mother to mother chapters

mother to mother

MOTHER TO MOTHER

Chapter One

Helen is extremely nervous as she strides down the walk way which cuts the lush green lawn of Union Island University into individual planets of a

green universe. Penalty signs inform detour minded users of the consequences of an invasion mission to any planet. These warnings are unseen by Helen, the first female of the indigenous island people to be admitted to the University in its 100 year existence. The limited thoughts of ancient men and the fears of a lineage of tribal monarchs hindered, stopped and almost killed the approval and affixing of signatures. Then the allocation of public funding, needed to give birth, prolonged the healthy pregnancy beyond its natal period. But the birth took place and a new 'child' entered the world

Numerous pairs of eyes, painted with diverse colors follow the slim figure of dark skin, with full lips, wide nose, black shoulder length hair and light brown eyes. She is dressed in a knee length off white dress with a thin black belt. A large brown envelope and black handbag are anchored in sweating hands at the end of muscle tense arms. The light brown eyes look straight ahead, resisting the temptation to stray to the left or right. Helen's pace does not slow until she reaches the Administration Complex and the need arises for asking directions and searching for a specific office.

When a person is moved suddenly from an environment of only low small buildings to a world of large tall structures, the experience is sometimes traumatic. Helen feels some of this as she enters the huge hall and looks up at the tinted glass ceiling towering above her head. She freezes and there is a collision to her back. An angry face greets her when she turns, Helen smiles, "I am so sorry. Please forgive me, I am new........"

"Well, learn the rules, check before you stop!" the tall woman says and quickly walks away, leaving Helen confused and hurt. Her first face to face encounter at the University is an unpleasant one.

She looks around, unsure of herself. The familiar stab of fear nips at her stomach, but she breathes deeply, steadies herself and looks around carefully for her destination. A sign says 'ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT, SECOND FLOOR', next to an elevator and a stairway.a choice has to be made. Helen is not accustomed to using elevators; she has seen them used in the movies shown at her village but has never used one. Slowly she walks over, looks at the buttons and presses, The door opens. She hesitates as people rush pass, then steps inside and turns around, The door closes. Helen keeps her eyes on the changing lights above her head. When the number 2 lights up and the door opens, she steps out and looks left then right. The office is to her right.

Helen walks down the corridor, turns the handle of the door and enters. A busy office greets her, It is the commencement of the semester and academic year. Everyone is fully engaged in activities which are vital to the students, lecturers and classes being united harmoniously. She is seen but ignored. There to her left a woman is standing behind the counter with no one in front of her, she is busy writing but Helen needs help. Helen removes her admission documents from the envelope, walks over and stands before the woman,

"Good morning Ms."

"Yes, good morning," she replies without raising her head and continues to write, copying from one page to another.

"I am here to regist........," Helen is cut short

"You are late, the days for registration ended last week!"

"No, that cannot be! The Native Agency officials gave me these documents last week and said to be here this week, today."

The woman stops writing, slowly raises her head and looks at Helen,

"Oh my God!" escapes her lips as she sees Helen. The staff members closest to her hear and look in her direction. Helen hears whispering. The woman standing before her surveys her from head to toe, "You are the native girl from Nelson island?"

"Yes Ms., I am Helen Denn"

"Let me have your documents,"

Helen hands over the papers given to her by the government officials. The woman pushes aside the forms she was completing and begins examining Helen's, looking up every few seconds. She turns one of the sheets around.

"Fill in your name in capital letters here, put your national identification number here, then sign your name here and put in today's date next to it"

Helen opens her hand bag removes a pen, then searches for her national identification card. It is not in her bag. She sets the hand bag and envelope down on the counter and furiously searches inside. The card is missing.

"I cannot find it, it is not here!"

"I will not be able to register you without that number........Helen. Look again, this time carefully." the search is fruitless; water comes to Helen's eyes.

"Where did you have it last?" the woman asks, having stopped examining the documents when she saw the tears in Helen's eyes.

"I was checking the documents last night, making sure the spelling of my name and the other information was correct"

"Where did you place everything when you were finished?"

"In this envelope," the woman smiles while looking at the envelope.

Helen opens the top pushes her hand inside and immediately laughs pulling out the card.

"Thank you very much"

"Just doing my job, I register hundreds of students every semester and have seen cards placed in the most unusual places, yours was easy," Helen fills out the form and gives it to the woman, who checks it.

She then examines the last document, "Your parents did not sign the scholarship form......... they need to sign it"

"They cannot read or write," Helen replies looking at the woman, who looks back at her in silence as she thinks, "O.K. wait here I will be right back."

Helen watches as the clerk goes from desk to desk showing the workers the form while enquiring from them. She reaches the last desk speaks to that employee, turns and begins walking back to her. The woman stops, turns, goes to a closed office door knocks and enters. A few minutes passes before the door opens, she exits, closes the door and walks rapidly toward Helen smiling.

"Come around to the door on this side," she says on reaching Helen, turns and retraces her steps. Helen follows her and is admitted behind the counter. The woman then ushers her into the same office. Helen is shocked to see the same who collided with her in the lobby sitting behind the desk. She looks at Helen and frowns,

"I remember you, the girl standing in the middle of the lobby right?"

"Yes Ms.........."

"Dennison, Thelma Dennison. Please sit, the letter Amy."

"Oh, yes Ms. Dennison," Amy says, smiles at Helen and exits the office.

"I called the Education Ministry. They said I can sign the scholarship form and attach a note signed by you, stating that your parents cannot read or write." Someone knocks at the door, it opens and Amy enters. She gives a letter and all of Helen's documents to Ms. Dennison, who reads the letter and hands it to Helen, who also reads,

"Is the letter O.K.?" Amy asks

"Yes, I believe so. Thank you again," Amy smiles and exits the office. Helen signs the letter and gives it to Ms. Dennison, who stamps and signs it, then staples it to the scholarship form. She then examines all of the admission documents before stamping and signing them.

"Helen Denn, congratulations, you are officially a student of Union Island University"

Helen's eyes fill with tears; she buries her head in her hands and cries. The dream of her people. The dream of her parents and her own personal dream since she saw the first female teacher come to her village has been fulfilled.