Waiting for the End

Originally written on February 2nd 2013


     It was certainly exciting, I couldn’t deny it. My heart raced as my eyes followed the steady pace of my blue pen on the crisp white of the exam paper. It was nearing the end, and every one of us, the Form Five students were eagerly anticipating it.

The nerve wrecking minutes before freedom.

All around me, pens danced on papers, each stroke much more urgent than the one before. It was the last battle. One that would bring an end to three weeks of war. A war we spent two years preparing for. As my pen made the last inky dot, ending my personal battle, I felt it again, the anticipation, eagerness, the thumping of an excited heart threatening to break out of my chest.

Four minutes left.

Papers were being shoved aside to the furthest possible corner of the small fold-able desks, their writers ready to hand them over. The clunky trots of the female invigilator on her heels we dubbed the Kung Fu shoes reminded me of the passing seconds that felt agonizingly slow. My mind was adrift. Dwelling on the school days that was only a few minutes from ending.

Another two minutes.

The hall was a restless mix of rustling papers, shoes shuffling against dusty floor, nervous giggles and bored sighs. Invigilators began their hushed discussion. Students began their noisy packing. It was the tap of pens against pencils, the thud of erasers falling onto floors and into pencil cases and the zips and clicks of closing pencil cases.

Forty-five seconds.

Invigilators began trotting across the hall, the Kung Fu shoes lady’s being the most audible footsteps. Giggles escaped the girls, euphoria was in the air. The sudden screeching of the microphone took our breaths away. And we held the ones forming.

Ten.

“Attention candidates,” the Head Invigilator began. ”Please put down your pens and paper.”

Five.

“The invigilators will be collecting your papers.”

Four.

A pin could have dropped and everyone would hear it.

Three.

“The time allocated for Biology Paper 3…”

Two.

“…is over.”

One.

The hall erupted in a sea of cheers and laughter, sighs of relief and exhaustion. I laughed and smiled and before I knew it, there were tears. Of relief, exhaustion and sadness. Our battles, our biggest war, our school lives was over. Wiping my eyes, I picked up my pencil case and took a slow step towards the exit, where many others were already running to.