Final Exam...(Just Try Your Best)

The first night of the Biblical Studies class, I made the acquaintance of a young Anglican woman who was studying to be a priest; a very sweet, young woman.  It would become our habit to sit together during these weekly sessions.

Strangely enough, the Roman Catholic Priest/Professor believed, not at all, in the miracles found in the Old Testament and attempted to explain them away!  I am not Catholic but had always assumed that all priests believed in the veracity of the whole Bible, and was shocked.  According to the Professor, the parting of the Red Sea could have been caused by something called 'wind setdown'; the burning bush described in Exodus, might have been the result of natural gas, and so on. "How can he call himself a priest and not believe in the Bible," I found myself wondering time and again over the course of many weeks.

Illness struck, as it so often does in the cold, Canadian winters, and I was unable to attend one of the weekly sessions.  The following Tuesday, I arrived early to find my friend already in the classroom. 
"What did you study last week?"
"I don't remember much, but he talked a bit about the Dead Sea and how it got its name."  She went on to explain that  the Dead Sea had no outlets.  It was six to nine times saltier than the ocean, making it virtually impossible for fish to live in it. She said there were some rivers that fed into it, but none drained out and she explained that Biblical tradition has it that it is the site of the ancient city of Sodom. When she'd finished imparting this and several other pertinent bits of information, the Professor walked in. 
"Pop quiz on last week's material," he announced.  
"NOOOO!  I wasn't here," I protested. 
"I'm sure you'll do fine. Just try your best," He passed out the test papers and with a heavy heart, I hunkered down to 'try my best'.  The following week, I learned that in spite of not having been there, I'd received a mark of seven out of ten...based on the information I'd received about the Dead Sea.  Needless to say, I was thrilled.

Six weeks later, the dreaded day arrived.  The final exam!  Worse yet, it was an oral exam.  Nerves reigned!  I hadn't taken a university course for years and was certain I would fail.  Sure, I'd reviewed the assigned chapters in the text book and had studied the reams of in-class notes, but I just knew I wouldn't succeed!  I whined to my husband, "I'm not gonna go.  I just can't.  I can't remember any of the material.  I know I'll fail!"  
"Go! You'll do fine.  I know you will," he said encouragingly. 
"I can't!" 
"Yes, you can.  Go!"  
So, go I did.

Arriving at the university, I sat down, closed my eyes and opened the textbook at random. The book fell open at chapter 10.... Manasseh.  I went over what I remembered about the material and felt fairly confident about that particular chapter.

Wisps of a conversation drifted across the room.  Four students were reviewing together for the exam.  The subject of the discussion was unfamiliar.  I didn't recognize anything they were saying,"  I approached the quartet. "I'm sorry to interrupt you.  I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard some of what you were discussing and I'm not familiar with any of it.  It must be something you studied when I was absent a while ago.  Could you please explain it to me?"  Happy to oblige, they spent the next ten minutes filling me in on the information from the missed class.  "Thank you all so much.  I really appreciate it!" I started to walk back to my seat when the Professor appeared at the door to his office. "Arlene," he called.  My heart sank.  With a loud sigh, I gathered my book and notes and what little courage I could muster.

Once inside, I took the chair on the other side of his desk.  He had placed twelve pieces of paper in two rows of six, on the table.  "Please pick one piece of paper from each row," he said.  Anxiously, I drew one from the left and one from the right, and handed them both to him.  He opened the first paper.  The question dealt with...of all things....Chapter 10....Manasseh!!!  I knew all there was to know about Manasseh! I'd just reread it!  After I'd successfully regurgitated the minutia of the chapter, he unfolded the second paper and asked me to give him the information that the four students had shared with me not fifteen minutes before!!!  It was amazing!  This was a miracle!  Excitedly, I started parroting what I'd just learned.  After the first ten sentences, the Priest stopped me. "Okay, okay, that's enough.  I can see you know the material.  I'm giving you an A as your final mark."