JUST A FEW WEEKS out of hospital after he nearly drowned, Abijah Jones insisted on being among the thousands of Class 4 students who wrote this year Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination yesterday.

Except for an obvious limp he looked like the average boy his age, albeit a bit smaller, but to his mother Queen Momerelle and classmates he is a miracle. Jones, a Grazettes Primary School student, took the examination at Ellerslie Secondary School in Black Rock, St Michael.

During the break his mother recounted to the MIDWEEK NATION how he "almost drowned" during an outing at Brandons Beach with his brother on March 18.

"He and his brother were at the beach and he almost drowned. His brother saved him. He lay afloat and brought him in and he almost drowned too. When he got in, he got mouth to mouth and then he was taken to the hospital where he was then in ICU," Momerelle said.

The incident took place at the "hot pot" and Jones remained hospitalised for three weeks.

His mother said when her son was fully conscious the doctor asked him a multiplication question to test him and he answered "in a heartbeat".

"I had to ask the doctor if his answer [9 x 9=81] was right and he said yes. He was good . . . . He went to lessons and when the teacher gave him the sums he got all right. He said he didn't want to wait and he would do the exam today," Momerelle said.

The youngster does not remember all the details of the incident, however.

When Jones returned to school his teacher cried and his classmates were happy to see him, his mum said. Jones was happy to be at school with his friends and sitting the exam, and for his mother that was just great, considering she was told her son could have been a vegetable. (DS)