"This is the News read by John Ngwa.In the headlines:Results of the 1998 GCE Advance Level have been released.The best perfomance is registered by Glory Bih of St.John's High School,Tonga,with 5 papers,all at 'A' grades".
The announcer's voice could now be perceived only in a deafening crescendo as Glory jumbed up in shouting and utulation.Her mother overturned the pot of soup that she was stirring and dashed out of the kichen like a dog.
"My daughter has done it!congratulations my daughter"! She thundered.
The next moment the courtyard was full of people all beaming with smile.In an emotional outburst,the woman started singing and dancing.This was followed by heavy feasting which was interspersed with impromtu speeches.A few days later Bih travelled to Yaounde,the seat of one of the country's universities.After following the usual formalities,she was finally admitted into the Department of Life Sciences of the university of Yaounde 1.Before her departure for Yaounde,she was given a send-off party by her friends and family members.At the end of it all,prayers were said and her father poured libation for the ancestors.
The following day,Bih left the village for Yaounde.THis was a place noted for it's loose morals corruption and general laxity.A free-for-all society where anarchy reigned supreme.Having been educated in a church school,Bih had to find her place here while still up-holding her christian virtues.
Consequently,she found life at first very boring and uniteresting.This was further complicated by the fact that you could not pass an examination as a woman without giving-in to a lecturer.How was she going to cope with such a situation?Joe , her fiance had recently been transfered to Banga.She could not turn to another man.
However,being unable to contend the fact she could not pass a single examination,she gave in to prof.Willy.Gentle, calm,handsome and 'caring'as she thought.Eventually she passed into the second year.
Things were however to turn sour.A few months after,prof.Willy took ill and died latwer.When the holidays came,Bih returned home looking pale.Barely two weeks later,she was diagnosed HIV positive.How could should afford to live again?One morning she was found dead in her room.Her had comited suicide!As I passed by her tomb some times latter,I saw the epitaph:
" THIS WAS THE ROSE THAT NEVER BLOSSEMED".