The Exam

            The Ronald McDouglas Jr. Exam. Everyone has heard about it because everyone takes it. And at the age of twelve it’s Ricky’s and my turn. It’s not taken in the Learning Annex, nor is it graded. Barbie and James took it and, as far as I know, their results haven’t affected their lives in any way. I was worried when father told us that we would be taking the exam on Wednesday. It was Sunday evening and I didn’t have any test-prep worksheets like the kind you get at the Learning Annex. But father said we didn’t have to study for the Ronald McDouglas Jr. Exam. You just take it.

            Wednesday, during social studies, a man wearing an official maroon suit came into the classroom. He talked quietly with Mrs. Myers and then called Ricky and I over. It was test time, he said.

We were taken, Ricky and I, to a small brick building just outside of the city. The whole trip the man was silent, despite our questions about the Exam. We entered through the front doors, which matched the official maroon of the man’s suit, and found ourselves in an equally dark red room. It reminded me of our classroom at the Learning Annex with the rows of individual seats facing a large desk, behind which sat another man in an official maroon suit. The difference between this room and the Learning Annex classroom, though, was on each of the seats was a writing tablet, a stylus, and a sealed workbook.
            As soon as we were in the room, whose seats were filled with other twelve-year-olds, all of whom I recognized from the Learning Annex, the man who had taken us from our classroom left and the one at the front of the room gestured us towards two empty seats.
            As soon as Ricky and I were seated the man stood and said, “Welcome to the Ronald McDouglas Jr. Exam. You have an hour to complete the test. When you are finished, please bring your Exams to the front and you will be directed outside. There, find the person who brought you here and they will take you home. Please begin.”
            Immediately, the room was filled with the SNICK of the Exam takers opening their workbooks and scribbling of styluses on writing tablets. When I opened my own Exam workbook I was astonished at the first two questions:

These were baby questions! I filled in the answers on my tablet and moved to the next questions:

I couldn't believe how easy this was! I scribbled down the answers and moved to the next page. Here, more easy questions. I was laughing on the inside. I had been worried about this test and here it was: a bunch of questions even toddlers could answer! I moved through the test with ease and then came to the last page.

    

           What were these? The last three questions of the Exam. I didn’t understand. I tried to look at the picture of number fifty-seven, but didn’t see any of the answers being portrayed. Not even abstractly! Number fifty-eight was both answers, but the beginning instructions of the test said to pick one answer per question. Number fifty-nine gave me the same problem as fifty-seven. What was I supposed to do?
               Looking up at the clock, I saw that the hour was almost up. Several of the Exam takers were already gone. I began to worry and sweat. Taking deep breaths, I carefully marked down my answers and took my Exam up to the man at the front of the room. He smiled nicely at me and it made me feel better about those last three questions.
               As I walked back towards the doors I saw Ricky still working on his Exam. He looked up and we gave each other a smile as I passed.
               Outside, I found the man who brought us to take the Exam and immediately he told me it was time to go. I told him that we had to wait for Ricky, but the man ushered me to the car. Thinking that Ricky would get a ride from someone else, I silently got into the car.

               When I got home I waited by the window for Ricky. Day turned to night without his return and father and mother called me to dinner. Here, I ate with mother and father and Barbie and James and an empty seat. An empty seat that would never again be filled by Ricky. Just like the empty seats at the Learning Annex that belonged to other twelve-year-olds I had seen at the Exam.

 

              The Ronald McDouglas Jr. Exam. I have nightmares about it every night.

 

 

Reviews

[JCP]

Good work!

[Fallacy Pharmacy]

This was brilliant! Would be amazing if you were to turn this into a neat little series :)

[Magic;)]

Wow, that sent me on a trip. I love it :)