By Kimani Wiseman
Ben: Mom, why are you crying? You look really depressed.
Mom: I got laid off from my job, the company I am working with is bankrupt. I don’t think I will have much to give you until I find another job. In the meantime, I will use my savings to keep us afloat. You are a very intelligent young man and I want you to stay focus, your CXC exam is coming up very soon.
Ben: I will make you a proud mom although you won’t have much to give me for the coming months, you have always worked hard to send me to school and for that I will always be thankful for your sacrifice. I am going to leave now for my class.
Ben: Does anybody in the class have a pen or pencil to lend me please?
Class: No, we don’t lend pens and pencils to poor people, you are wearing church shoes to school that has holes, your shirt looks like a giant rat chewed on it, you are the black sheep of the class. Have a look at the shoes that we are wearing. We are rocking timberlands.
Ben: I am going through a little hard times at home. My mom got laid off from her job.
Class: Hard times? Ha Ha Ha
Ben: Yes, hard times, anyways never mind. I will write with the small piece of pencil I have in my bag.
Mom: Ben, how was school today?
Ben: School was horrible. I asked the class to lend me a pen or pencil and they made fun of my shoes and my clothes. They even called me “the black sheep of the class”.
Mom: One day son things will get better. I don’t have enough money to give you three meals a day but we will survive. I am trying to get a cleaning job to help pay for your CXC. Please don’t allow those students to make you feel angry and make you feel as if you are worth nothing. I will continue to pray for us.
Ben: I know you are trying your best. I put my trust in the almighty and I know he will make a way for us. I will drink some sugar water for dinner until we can afford three meals a day. The electricity was disconnected yesterday. I am going to use the street light to read some notes.
Mom: Before you go to read your notes, I have an idea. I was thinking about making some sugar cake and tamarind ball and you can carry them to school and sell them to ease the financial pressure. The mango tree is loaded with mangoes, you can also sell mangoes.
Ben: I think that is a brilliant idea.
Three months after:
Ben: Mom, CXC results are out, I am going to school to collect my results.
Mom: I know you will do extremely well although we are going through some tough times. I dreamt of a lotto number last night, here are the numbers. Can you buy a lotto for me before you return home?
Ben: Yes, I will buy the lotto. I am praying we can win this lotto tonight.
Ben: Good morning, I am here to collect my CXC results.
Principal: Good morning, congrats young man, you are our top performer in this year CXC exam, you have obtained thirteen CXC subjects. I remember seeing you selling sugar cakes, tamarind balls and mangoes to help pay for your CXC exam.
Ben: I went through some tough times in the past couple of months. My mom got laid off and it wasn’t easy. My class laughed at my attire and called me the black sheep of the class.
Principal: There is an old saying “He who laughs last, laughs best”. That entire class got less than five subjects. You were the only one who persevered to the end.
Ben: I am happy I made the school proud. My mom dreamt of a lotto number last night. I am going to buy a lotto.
Ben: Mom, I am home. I got 13 subjects and I was the top performer in the school.
Mom: Congrats son I knew you will make me proud. You got the lotto?
Ben: Yes, here is the lotto.
Mom: Turn on the TV for me please the lotto is about to start. Oh my god, Ben the numbers I dreamt of came tonight. We won the lotto. God has given us a financial break through.
The moral of the story: Once there is life there is hope. Never allow anybody to look down at you and make you feel that you cannot achieve anything in life. Hard work brings success.
