Uh Oh ! Where’s the Smile??

When I was in Junior High, I was lucky enough to be one of five students chosen to
represent our school in a State Latin Competition Test. It was really a great honor and I accepted right away. I couldn’t wait to get home to tell my parents !! They would be so happy for me. Latin wasn’t my favorite subject but my Latin teacher, Mrs. Price, was definitely my favorite teacher.

When I got home and told my mother, she reminded me that I would have to miss the upcoming slumber party that the Girl’s Club was having. I was a little disappointed in that because it was a great yearly event and my older sister, Kaye, was the top officer but I had promised Mrs. Price, so I made the decision not to go to the slumber party. My dad taught us to make the right decisions by saying.. “I trust you to make the right decision”. We didn’t want to disappoint him, so we always tried to think what he would want us to do.

Kaye, was a little disappointed that I wouldn’t be there for her big party. I did help make the prizes and get all of the snacks together. I was always the funny one and she was the gorgeous one and so proper.. She was the perfect hostess and it was held at a big lodge in the country. The adult chaperons could be on one side of the house the fun girls would be on the other…

For a whole month, I met with the other four members of the Latin group. We studied for a couple of hours everyday and we were all confident. Mrs. Price was really pleased with us, too! She had the most beautiful smile when she was pleased. I loved to make her happy.
She told us to get lots of rest the night before the competition. She said we should not even pick up a book. I really intended to do just that but when I got home that day, everything had changed….

Kaye had gotten very sick.with the flu, so she couldn’t go to her own slumber party.. I had never seen her so sick. Mother ask me if I would go, she was sure that I could get some sleep, just entertain and get everyone doing whatever girls do at those things.. She made it sound so easy, she didn’t realize how involved you have to be, to put one of the older girls hand in water while they were sleeping so they would talk or was that to make them wet the bed. LOL It’s been too long ago but at that time, I knew all of the fun stuff.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I would have to go. I couldn’t let my sister down and I knew all of the Latin questions. It was easy for me. I was sure I could do both. My dad stayed home with Kaye, ready to take her to emergency room, if her fever didn’t go down and mother took me to the party with all of the prizes and treats.. Let the party begin!! (This was real calling) LOL.

We ate and ate. We played every game we could think of, we told secrets that I can’t repeat here. We called radio stations and had our favorite song played to our favorite boyfriends at the time and no one wanted to sleep, including me. A great time was had by all.

By 8am, I was ready to sleep but instead I took a quick shower, got dressed and mother took me to the college for the Latin Competition. I kept telling her how great I felt, I’m not even tired..This was really true, at the time. By the last hour of the test, I could hardly hold my eye opened. I truly did use the “C” rule for multiple choice. I had that if you aren’t sure on multiple choice, pick C and 9 times out 10, it will be right . I was sure I should just turn my paper in and go home. I was so ashamed and really felt that I had let Mrs. Price down.

Monday morning came and since I had a study hall scheduled first period so I chose to volunteer in the principal’s office. He had been in the Army with my dad and they were great friends. He came rushing over to congratulate me on the Latin competition. I was a little surprised when he said I made 100 on the test. No, I was a lot surprised and a little guilty for using the “C” rule but I thought, wow, that really works.

By second period everyone was congratulating me. I couldn’t wait to get to 4th period to see Mrs. Price’s beautiful smile. She would be so proud of me. Fourth period finally came and I practically ran up the steps.. By then, I was on top of the world. I was picturing her standing beside me and telling everyone how I had made her so proud.
I went around the corner from the stairway and there she was standing by the door but the beautiful smile was no where to be found.. I had never seen such a frown. I was sure she was going to surprise me.. so I smiled and went inside knowing everyone was waiting to stand up and cheer for me…

I walked into class and everyone was perfectly quiet looking at the blackboard. There,in huge chalk letters, she had written the scores of the test with our five names beside it.
Peggy – 275 Mary – 210 Jane – 190 Barb – 160 and Anita – 100 Oooops!!!

Not only was I embarrassed about the low score but even more embarrassed that everyone had been praising me all day. I spent the rest of the day trying to get back to everyone that had thought I was so smart..but it was not to be.. I went home, thinking I will tell more people the next day.. After all, it was really not my fault. As I entered the house, sitting on the dining room table was a huge cake, with a gift beside it. It seems that the principal had called my dad to let him know that I had made 100 on the test.. Oh my…will this day never end???

Lessons learned…
Making 100 does not mean you are perfect !
When taking multiple choice test, picking “C” doesn’t work !
Enjoy the morning classes because the afternoon ones might not be so great!!
Last but not least…Maybe you should sleep at slumber parties, NOT!!!!

And the really BEST part of this whole thing was telling my grandchildren that their grandmother made 100 on the State Latin Competition Test !!! I do plan to tell them the whole story soon…LOL