Peace the Savage

Chapter 11: On Shining Again

QUIZ WAS THE LAST activity of the night and also the main event. The sixteen schools were going to be divided into two groups of eight schools. Of the eight schools, only one school in each group would qualify to the final round and face each other. There were going to be three contestants on each team working together. They would be given thirty seconds to discuss a question directed to them and then present the answer. The final round was going to be different. The three contestants would be together onstage but working individually to answer questions. They would answer on papers and anyone with the wrong answer would be eliminated. The last two standing would then compete on their own, getting turns in answering questions, orally this time. With luck it would not reach this far if all members of one team were to be eliminated before that part. But that was the part people wanted most. The team with the most points would win.

Peace, Joseph and Roy were representing their school. Their group of eight included most of the schools they had debated against earlier that day except Leeds High. It was easier for the three lads to win the round of eight in their group. On the other hand, Leeds High was dominating in the other group. Peace's group final was against Matifadza High which gave everyone a scare. Matifadza, was very good but Joseph saved the day to win over it. On the other hand, Leeds High won in their group. Now it was time for the final to happen. How people cheered could not be explained.

After a short bathroom break, the final started. There was total silence in the hall. The contestants were made to sit separately to avoid discussions. The quiz was mostly about general knowledge and testing the children's ability to think fast. It included math, English grammar, spellings, history, science and so forth. It was just a wide range of things.

Ten questions were asked and no one failed them from either side. At question number thirteen and fourteen MacDonald's colleagues were eliminated. At question nineteen Roy was eliminated. There was a loud applause as he went downstage. At question twenty-six Joseph was eliminated. He looked hurt at that especially because Peace was still onstage.

Peace and MacDonald were finally facing one on one. There was a loud cheering from the audience and nothing could be done about it. The cheering lasted for a few minutes and then the quiz continued. Since it was done orally there was no total silence anymore. Rather people cheered every time a correct answer was given.

It was really a tough competition as the two lads showed equal competence and unique power of their minds. It was the question number one hundred and seven that concluded the night when MacDonald failed to answer it.

"You may answer the question, Mr. Sibanda," one of the judges said to Peace. "If you get it correct, you win."

Peace smiled. He knew the answer.

"Correct," the judge said after Peace had answered the question. "Mr. Peace A. Sibanda wins." What followed before the judge had even finished talking was the deafening cheering of the audience that Peace suspected would wake the dead.

He had won. Like seriously, he had won! He couldn't believe himself. As he descended the steps from the stage his schoolmates came to meet him, including Joseph who even gave him a nod of acknowledgement as they shook hands.

The competitions were over. The results were given out to the people. There was a tie between Peace's school and Leeds High in seniors’ debate, Mac had won public speaking for Leeds high and was now a two-time champion like Peace. Peace had won impromptu speech and quiz. Of all the juniors’ competitions done that night, only the impromptu speech had been won for Tinevimbo High School, Peace's school, by Alice. He felt proud of her. Overall, Leeds High School took the first position followed by Matifadza High School. Peace's school came forth. The juniors were the reason for that.

***

THE STUDENTS WERE GIVEN an hour to mix and mingle before going back to their respective schools or hotels and lodges. It was an awesome hour for everyone. Relationships were formed, friendships and alliances too.

People stopped by to marvel and congratulate Peace on his performance and victory earlier that night. Alice approached him and Roy at some point. She was holding a packet of chips and on her face had her best smile on.

"That was amazing," she said to him. "You were amazing." As she looked up at him, Peace noticed that there was something in her eyes: pride. She looked at him with pride. At last, it seemed, she appreciated him. She was proud of him. Peace felt proud of himself. He had finally done it. As she turned to go, she looked at him and winked at him. Peace and Roy gave each other talking eyes. Was that an invitation? There was only one way to find out.

As Peace was about to follow Alice, Tino and Nelisiwe came running to them and Tino almost knocked Peace down when she jumped and hugged him.

"Oh, my God! That was amazing!" Tino screamed.

"I knew you would win," Nelisiwe put in with her face lit with happiness.

When Nelisiwe hugged him, Peace made sure he held her very closely.

"You were beautiful," Nelisiwe whispered in his ear.

Peace smiled as he kept the girl in his arms. "Let’s go somewhere quiet, away from the crowd and the noise. And then you can tell me more about how beautiful I was."

"Sure," Nelisiwe replied in a sexy whisper.

When students from Peace's school were summoned to the bus, Peace had not yet returned. Everyone else got into the bus except him and no one noticed. It was only after the names were read out loud from students' register to make sure everyone was present that they found out Peace was not in the bus.

Roy didn't know where Peace was either. Four boys were sent to look for him but couldn't find him among the multitude of people. People began to panic. Lucy, who was comfortably seated, was sure that she was the most worried person in the bus. Where was he?

IT WAS WHEN HE HEARD the honking noise of a bus that Peace suspected it was time to go home. Whether it was his school's bus or not, he suspected people were looking for him now. Without even taking her number he immediately said his goodbye to Nelisiwe and ran in the direction of the bus. At the bus he was scolded a bit by the teacher in charge before he was allowed to enter the bus, but Peace could see the relief on the teacher’s face.

Lucy felt relieved when she heard Peace's voice at the door. She smiled thinly, feeling happy. As Peace went past her to his seat, she looked up at him.

"Hey," she said softly. She didn't care when he did not respond. Somehow she knew that would happen.