STRIVING

cp.2 _Ambition

"I'm home" amna shouted as soon as she opened the gate. "Go back to where you came from Aminatu. there is something along the line of salam if I recall correctly, it's recited when one is entering a house or group of people. I don't know about you, but that's what I've been taught". her Aunt, faiza wisecracked to her calling her first name as she made her entrance into the house with a salam on her lips

"Woah there aunt what a pleasant surprise to have you in the confine of our home at this sweltering hour." She teasingly asked, more like said "And what do you mean by your words if I may ask" aunt Faiza asked narrowing her eyes as if to dare amna.

"I mean, you're always welcome" aunt faiza only rolled her eyes in response.
"well, in that case I don't mind reminding you that this is my brother's house , by now you should know that your welcome is a repel of an excuse" and by the way I'm here to spend couple of days before I depart. said her aunt shoving her mini bag towards amna to verify her point.

"In that case, we both are welcome home" amna said with her hands up in defeat, aunt faiza only chuckled. because responding to amna will sure lead to infinit unnecessary argument. that's how close they are, one may think they are those sisters that are always on each other's neck but above all that, aunt faiza is amna's confidant. it's an obvious fact. she's five years older than amna. taller and chubbier with honey skin tone, round face, s-shaped brows, upturned nose, and heart-shaped lips—just like amna's. currently at the age of twenty four.

After sitting themselves in the living room which is ofcourse after exchanging pleasantries with amna's mom hajiya maryam. amna amble her way to her room to freshen up, pray and take a nap while her mom went to the kitchen to supervise her cooking. Aunt faiza is left alone in the living room therefore, she decided to busy her self with an animated movie which was playing in a certain channel and thought would be interesting. she's always had a thing for animated movies.

After freshening up and praying amna dozed up without even realizing. Today has been a tedious weary day but which working day isn't tiring, mayhap Friday, definitely.

She has never been one looking forward to working days infact, they are one of the things she dreaded with every fiber in her being so, when ever Monday arrives she's always looking forward to Friday and most definite how she'll lazy around on her bed and staying indoors as she's not much of a social person. weekends are her favorite and she loathe the thought of it ending. most especially sunday's, when ever it's Sunday, her skin crawl at the mere knowledge of the next day been Monday, she's so not a Sunday person. it's been her weekly routine.

After hajiya maryam was done cooking, she turned that of her husband in warmers then arranged them on the dinning afterwards, she sauntered out to inform the ladies to get theirs from the kitchen only to meet faiza alone watching animates.

She sighed annoyingly with a shake of her head and informed Faiza to inform the lazy young lady she knows is asleep currently because, she sure knows that's exactly what her daughter is doing in that room of hers.

she's habitually lazy but what fascinate hajiya maryam is amna's dreams and how determine she is. she couldn't be more proud of her daughter because of how she's trying to accomplish her goal. only if she can break through some of her walls and give some man a chance then her mother would've been happier and prouder, but Amna always give deaf ears when something related to her giving someone a chance is brought up.

"I vehemently believe that if we are meant to be, we would be. forget the fact that I chase them away, if we truly are meant to be the right one will never budge no matter the countless times I chase him. he may take a detour for a while but will definitely find his direction back. I have Faith.
and besides God himself is giving me a chance to achieve something. in my opinion the least you could do is back me or be by my side. whichever suits you.
And Allah himself said in the holy book "and we created you in pairs" point is, I'm not alone it's just the matter of time I have my soulmate. I don't technically care what people meditate." she would always reply to anyone that brought up the topic of her not been married or having a suitor. So, her umma, hajiya maryam left her to her words because partially she's right but for how long? she's nineteen for crying out loud.

Oftentimes she thinks she's waiting for faiza to settle before she becomes serious about giving suitor a chance. But faiza would have been long married if not for some unfortunate and unforeseen events that befalls them which as a result, her marriage had to be postponed until she graduate from university which she did three weeks ago. And at the moment, her wedding is in three months and half. But amna's case is just complicated. She's graduated with second class upper ND about five months ago but their is no signal of suitor or gist about someone she's interested in. It baffles umma.

However, truth is, she just studied what she studied for study's sake not because she's a bit interested. And now she's looking forward to attending another college to study a course of her choice hence, she won't make the error of allowing a man in between her and her dreams. That should be the last on her list. She made that blunder once in the past and learned all she should, all thanks to someone who broke her heart beyond repair. Once upon a time, she visioned a future with him and even the offsprings they would bear. Thinking back, they were all part of her teenage rebellion or maybe not. Nonetheless, lesson erudite.

Even the aforementioned diploma, she's feigning to her self it never happened in as much as she can because, it would entail that she spent or rather wasted two years doing something she needs not. Yet, it might come in handy in some unforeseen circumstances. Thing is, she don't regret it. It's part of her fate as well as part of the hurdles between her and her ambition. She won't get her self worked up over things she can't monopolize instead she'll study and pray hard to get admissioned into the college.

One of her ambition is to be a health worker under nursing or midwifery asides that she can't detect any other carrier she would love. Just like other girls, she wants to work in a hospital not for the uniform but to aid the unhealthy, weak and nauseated and others with condition that relate to physical and mental well-being. Not to abandon the obscure rewards that prosper with it from heaven. Those two are all she value amongst others and secondly, business.

Yeah, she don't want to depend on salary, she wants to make cheddar and aid the crippled, orphans, unemployed and disabled and farther. Call her lunatic or deranged it's your business. She's looking forward to miles of hard-working in hope that at the end, it will be worth it. That's one of the reasons why she bear with her employer's attitude because amna never liked the woman. She just tolerate her knowing that the woman stands before her and besides, amna is just a new employee there not that she wants to stay long in that shabby building they call school. At first when amna started tutoring her students she enjoyed it because she taught it was easy and everyone there were treating her nicely, only if she knew it won't last long. Nevertheless, she got over it and she's fairing with everyone and everything just well.

She discovered that teaching is not an easy job as thousand people out there outstretched it to be, you had to teach for almost five hours while standing, making sure none of the students were left behind, making sure they understand whatever it is you're teaching them while the school authority except you to submit sixteen lesson note and plan. It's not easy but then, she'd known long ago that nothing was easy. Even being lazy require alot of courage because everyone living with you most make mantra of how lazy and worthless you are that sometimes, you feel like murdering them; not to forget about the emotional and mental stress they'll cause you. So, even being lazy is not easy.

At some point an epiphany dawned on her that it's not just about teaching and receiving salary at the end of the month but, you're touching someone's life as well. Imparting knowledge.  She remembered how she could remember most things she's been thought from primary and secondary school and felt silly for not realizing it from the beginning. But as she did, she changed her method of teaching using another: how her pupils would learn from her, and she can't describe how euphoric she feels afterwards. Knowing whenever they remembered something she thought them, she'll be the first person they remember that way, she'll forever be in their hearts.

She discovered yet again, since she want to make impact on people's life in the future why not start from these wee cute kids here. From that moment henceforth she made her decision; one: not even the attitude she receives from her boss or other employees could terminate her from achieving the reward she'll earn because of the kids. Two: she'll try to meet the school expectations which she never gave a damn and three: she loves teaching. That made her teaching life easier except, after coming back home from teaching she needs to take a nap to relieve the stress off her body, and she couldn't be more happier that they always close at noon.