My Valid Dreams: A child's struggle

Part 4: The Contest

During the opening day of the second term, the atmosphere changed. All the pupils began to talk about the competition. They had only two weeks to get ready. Mwaura was not surprised or worried at all. He had been reading, talking and preparing from the beginning of the first term. Mwaura knew that it was always wise to make hay while the sun shines. He had also interacted with the teachers who gave him wonderful information and their own personal stories. The topic for the competition was announced on the first Wednesday after the schools opened. The topic was how to foster a healthy relationship between the pupil and the teacher. Many pupils whispered how hard that year's topic was. Fear was on many pupils' faces but not so with Mwaura. Mwaura was beaming with joy. The topic was to be used in both the writing competition as well as the public speaking competition.

The writing competition was scheduled for Monday the following week. Only thirteen pupils in the upper classes registered for the competition. Only Mwaura and Koome who were in class five registered. The duration of the writing competition was forty minutes. The duration of public speaking was 10 minutes. When Monday came, all the pupils who had registered were assembled in one class and given the writing materials. The rules of the competition were the first thing on those sheets of paper. The bell rang and the pupils started the writing as fast as they could. Mwaura had learnt that the best way to win the competition was to organize his ideas well. He also wrote the ideas with clarity one idea after the other. The other pupils, too, were doing their best. The bell rang to signal the pupils that time was up and the pupils handed over their sheets to the teachers.

The teachers at the school had brought in a teacher from a neighboring school to mark the sheets. They did not want to mark them because the pupils would doubt the results. After the marking was done, it was time to announce the results. The teacher who marked the sheets was to announce the results. The pupils were asked to gather at the assembly grounds. Every pupil who had taken part in the competition was called at the front. The results were announced from the pupil who had scored the least. Each pupil who took part in the completion was awarded with an exercise book and a pen. As the competitors were read, Mwaura's heart began to beat like a bass drum. The teacher kept reading the names, fourteenth...thirteenth, all the way to third. Mwaura knew that he was either first or second. A thin sheet of sweat spread over Mwaura's face. Koome had been named seventh. Only Mwaura and Mwende were left. Mwende was a pupil in class 7. There was a great silence as the pupils eagerly waited to know the winner. But because each school was allowed to field only three pupils for the public speaking competition, Mwaura knew he had already qualified. The teacher finally said, at position two we have Daniel Mwaura. Mwaura was so happy. Mwaura could have been happier if he was first. But he was happy to be second triumphing over many pupils in the upper classes. Mwende, Mwaura and Kirimi had qualified to represent the school in the public speaking competition.

Now that the pupils to represent the school in the public speaking competition were found, it was time to prepare them sufficiently. Mwende, Mwaura and Kirimi were to be trained by a public speaking trainer Mr. Kimathi had requested to come and help the pupils. Mr. Kinja the public speaking trainer was so passionate about public speaking. He took all the time needed to prepare the pupils. Mr. Kinja was very strict but also very friendly. He trained the three pupils for four days. Each day, Mr. Kinja would request the three pupils to give the talk. He would then help them in any areas that he felt needed to be improved. Mwende was not clearly audible. Mr. Kinja informed her that if she wanted to win the competition, she had to speak in a loud and clear voice. Kirimi was finding it difficult to keep his ideas clear. Mwaura's weakness was looking at people on the face. During past competitions, Mwaura had seen how other pupils tried to discourage competitors by making funny gesturers and giggles. Mr. Kinja addressed all those weaknesses and got the pupils ready. The pupils had to perform the speaking in the school before they went for the competition. They did that on a Friday afternoon. The inter schools' competition was just around the corner. The school had decided that they would not announce any winner so that all the pupils representing the school could have enough confidence. But despite this, the pupils were already viewing Mwaura as the favorite pupil to win the competition.

After the pupils had finished giving the talk, Mr. Kimathi together with the other teachers congratulated them and asked them to be good ambassadors of the school. The pupils were informed that the competition would begin at exactly ten o'clock the coming Monday. The committee organizing the competition had chosen Muungu primary school to host the competition that year. Muungu primary school was five kilometers away. The teachers agreed that the three pupils representing the school would go in the company of the teachers. Mrs. Mugambi had a small station wagon car. The teachers agreed that this car would carry Mr. Kimathi the head teacher, Mr. Kinja the trainer, Mrs. Mugambi and the three competitors from Mitunguu primary school. After all was set, the pupils were allowed to go home.

Mwaura went back to his class to pick up his books. Mr. Kamau had taught him to be grateful for all the small and big things in his life. Even when things were not as Mwaura would have wanted them to be, his father told him to be grateful in everything. Mwaura sat on his desk and said a prayer to thank God for allowing him to be part of that competition. It had not been an easy journey. After the prayer, Mwaura went home. He met many pupils along the way who told him that they thought he could win the competition. Mwaura also wanted to win the competition. But he refused to get carried away in excitement. He knew that everybody has their own way of thinking. Some people think you can do it while others think that you cannot. He was also very humble and did not want to blow his own trumpet. It was not Mwaura's way of life to count his chicks before they hatched. Mwaura wanted to concentrate and polish any weak area that Mr. Kinja the trainer had pointed out to him.