The school compound was filled with chattering students and gossiping teachers. Xana walked into the compound and was surprised with the noise the school was generating.
Everyone was talking about the quiz set by the village chief to choose the qualified students for the scholarship.
Xana rubbed her chin. 'She had heard this news before but it was now she was considering it. Should she grow slowly and attract the eyes of Ronald or take this chance and shine in the city?'
Immediately, she decided on the latter.
She walked to the school notice board for more information and learnt that the quiz would be three days from now.
'That's good. I'll be able to produce more tech and send to Old Tim and Bill.'
Bill was having fun with his job of marketing. Well, local marketing was what he called it. He was the link between Acorn village and the surrounding villages.
Xana walked into class and was already used to the hush that came over the class whenever she came in. Ever since she beat up Denis and Tina, the infamous bully couple, most of the other students were unhappy with her act. They really felt that she was overstepping her boundaries and ought to have accepted her fate as their punching bag.
But then, Xana was praised by the village chief and their parents and was literally a little goddess in their eyes. Who could go against her now? Every student and teacher saw her as a genius who would most likely lead their village to rise like their counterparts. Even Tina, Denis and their gangs had begun to make a detour whenever they spotted her.
She sat down and brought out her textbook to read.
'What a weird textbook.' she thought as she read it's name. 'Shouldn't students be taught subjects to strengthen their skills and thinking abilities? Oh, backward era.' she sighed.
The quiz did not bother her one bit. One time after she answered a question in class, the teacher saw her answer as a breakthrough in learning. From then, she began to train to answer questions more normally - which was, how the teachers taught the students.
Three days later. Scholarship Quiz.
There were erected canopies to salvage the heat from the hot sun. The podium had been erected and chairs had been placed under the canopies. Students dressed in mufti milled the area.
Xana's parents were sitting under the canopy with many other parents here to watch their kids. A lot of parents went to the chapel the day before and some visited fortune tellers.
.....
The Peter family.
Father: Son, come on. We are leaving.
Son: Leaving? To were?
Mother: The chapel, you dunce. Tommorow is the scholarship quiz. You must qualify.
Son: (muttering) But we never attended the chapel before this.
Mother: (Knocks his head and pulls him by the collar.
The Queens Family
Mother: Rachel! Rachel! Dress up quickly. We must leave before he closes.
Rachel: (In her room donning a festive red dress. She comes out.) Must I wear this, mum?
Mother: Yes, yes dear. We must give the fortune teller a good first impression so as not to charge us much. He might also help us beseech the gods if our fortune is bad.
Rachel: "..."
.....
This was how almost all families in the village spent the yesterday.
Xana had no idea of all this, but she definitely would not have allowed her parents drag her for crazy prayers because of a quiz.
She sat in the area assigned for students with her friends next to her. Max was holding a textbook and trying to cram information even at this moment while Sean and Sam looked calm, with Sean a little bit more calmer.
All this time, Xana's head was simply reclined as she closed her eyes contemplating on her dream. She hadn't slept well for sometime because of the dream.
Infact, she had had other dreams apart from that one. All in all, she felt that her memory was missing. She got agitated at this thought but then calmed herself.
'I still have hope of remembering what I'm forgetting though. These memories must have a connection with why I was sent to the past.'
The voice of the principal on the podium brought her out of her thoughts.
The principal was even using a microphone which the village chief had managed to secure by begging Ronald. The news of a microphone being on the quiz podium brought more and more viewers - which were essentially parents who did not care one bit about the quiz.
The principal carefully held the mic and cleared his throat, the sound resounding throughout the school. Everyone was shocked for a while then they erupted into cheers.
Xana laughed inwardly at their ignorance.
The principal proceeded to address the parents and other attending villagers of the goodwill of Hon. Ronald. who was bringing their village from poverty to prosperity. Xana brows furrowed deeply when he began his tirade of praises.
Sean and the rest noticed her frown and burst out laughing. They weren't cultured at all!
He then followed with the rules and regulations governing the quiz and the students sweated as each new rule was mentioned. The principal also announced that it was the village chief who set the questions and the audience let out a small gasp. The village chief was the most learned in the whole village. He had attended the prestigious university. Even the name, university, brought chills to the villagers.
'How hard was this test going to be?'
Mrs Queen pressed her palms together and called on the fortune of her daughter.
Mr Peter swore to always attend the chapel services forever if his son passed.
Soon, the main event began. All the students were called to the stage and given test papers. Some of those students who were afraid of crowds got a scare and their fingertips began to tremble. This was a test to pick out the most perfect ones. What use are you if you cannot even stand in front of the crowd? How do you want to be famous?
The set time was thirty minutes for each paper and there were three papers.
She was done with hers at the same time for one paper while Sean was done with his at the same time for two papers. Sam and Max finished later on though.
There were a lot of students like Sean and Sam but none like Xana making everybody cheer for her again.
"She is really a genius!"
"If only my son was half as intelligent as her."
"She's beauty and brains in one pack."
"Who's her mum? Can I send my son to her home as a husband?"
Xana's ears twitched as she heard the words of parents in the audience.
The principal came to the stage and laughed. "The first section is over. Let us move to the sports section."
The audience cheered.
Students were led to another part of the field equipped with sports equipment. The basketball court was in one corner as well as the tennis court and soccer field. The tennis board was crudely made and the basketball was one gifted by Ronald, therefore every student wanted to just touch it and every parent wanted their children in that field. The other students playing other games were glared at fiercely by their parents and they wondered what was wrong.
"Let the games begin!" The principal announced at the signal from the village chief.