Year 2015, August.
Present day
Today is her first day at her new school and Rella was freaking out.
She still couldn't believe that she had successfully made it into Grade 11.
Rella is now, a junior in highschool and she is currently living in New York with her family.
Everything in her life seemed way too good to be true.
Four weeks ago, when she first arrived in NYC, Rella had zero clue with what she wanted to do with her life (other than go to school, of course).
The last words of her late father ran through her head multiple times, "Don't put a full-stop on your dreams, Rella. Your dreams will come true. Just believe in yourself coz' I believe in you."
Everytime that happened, Rella closed her eyes to pray to the almighty, asking Him to give her father a peaceful abode in paradise.
It's been over a month since then.
At present, Rella is looking at her reflection in the mirror and adjusting her black, pony-tailed hair. Her outfit of the day consisted of a pale blue pair of jeans and a casual maroon t-shirt. Nothing too fancy, but definitely comfortable.
Rella puts on her trusty, white sneakers and voila, she's ready for school!
***
Rella's POV
Three months ago, when I applied for an admission in this well known New York based school, I was not expecting to make it even to the waiting list.
My grades were decent but I lacked self-confidence. So, I kept my hopes on the down low.
There are two kinds of people in this world in my humble opinion: the confident ones and the over-confident ones. Then comes a third category which includes the under-confident people.
I can see myself fitting perfectly into that third category.
Therefore, I received the biggest shock of my life on the day the results were declared. Yes, I passed.
I got enrolled and felt extremely lucky.
My mother and my younger sister Cindy, reached cloud 9 when I gave them this "brilliant piece of news" (their words not mine).
The three of us ended up having a little celebration that evening in our old Connecticut home.
My mom baked my favorite chocolate cake and Cindy went to a store two blocks away from our house to buy chips and refreshments for the party.
We had a really fun, family time.
My mom had been worried sick for my future. I gave her a really hard time in the last couple years, by refusing to take anything seriously.
I was rebellious.
School and studies became a burden. Social interaction lost all meaning. I mostly stayed indoors during my off days.
I was depressed.
Papa's absence had taken a huge mental toll on me and it took me a long time to recover from it. I can't say if I'm fully recovered even now, but atleast I have my shit together.
After his death, the burden of our household fell entirely on mom's shoulders. The sugar factory Papa worked in, had no policy of granting family pensions. So, to meet our financial expenses, mom had to search for a job. She had her qualifications. But, being a homemaker all her adult life she lacked the workplace experience.
Papa's factory did provide an insurance amount, but it was not enough to last us a lifetime.
My mom gulped down all her sorrows regarding the loss of the love of her life and took a brave step outside doors to provide for her daughters' stable living. She had to.
