Whenever our English teacher, Mrs. Tango, entered the classroom for her lesson, she would always end by asking us,
“What do you want to be in the future?”, My answer was always the same: “I want to be a medical doctor”.
Many of my classmates shared the same dream, while others aspired to be lawyers, engineers, or bankers. She would take her time to ask each of us about our dreams and offer comments on our hopes for the future.
We all loved these moments in Mrs. Tango's class, It was nice to know what your classmates will become in the future.
As we grew older and moved from one class to another, some of us started thinking with more mature minds. Our dreams from junior secondary school were no longer our ultimate goals. We began to realize the importance of pursuing our passions instead of just chasing dreams and fantasies.
When we moved to SS1, Mrs. Tango switched from teaching English to literature. Just like in her English class, she made sure to explain each novel to us excellently.
She would divide us into small groups and assign chapters from the book.
"Study hard with your group, because I might choose you to give a chapter summary," she would say.
I loved this part of the class—the storytelling, laughter, and all the drama.
Another class I loved was biology. Our teacher was a young, friendly man who always brought humor into his lessons.
He had a rule: "Laugh when everyone else is laughing, and be serious when I'm serious. Don't laugh when no one else is, and don't keep a straight face when we're all laughing."
It may sound funny, but trust me, some of my classmates always got serious cane strokes for breaking that rule.
So we tried our best not to laugh at funny things he said about the human reproductive system, and we tried our best to smile when he seriously caned us for not knowing the answers to his questions.
Despite it all, we adored his class and always looked forward to seeing him.
During my first week of SS1, second term, Mrs. Tango taught us the general characteristics of prose and writing.
After her explanation, she pointed in my direction and asked,
"Phyna, what do you want to become in the future?"
The whole class stared at me as if they weren't used to this part of Mrs. Tango's routine.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts because so many things were running through my mind. I had answered this question throughout my junior years, but now I didn't know what to say. After staring at Mrs. Tango for about 20 seconds, I finally mustered up the courage...
"Mrs. Tango, I'm sorry, but I don't know what I want to be in the future”. I said and the whole class fell silent, not even the sound of flipping books or scrolling pens could be heard.
"Why, Phyna? You always wanted to become a doctor?" Mrs. Tango asked.
"Yes, Ma'am, but I'm not sure anymore," I replied.
"I now love both science and literature, so I also want to write books alongside being a doctor," I said and tried my best not to look at her puzzled countenance.
After class, my friends shared their doubts too. They weren't sure about their paths anymore.
"I want to continue with my designs, but I don't know if that's a good job," Goldfield said. She had once wanted to become a lawyer, but designing was her talent. She used it brilliantly in school gatherings like Christmas carols and Valentines'.
We wanted to stick together and support each other in making our dreams come true. But as my principal would say, "Twenty children cannot play together for twenty years”, our wish was impossible.
As we graduate, most of our friendships also graduate. Now, we are all scattered across different universities and colleges, pursuing dreams that are very different from what we had in mind back then.
During our last get-together, my friends and I discussed these dreams once again and I noticed how mature everyone sounded.
We now have dreams that feel real and achievable in a few years.
What warms my heart even more is that most of us have been able to use our talents while studying something else.
"I'm studying Political Science, but I design costumes for the theater art department in my school. I also do some graphics and web design," said Goldfield. The two things are very different, but she enjoys doing them.
"Well, I'm studying accountancy and also modeling clothes," Stella said.
I told them I was studying medical biochemistry and also writing on Hive.
We appreciated each other and made a toast to a successful friendship.
However, some of my friends are still waiting to gain admission, and some are still discovering their talents and passions.
Whatever it is, it's clear that we are still going through changes. We can't predict the future, so the best thing we can do now is to pray, work towards our present dreams, and hope for a better tomorrow.
