1 ~UNANTICIPATED EVENT.

*When we arrived at school that morning from our homes, we were stupefied to be told by our headteacher to* clean the school compound. We were completely taken aback since we rarely did so when we got to school in the morning. We began murmuring amongst ourselves contrary to what we had been told to do.

Just then, I felt an excruciating pain wriggle through my nerves. The head-teacher's whip had landed squarely on my back. Tears welled up from deep inside my eyes but I blinked repeatedly in a bid of preventing them from trickling down my chubby cherubs.

Needless to say but when my fellow pupils witnessed the whipping I'd received, they all began doing the task that had been allocated to us.

Right from picking up the litter around the school premises and taking them to the rubbish pit, sweeping the compound until it was spick and span and ensuring that there were water points before every classroom.

Afterwards, we were ordered to put up tents in the recreation ground and then neatly arrange high backed and glided plastic chairs under the tents in a linear manner.

We all heeded to her utmost beck and call, afraid to be whipped by her long, horrifying, flexible, charcoal-dark whip.

The whole place was just but a beehive of activities with pupils pacing up and down; as busy as bees.

No sooner had we finished setting everything in it's place than the headteacher made up her mind to apprise us of the sudden change in routine.

She eventually spilled the beans to us as we stood transfixed with our ears keen on the ground. "The County Director of Education shall be here any minute from now. Prepare yourself for the speech he will give." She said.

We were all extremely excited that we couldn't wait any longer for his arrival. However we had to forbear since 'Patience pays'.

Not long after, we heard a loud screeching car that suddenly came to a grunting halt right before our school's entrance. The director had finally arrived.

Each and every pupil jumped up and down in great joy and ecstasy. Some of us peeped out the classrooms just to see the director.

He briskly sauntered into the compound immaculately dressed in resplendent attires that colorfully complemented his snow white leather shoes.

The Teacher on Duty ( ToD ) that day instructed us to head to the field and quietly sit under the tents.

The education leader was escorted by a girl guide and a scout on each side up to his tent. All of us cheerfully put our hands together so as to welcome him.

There was a specific tent that had been set aside only for the him. It sparkled in an eye catching manner when the sun rays struck it. The director walked towards his tent and carefully sat down.

After brief announcements from other teachers, he stood up and before he began his speech, he adjusted his eyeglasses and then cleared his throat, as if he was trying to unblock a thick substance from his gullet.

Subsequently, he commenced his articulations, "Ambitious pupils of Bright View Elementary School, I sincerely thank you all for the warm welcome when I arrived."

By the time he had started giving his speech, I was yawning while looking at my watch that sometimes failed to work correctly. I was eagerly waiting for time to pass by hurriedly so that lunch hour could immediately reach. Time really seemed to elapse slowly that day. Before I even knew it, I had started to doze off.

The director proceeded on to say, "I stand before you this particular day with the aim of encouraging you for the upcoming examinations." I lost all my sleep immediately I heard that statement. No one would even think of failing the final year's test. I f one did, they'd have to repeat and meet in the same class with the 'monos' so everyone took the final examinations seriously. Furthermore, they would lose their circle of friends especially at school.

So, I lent my ears to hear what had to be said in connection to the upcoming tests we were to sit for in a week's time.

"Discipline is an extremely vital aspect in learning. In addition, success isn't measured by money, power or social rank, it's measured by your discipline. Credence to the old adage, 'Discipline is the chief key to ultimate success.'

Hard work also plays a major role on your road to success. You all ought to work extra hard now so as to achieve better fruits in the future. Always remember to make hay while the sun shines. Now is the time. Time and tide both wait for no man. It passes by so fats that you won't notice when it is over."

Strive to achieve the best always and be the best in all that you do. As the great wise men once said, 'The road to success is bumpy as you ride through it but once you put in much effort, your efforts will eventually pay off since hard work pays."

He concluded by saying, "I am a person of very few words, but with those words, I speak the truth. A round of applause rent the whole vicinity when he was done giving his speech.

We all stood up and walked to our specific classrooms promising to take into consideration what we had been told.

It was an unexpected but significantly beneficial event.