The Victory

At first, you'll go down but someday you'll end up flying

I begin to read the book given by Max. Taking down notes is my pastime in my room with his book. Emmanuel always interrupt my work.

“ Kaara, what are you doing?” Emmanuel is looking at Max’s book.

“ Oh nothing.” While hiding his book from Emmanuel.

“ What is that? An algebra book?”

“ Never mind it. Why you are intruding my business?” 

Emmanuel leaves my area. I am staring at the algebra book like I’m gazing at the stars. I am thinking about something in that time until JC talks to me.

“ Kaara, please give me an idea for our speech choir.” He said.

“ Speech choir?”

“ It is another contest of by-section. Please give me an idea.”

“ JC! Are you chasing Kaara’s ideas? Think of your own.” My classmate confronted.

The voices are screaming inside my head. I don’t know if it’s the conscience or the fairy once again.

‘ Help JC, you lied to him. You didn’t actually voted him right? You voted other person.’

JC is about to leave…

“ JC! Let’s discuss the speech choir. I’ll help you!” I called.

After the plan making, many days were spent in practicing the intonation of the speech choir. While they’re in practice, I and Emmanuel are heading to the training of the competition.

“ A lot of hard questions in this reviewer test. Can we make it to the top?” Emmanuel said hesitatingly.

“ We can make it. Trust me.” I said.

We are in the deep conversation until Marc Anton calls me. Marc Anton is another participant with Max, a senior student.

“ Kaara! Max wants you to come here!” Marc said then he laughs.

“ No Kaara, I am not saying that.” Max is obviously annoyed.

“ Then you go beside Kaara.” Marc told him.

“ Psst!”

Our trainers in interschool competition are busy enough to immediately do not have any presence in our training. Mr. Armstrong came.

“ The participants need to assemble at the library in early morning tomorrow for your actual contest. By the way, set aside your training now because speech choir competition is occurring at the quadrangle.” He announced.

We leave our notebooks and pen on our tables as well as we leave the training area. My classmates are already assembled.

“ Go for it guys! We can do it!” JC shouted to my classmates.

As our section called, we performed at the stage. It is the moment of silence for the audience as we scream. On the latter part, we became champions once again. JC gives me something.

“ Kaara, take this certificate of victory. You guided us.” He said.

“ Thank you, you appreciated my effort.”

“ But I have bad news.”

“ What?”

“ Our project to be judged by the principals is disqualified.” JC said.

“ My idea is not applicable?”

“ No, our adviser has no idea that it is our project. He trashed it.”

“ What an epic fail!”

I quickly proceed to the faculty room. I see my adviser there.

“ Oh Kaara, I’m sorry if I…”

“ Why you trashed it? It’s for our victory, for our section.” I angrily told.

“ The student council has a cleanliness drive. All rooms need to be neat. The large project placed beside your black board is a mess.”

“ But…”

“ Kaara, we can manage this. Alright?” he said.

“ But it’s too late.”

“ Listen to me. The measure in ranking of sections are not based on certificates, awards or victory yet in the character or moral. And it is measured by your excellence in skills. You have that Kaara so don’t worry. Never give up.” My adviser last statement before I leave the faculty room.

I accepted the fact that we’ll never win in that invention making contest. I realized that may be I am living my school life in a battle or somehow a duel with other students without mercy.

On the morrow, we proceed to the actual contest of mental math. We’re separated in test papers. As we answered the hard questions, we passed it to the proctor and leave the contest room. We’ll wait the time of the announcement of winners. The participants joined are about thousands and the students chosen to be winners are only ten.

“ How’s the contest guys?” Mr. Armstrong said.

“ We are so nervous about the result master.” Marc replied.

We are waiting for the result. I and Max are in the same row, we talk about the school paper.

“ Max, do you know why school papers are not publish last school year?” I brought it up again.

“ The editors are not paying attention about the deadline of the articles. Maybe that’s the reason why.” He revealed the reason.

“ Hey you two!” Marc interrupted.

“ Oh the two prodigies are talking to each other. Don’t disturb them Marc haha.” Mr. Armstrong is likely teasing us or only joking?

We ignored the presence of Marc and Mr. Armstrong.

“ Here’s your book. Thank you very much.” I returned his algebra book.

“ No. put it inside your bag.”

“ What? I am returning it to you.”

“ It’s now yours.” He smiled.

“ Thank you very much.”

The committee of the mental math competition came in our front.

“ Congratulations to your school, you ranked top 5!” the committee announced to Max and Marc Anton.

“ Yes!! We won!!” Marc shouted for joy.

“ Ma’am, what is our ranking?” Emmanuel asked.

“ We are not yet fixing the results for the 9^th grader category.” The committee well said.

The senior students are jumping in joy while we are still sitting and shaking in nervousness.

“ You can wait a little bit Emmanuel and Kaara.” Mr. Armstrong said.

“ Can we make it Kaara?” Emmanuel asked again this same question.

“ Trust me we’ll win.”

Another committee came but in front of other school participants. We begin to become hopeless until the principal of the venue approaches us.

“ Congratulations for your school, you ranked top 8 for 9^th grade category.” The committee announced.

We screamed for joy. We returned back to our school from the contest venue with awards. This is the victory I wanted.

Once again I dreamed an uncertain dream. I see the algebra book and the two crowns in the setting.

“ Kaara, this is not still the victory you ever wanted. This triumph was stored in the heart of someone that you want to reach. He fell also.” The fairy said.