I sat in the school courtyard on a sunny day. The Bamboo blinds overhead, steadily rustling over the cool breeze that blew. The quietness was soothing and just what I needed in that hour.
My mind was heavy. Heavy with preparations for the upcoming class scholarship exam organised by the big firm in our hometown. It was all I could think of. Making Mama proud was my mission at that moment.
My books were scattered all over the table. Bit by bit I devoured each page. Letting each word sink into my mind, scribbling notes and battling maths equations. The tick of my tiny watch reminded me of the little time I had remaining to prepare.
“A prepared man fears no foe” my late father would say.
And up till that day, I had made that my watchword. And I had no plans to enter that hall unprepared.
Now I sat in the exam hall filled with rows of desks. The tension in the room was palpable. Students can be seen sweating profusely and scribbling their answers on their scripts.
I sat there relaxed, tackling each question like it was the letters of the alphabet. A huge smile etched on my face. Papa was right, I was prepared and had no fear. The questions appeared easier than I thought.
“Mama was going to be proud of me,” I murmured.
A few days later the results were out and I excelled with flying colours. I was the first among those awarded a scholarship to college by the big firm.
I took my award home to Mama. And just as I had wished for she looked me in the face with tears in her eyes and said.
“I'm proud of you my son”