Chapter 3
After so much thought, Michelle decided against spending her entire holiday in school doing only school stuff. After Sunday service yesterday, her best friend Tomiwa told her that his mum wanted him to learn to play the drums properly. He could already play it on a small scale but he told her that his mum said that your gift will make you sit before kings not your educational degree and since he already had an interest in drums, his mother signed him up for training in art and cultural school. Even Bose, one of Michelle's childhood friends in the church had already enrolled in a catering school to learn how to bake pastries.
Michelle was worried, she was officially the only one spending her summer holiday in school again! She didn't like the idea at all, what will she do? she thought.
She had to act fast on what to do with her life this year. She picked up her Nokia phone from her reading table and dialled the number of the only person she could think of at that moment.
She looked for her brother's name on the contact list and dialled his number immediately.
His God bless Nigeria caller tunes started playing. Why would he subscribe to such a boring caller tune? She thought rolling her eyes
"Hello, baby sis," her brother's rich baritone voice came alive on the phone.
"Hi big brother", she said joyfully. It's good to hear your voice again after a long time. It seems like you have forgotten us ever since you started going to that your school", she happily continued.
"Michelle, it's not like that, I told you already that distance plus medical school workload will not permit me to be coming home frequently," Adebola answered.
"I know, I just wanted to tease you for a bit," she said. "I called you for advice on what to do with this one month's holiday. Daddy has already paid my fees for the summer coaching classes but I want to do something other than just going to school or something to add to it." "Big brother, what do you think?" She asked.
"This is a very dicey one Michelle, you know that no matter what you plan to do this holiday, Dad would still say that spending the time in school, to learn the school syllabus for the next term ahead of time was the best idea and it would make things easier for you when school resumes eventually," he said.
That means you are saying that I should not tell dad, I said almost in a whisper.
You can try your luck Michelle but from experience, I am advising you not to tell him, he said quietly. "What skill would you like to learn"
There was a comfortable silence for a while, and then Michelle answered that she hadn't given it much thought. She didn't know what trade to learn even if she wanted to learn any. Then she remembered that she love plaiting people's hair.
"Hairdressing!" She shouted victoriously. "I would prefer to learn more and perfect my hairdressing skills".
"Wow, Mimi, that's actually nice, maybe Dad would agree. Wish you luck baby sis." He said as the call ended with a beep sound.
PROFESSOR ADEWALE JOHNSON went to his study to read that evening when his wife Kemi, and his daughter Michelle had gone to bed. He started with what was on his desk, some academic journals and his newest published book "The Hunter's Prey". He smiled at his latest achievement.
He reminisced about his university days. He missed the way he and his friends argued in writings and debated about who was the best among them.
Sadly all of his friends went overseas for greater opportunities. Recently, he was given an offer to teach in the Religious Studies centre at Harvard University, while completing his research toward a PhD. He was reluctant to accept this offer, he knew that it meant a better life for him and his family, which offered a more conducive academic environment to raise Michelle and financial security but he didn't want to leave Nigeria, he felt that the citizens of this country should work together to make Nigeria a better place instead of running overseas at the slightest opportunity.
But Kemi was not happy with his decision, "Why should we continue living in this hell of a country when there are opportunities to leave for good." She said angrily when he discussed his plans with her.
