The Midnight Rehearsal.

Let’s ask Phonetics, that’s what my classmates say whenever they have a problem with word pronunciation and they don’t want to ask Miss Linda Moses, oue English teacher.
My classmates call me phonetics because back in my high school days, I’ve always been that person who’s heavy on English language and to an extent, I try my best to speak very well.
When my classmates make a wrong pronunciation or speech, I always want to make sure that I try my best in correcting their Grammar errors.

Miss Linda Moses noticed me and called me into her office one day.

I’m here, ma, I said to her with my hands at my back waiting for her to spill her words.

I noticed you are always quick to grab the things I teach you in class and you speak very well. Maybe you will be the one to represent your class for the upcoming debate, Miss Linda Moses said.

I’m so scared ma. Please, I don’t want to represent my class. You can choose another person, I said to Miss Linda but she dismissed me saying that she knows what to do.

Eventually, my name was added to the list of those who would represent their classes. I was just so scared. After the closing hour at school, we all will be taken to one class to rehearse our lines. As for me, I was always making mistakes with my lines. It was either one mistake or the other so it became tiring.

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Miss Linda Moses could have actually swapped my position with another person but my name was added to the list already and can’t be removed.

Bisolami, you need to get your lines. We are making a proper rehearsal in the front of our judges tomorrow and I will feel bad if you don’t do well, Miss Linda Moses said to me and I felt really bad. I was so sad to be the one holding my team members back. Also, Miss Linda Moses vouched for me already and I didn’t want to dissapoint her.

I got home on that day and started rehearsing. At first, I looked down on myself and that’s why I never took the debate seriously until she spoke to me and I felt all she said.
If someone can vouch for me, I should not let that person down even though I’m not really interested in such thing, I said to myself.

I began the rehearsal and slept late at night. On the next day, I got to school very early and when it was time for rehearsals again, I messed things up. This time, Miss Linda Moses gave up on me. Then, I took the debate seriously. I wanted to make sure that I present well.
I’ve got phobia for crowd and public speaking in general so I didn’t know how I was going to pull it up.

I got home very late that day because I had a long chat with Miss Linda Moses. I got home, had dinner and went into my room for rehearsals just as I did yesterday. I took a deep breath whenever I made a mistake.
Whenever I make a mistake, Bisolami, go on! was what I said to myself. I rehearsed for three hours on a stretch, and to my surprise, I started getting my lines.

I did so well. I woke up very early too and recited my lines twice. After I got it right, I took my bath and got fully kitted in my school uniform. I remembered when I was young and my aunt tells me to take Cowbell and Coaster that it works for retentive memory. Who knows if it truly works? Well, I took it as my breakfast.
When I got to school, my friends sat quietly and rehearsed. I saw them pointing at me and I could guess that they were mocking me because I never got my lines. I was sad and went to the toilet to cry.

When it was time for the debate, my heart was beating fast. I was the one leading my team and I heard a voice at my back which said, Just do your best. I looked back and saw it was Miss Linda Moses.
When I started giving my speech, the judges didn’t take me seriously because of the way I presented during the rehearsals.
By the time I gave my first paragraph, I saw one of the judges sit upright and I guess they were now taking me seriously.

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I gave so many points and they all applauded me. At at then, I was being hopeful because I knew I did well. Eventually, I won the debate for my team because I had the most points.
I was surprised to see my friends who had mocked me earlier now hugged and congratulated me. I was happy.

I’m glad I had faith in myself. I then knew faith can move mountains because I was able to rehearse within the space of three to four hours, I successfully did a proper rehearsal.
Miss Linda Moses hugged me and congratulated me. I was happy I made her proud.