The Link To Light, (Published).

part 1.

6:00am. 

Wednesday, 23rd April.

Ifesinachi Uzondu jerked up in excitement from her bed. Finally, the D-day had arrived. The day she'd been waiting for. The day she would be writing her final WAEC paper. 

"Isn't God great?" she mumbled to herself. Soon after, she lifted up her hands to the heavens to do what her parents taught her to always do first thing in the morning. 

"What a mighty God I serve. What a mighty God I serve. Heaven and earth adore Him, even angels bow before Him. What a mighty God I serve." 

The lyrics poured out like a river from the very depths of her soul. She expressed herself like never before. 

After singing and praying for thirty minutes, she undressed, wrapped her almost threadbare towel about her bare skin, and entered the bathroom. She could not attend the general family devotion which they constantly had by 5:00am every morning in their living room. Her parents understood why she could not attend. Ifes had done overnight reading and praying. She had finally slept by 4:00am.

Ifes and her family lived in a three-bedroom flat that wasn't elite-class standard. It had a single bathroom and toilet which they all shared, and the compound was as good as a Nigerian face-me-I-face-you house's. 

She opened the door and stepped out, making sure she clicked shut behind her. She whirled around and made for the bathroom, but paused when she saw her mother. 

"Good morning, Ma!" She bowed slightly as a sign of respect. 

Her mother smiled. "Good morning. How was your night?" 

"My night was—" Before she could complete that statement, her sister Udochi interrupted her with her greetings. 

"Good morning, Ifes." Udochi walked past her mother and her sister to the kitchen to wash the dishes she and her brothers had had their breakfast in.

"I know you are prepared for your last paper, my dear?" Ifes' mother, Mrs Oluebube, asked after Ifes replied to her sister's greetings. 

Ifes smiled confidently. "Yes, Mum!" 

"I trust you my dear." Oluebube patted her daughter's back gently. "Now, go and take your bath. Your food will be waiting." 

Ifes had her bath immediately and came out with her body still dripping wet. She rushed back into the room she shared with her sister. Her sister was already dressed in her school uniform and ready to go to school with her brothers. 

"Okay, sis, I am off to school with Uchenna and Obinna. See you!" Udochi waved at her sister, grabbed her backpack and bolted out of the room. 

"Goodbye, see you, too!" Ifes waved back at her sister despite knowing Udochi couldn't see her. 

In no time, she was done dressing, she took out her mathematical set and the other exam materials she would need, and quietly stepped out of the room. 

She went straight to the food her mother had kept for breakfast on the centre table in their living room. 

A tea mug sat beside a covered ceramic plate. They both had the same fading design of Jasmine flowers etched on their outer surface and edges, like a pair of overused twin sets. She opened the plate and sighed when she,  saw four thin slices of bread. She needed no soothsayer to tell her before she knew the cup contained tea. 

She rotated her head back and forth looking for a little stool. She sat down on the wooden one closest to her, munched on the bread and slurped the watery tea. Soon after she was done, she thanked her mum.