTME and either WASSCE or SSCE. The less privileged registered for either WASSCE or SSCE, leaving UTME till the next academic year.

The UTME results were to be released in February but what got the students more was the upcoming Valentine's day.
Though the school authority was largely against relationship among students, the students however knew of ways to demonstrate their affections to each other without the school authority noticing. They even exchange gifts on Valentine's.
Fortunately that year, Valentine's happened to be on Sunday which meant lovebirds had the freedom to spend time together without any school restrictions. In situations like that, exchanging of gifts extended to the next day in school, being Monday.

On February 14, Faisal happened to be busy due to a contract of 800 blocks production given to their industry. Even though he told his boss he was sick, he never succeeded securing any leave. The boss after a few minutes thought said:

"Faisal, I know you only want to dodge today's work so that you go for Valentine's. You are not sick, you are going nowhere."

Faisal spent the whole day working at the block industry. He thought of how lonely Christine may have felt without him.

At once as if a spell was cast on him, Faisal thought of Joy and how lonely she might have felt too. To his surprise, she didn't even request to spend the Valentine's with him.
Later that evening, he excused himself from work and decided to check on Stephen for they had something to discuss.
Unannounced, he headed to Stephen's place and knocked the door. Before any response was made, Faisal opened the door and entered, just as good friends do. To his greatest shock and disappointment, Christine was in the room with Stephen.
Though he had seen no proof that the two had an affair, he got so upset that Christine betrayed him by spending the Valentine's with Stephen. He left the room without saying a word. Stephen had no idea what was going on since he was not aware Christine and Faisal were having any relationship.
Instead of getting back to work, Faisal in his pains decided to go home. The gift he intended giving Christine the next day in school for Valentine's, he sold it to a friend who urgently needed a package for his girlfriend.

Next day in school being Monday, Faisal was seen sitting quietly in class. Christine called him several times but he gave her no any chance to explain what she was doing with Stephen the previous day.
He watched as most of his classmates displayed the gifts they received from their lovers. To his surprise, Joy gave him no gift for the Valentine's. He kept looking under his locker to see if she had kept any gift for him like she did the previous Valentine's but there was nothing.
He realised that since the beginning of the second term, Joy seemed to have lose a great portion of her interest in him. Unlike the previous terms that she got him snacks and he kept rejecting, she talked to him even though he was uninterested, she got worried when he was not fine, now she barely acknowledge his presence in class.

The UTME was conducted before the end of February and after a week, the results were released. A good number of the students obtained excellent scores. Faisal obtained 287 points, Ummi the outgoing head girl had 280, Christine obtained 193 points, Both Francis and Frank obtained 206. Joy had 294 and that made her the best graduating student of the year.
When Stephen was asked about his score, he told the entire class that he obtained 200 points. Unknown to him, one of his back bencher friends who was not opportune to register for the UTME obtained Stephen's UTME registration number and as soon as results were released, he checked for the score. Early the next day, he announced to the classmates that came early that Stephen obtained 109 points.

First week of March meant the beginning of their last days in Rehoboth Comprehensive. The WASSCE was to commence in April. All the SSS3 students got so serious with reviewing the Past Questions and Answers relating to their various fields.
No one studied harder than Ummi who applied to study Mass Communication in University of Jos.
Joy had applied to study Law at the Bauchi State University and with the points she obtained in her UTME, it was clear that her admission into the university was certain.

Some NGO Came to Rehoboth Comprehensive and organised an orientation programme for the outgoing Students. After the orientation, Faisal decided to meet Joy for a talk. He walked up to her but to his surprise, he felt no courage to start a talk with her. For over a minute, he stood there speechless. He thought she'd say something to him instead but she said nothing. He turned back and walked out of the Hall.
In class, it was all over his mind how suddenly Joy seemed uninterested in him. He used to think her feelings for him would never end even though he wasn't showing her any love in return.

In his room that day, all that occupied his mind was Joy. He recalled all those moments she use to smile at him, all the times she offered to help him and all the moments she requested to be with him.
He just found himself in love with Joy. His heart full of regrets. His feelings for her continued to increase day by day. He developed a very strong feeling for her but due to his past, he lose courage to ask her out, especially now that she seemed no longer interested in him.
He rightly knew the cause of her sudden change. Once a friend told him:

"Look Faisal. When someone is in love with you and that person is so innocent, then instead of showing them love in return, you keep maltreating them and hurting them in various ways; they'd tolerate all those bad treatment and endure all the pains you cause them, just because they love you.
They will continue to love you so much and they'd keep trying to win your love....but when their love reach its peak and highest point, when they have shown you the strongest love and affection they could but without getting any love in return, the pains you inflicted in them and the bad treatment you gave them would push them to their climax and they'll retaliate. Their love for you will decline and eventually cease to exist. The love they once had for you will fade away."

In her room, Christine was not just fine. Since Faisal refused to give her a second chance, she had moved on with Stephen but her conscience kept judging her that she really betrayed Joy. She promised herself to ensure that Faisal and Joy had a successful relationship so that her conscience might stop judging her.

By the end of March, the 12 prefects were assembled and after a congratulatory speech by the principal, they were dissolved just as their predecessors. The names of their successors were subsequently announced.

After their WASSCE concluded in April, the SSS3 students went on a 3 weeks break to await for the SSCE coming up in May/June. As they were on the break, preparations for their Graduation was subsequently made by the school authority. The Speech and Prize giving was scheduled to hold in July.
During the break, Christine kept fixing dates with Stephen. Even though he kept hurting her by hanging out and flirting with some other girls. She'd then miss Faisal and wish she could go back to him; but she knew Faisal wouldn't just welcome her back.
At last, she called off what seemed to be some form of casual relationship that was between her and Stephen and decided to remain single, waiting for Faisal.