I turned my head to the other side not feeling good to open my eyes to the sound made by someone. that is when I heard my name being really called loudly "MARIANETTE !!!". I quickly opened my eyes and realized I was in my class room.
My teacher said, "Go to the board and solve the problem".
I lazily walked from my place and took the chalk and wrote down x is equal to and I stared at the board as if it will give me the answers.
My teacher leaned towards the board and said, "Keep Going!". He asked, "What is three times six?". He repeated again annoyingly, "What is three times six?".
I stared at the chalk and the board thinking what was the answer.
He told that, "You have the SAT (Scholastic Ability Test) in two days. what are you going to do?". He cupped my face forcefully.
I was about to fall asleep in his warm hands, but he yelled my name loudly, "MARIANETTE !!".
I woke up to the sound of my name.
He hit me twice on my head and the third one was a really a huge blow that made me stagger on my feet but I balanced perfectly. I bowed to him and I was on my way to my seat.
He asked me, "Have you memorized the times table? Can you do it?". Then he asked the whole class, "How do you think you can solve this, to come up with this value?"
I was looking at the bucket that held the water falling from the ceiling and I was counting to myself "Three, Two, One" and the clock struck ten.
My teacher left the class cursing the rain and his cramps in the leg.
I did not care but I made myself comfortable in my seat and I fell asleep.
The orange peels, the clothes, my books and many other things were lying on the floor of my living room. I was lying on the couch with my book on the armrest.
The television was on and someone was singing, "On your picture I am holding in my hands pythagoras' identity is....". I said to myself, "It is Aravind".
Few seconds later the person on the television introduced him as, "It is the comedian Aravind". I was excited as I guessed the person right just by his voice. My mother came to the living room after doing the laundry.
She hit me pretty hard on my butt and said, "Aigoo...that is of no use. If you solved the math problems with that ability, Madras University would have scouted you already. Your dad was also having problems with mathematics. You got his genes, all right. What is the use of bearing you with a perfectly functioning body?"
I was annoyingly looking at my phone so that she could finish her lecture. My mother changed the channel on the television. I frowned and said," Ah, you are always watching historical dramas! Gross!"
My mother asked , "Since you missed early entry, the SAT is all that is left. Have you decided on a major?". Since you resemble me , you should be smart. Why aren't you trying? I wonder what you can do to make a living without me.
I said, "I can eat well and live well, so don't worry."
She said, "You would live only watching television and your phone.".
I screamed at her and said, "Ah, mom, you are always watching historical dramas, yourself!. you won't leave me alone!".
She asked, "Exactly what is that you like? If you don't have anything you like, perhaps there is something you are good at."
I said, "If I was born in that time period, I probably wouldn't have done mathematics.". I was wearing my slippers to go out.
My mother yelled, "Hey where are you going? You should tell me where you are going, do you even have a dream?".
I didn't answer and I just left like that.
My friend Alya and I went to the super market. We bought cup noodles and I was stirring it.
I told her, "I am going crazy because there is not enough time, but even if there is some more time, it is not going to change anything. I wish I could disappear. It would be nice. Get into a Madras University and pursue your dreams and mine as well."
Alya after taking mouthful of noodles, she told me, "Shut up, Would they stay still if I told them that i am going to an Art School? They won't even let me eat this. Hey , and if you are unlucky on Sat day, isn't it over? Your life is ruined."
I was irritated and said, "How can a person's life depend on just one day?" If I go to a random university would i get hired in my next life? So useless.....".
I saw Alya swallowing the noodles so intently. I asked her, "Hey! Is there a hole in your mouth?".
She replied, "I can say i had a nosebleed".
I asked, "Why don't I ever get a nosebleed?"
Alya said, "Hey! My dad's here I am going, Bye!".
She took her bag and got into the car. I was only able to look at her and think, "Wow! She is pretty and rich that she could get into any college she desires with her political influence or her money."
I saw her car going through the glass window and I looked at my own reflection in the glass.
I was walking on the staircase that leads to the playground with my yellow lucky charm umbrella. I was really worried thinking about the words my friend Alya told me. I sat on the bench.
I kept repeating the same words Alya told me, "What if you were unlucky on SAT day? Your life is completely ruined."
I saw my own reflection on the puddle, I thought it would be much nicer if I just go somewhere where there is no competitive exams, no mathematics, no physics, no memorizing the proves and lot more.
But all I could do is to shake my reflection with my own umbrella.
My alarm rang at 6:00 A.M. My mother had turned on the television and it said, "Finally, the 2019 National College Scholastic Aptitude Test day is here. In the capital area, heavy rain is expected. Reporter Mohan will tell you about the situation of the SAT day."
I woke up from my bed frowning. Threw my bed cover on the floor. I brushed, cleared my stomach, took bath, changed myself to my uniform, i packed my bag leaving it unzipped. I was in a hurry to catch my bus.
My mother yelled, " Hey! Marianette! Marianette!"
she caught a hold of my bag which was unzipped. While she was about to place my lunchbox , she saw few cup noodles in my bag.
She asked, "What is this?"
I replied, "I am eating it with Alya, it isn't like you care anyway."
She said, "You know that right if you ruin the SAT today, there is no hope. Just try your best, okay?"
I didn't look at her face and I said, "There wasn't a time when I didn't try my best."
She said, "This wench! Today is the last day I am serving you!."
I said, " walking out of the gate, "It is not like you served me anything."
She said, "My daughter, you could do it! All the best! You can do a good job."
I had no hope in myself when my mom said I can do a good job so I started running till i can get out of her sight.
I was right on time in the bus stop to catch my bus. I sat in my usual place in the bus, took out my book and I was reading the important formulas and theorems for the exam. I was biting my nails in tension. I tied my hair to a bun. The driver stopped the bus abruptly. My books fell down while I was studying. I picked the books in a hurry, I turned my head to see why the bus stopped. that when I realized my stop had come. Someone helped me to pick my books up. I took my books and I got down from the bus. The moment I got down the raindrops fell on me I searched for my umbrella. But to my misfortune I had left it in the bus. I got down from the bus stop to the road to get into the bus and to get my umbrella. Due to the automatic door it shut immediately before I could get on. I had no hope of getting my umbrella back so I started walking towards the school.
I was completely drenched by the time I walked to the school gate. I stood there, facing my school gate. To my left they were my juniors cheering for the students who were going to write the SAT exam today. They had the posters which was written, "PERFECT SCORE IN SAT! PASS THE UNIVERSITY EXAM! IF NOT TODAY, THERE IS NO HOPE IN LIFE! PASS THE TEST!" and to my right there were reporters interviewing the invigilators about how they feel about the exam.
Looking at the posters and their cheering it did not give me confidence, it just reduced my confidence level lesser. All of a sudden I remembered Alya telling it to me the other day, "If you were unlucky on the SAT day, isn't it all over anyway?" My mother saying, "You know that if you flunk the SAT today, there is no hope." I saw the banner on my school entrance, "2019 SAT ENTRANCE EXAM". I kept my left foot backward slowly my right foot and sighed to myself. I closed my eyes and started running as far as I could get away from the school.