"K-A-L-A-N-C-H-O-E"

"K"ALANCHOE"--to people it basically refers to a tropical, succulent plant.To me, "Kalanchoe" is sweet success because it was the word that put me through to the Quarter-Finals of the Spelling Bees. I actually didn't realize until now that,"Hey, am I gonna be on TV?" So, "to be on TV," I had to go through one heck of a day.

It was the Divisional Round of Dhaka-B.400 of Dhaka's elite were chosen for the ultimate "spell-off". Luckily, I was one of them. So, the warriors were ready and the stage was set. It was now time for the written round. The room was tensed. Every pin-drop and heart-beat could be heard. The tension was palpable. The pronouncer started the round with the first word of the day--smudge. I was lucky enough that I got that one right and it was soon followed by a few more words like,-- acupressure, bureau, mortgage, ceaseless, bankruptcy, etc. The road was clear ahead. After the 16th spelling, it was GAME ON! The pronouncer threw words like--pompadour, psittacoses, zabaglione, etc. Those were the fastest one-minute countdowns I've ever seen. The test then ended. I literally had no idea about what was to come.

After a 45-minute lunch break, we returned with all eyes for those coveted 55 spots. The results had arrived .Munmun Apu arrived, with her honey-like smile and sparkling pair of eyes, ready to reveal the results. She announced the winners and they were ready for battle. I, on the other hand, was having a good ol' nap. When Munmun Apu said, "The next participant is...268", my friends were all jocose and they woke me up but I had no idea whatsoever. I stood up and saw Munmun Apu calling me to the stage and everything was a blur. So, I sat down again, thinking it was just my imagination. That was a crowd-pleaser as the crowd laughed to their heart's content.

Then, it was time for the Oral Round. The real stage was set for "The Showcase of The Immortals". Some people had sweet memories, some people hadn't. My turn came. The word for me was...K-I-C-K-S-H-A-W. It was actually a sweet moment when I spelled that one correctly. Many students had difficulties in spelling their respective words, leaving just 26 students at the end of the first round. It was then time for the second round. This time around, my word was---    N-I-H-I-L-I-S-M. To me, it sounded something like, "Naa-yaa-lism". I messed it up and made a mistake. Thank God we all got second chances. 26 students left. 18 places up for grabs. After the second round, there were 17 students left with 9 places up for grabs now. I had to do it now. The word for me now was--- P-A-C-H-Y-D-E-R-M. I knew the word and I went for it quite confidently. I spelled it like, "P-A-C-K-Y". Then I realized that, there's no "K" in the word. So, as per the rules, I had to complete the word with another mistake.
That was the end. Game over. I was literally shattered with no hopes of TV Round Qualification. 8 students were left after me in the 3rd round and the scenario was such, if I had to qualify, 7 of those 8 students had to misspell. Even if there were 6 wrong spellings, I was gone for good. Miraculously, 7 of them didn't get it right. I was so relieved to see that. It was now "MAKE IT OR BREAK IT" for me. I had to get it right this time around. I did a slow march towards the stage, knowing that it was the hardest minute of my life. The word for me was...K-A-L-A-N-C-H-O-E.I took a deep breath. I slowly asked for the definition and was in no hurry. I slowly started spelling the word. K-A-L-A-N-C-H-O-E.
After that, the only thing I heard was the loudest scream of my life by the really supportive crowd. This meant that I was correct and I was the last participant of the day to go through to the TV Round of the Spelling Bees. That was DRAMATIC. I mean, it was really DRAMATIC. The bottom line now was this, I am through to the TV Rounds of the Spelling Bees alongside the 71 best spellers from the country. I have only one motto now and that is to make my school, friends and most importantly my family proud!

By Hasan Al Tareq
Grade-VII, HURDCO International School