3-Point (FreenBecky)

His Approval

"Please sit down, we need to talk." Sam's father asked her to sit on the couch, facing him. Sam, being a very obedient daughter of the family, followed what he asked her, even though she did not know what he was going to say.

The divorce of her parents made their house's mood turned gloomy and dull. There was no more laugh nor "love you". The only thing that left there was the feeling of emptiness and blue. Sam's hopes were gone, just like the mother figure who also went from her life, forever.

With her tired eyes, Sam looked up to meet her father's eyes looking at hers deeply. "What is it about, Dad?" Sam asked, putting her palms on her knees, something that she usually did if she felt intimidated.

Her father took a deep breath, closed his eyes for some seconds then opened it again. He let out his sigh, "I am going to say this only once, so, please listen carefully." He said.

Sam nodded, "Alright, Dad. You may continue" Sam said, making sure her ears would catch all of his words.

"Stay here in Thailand and prepare yourself for the entrance test. You may choose your preferred university, but you may only choose Business and Management as your major." Her father commanded.

Her eyes almost fell from her head after she heard what her father said. How come..

"Dad! I am sorry, but I refuse" Sam shook her head, "My only passion is basketball and you do know that from a long time ago." Sam said while trembling. How can her father suddenly change his mind?

"As I said before, I will only say that once." He got up from his seat, took a step forward to leave the living room. Sam, who saw that her father was walking away while their discussion had not yet tried to get up and stopped her father. She kneeled on the floor, blocking her father's way.

Looking down to his feet, Sam tried so hard to hold her crying voice. "Dad.. Please, this is my only dream since I was a child. Let me go to the Philippines and join the selection first. I will definitely come back here if I fail." Sam touched his feet, put her head there. "I promise, I will come back for you.. just let me-"

His father stepped back, making Sam's head touch the cold floor. "Let me tell you something," her father said. "Your siblings would never come back and handle our business. Even if they do, I don't believe in them as much as I believe in you." He said, trying to hold back his anger.

Sam shook her head, "I don't want the business, just give it to someone else. Let me do what I love to do. Please, Dad!" She cried, no longer holding her tears in her eyes.

He hissed, turned his palm into fist. "Can you eat that ball? Can that ball buy you home? Buy anything you need? It can't! So, stop your nonsense talking" he yelled.

Sam still did not give up and tried to persuade her dad more, "Dad.. plea-"

He cut her, "You may earn for 20 years from now, then, what would you do after you can't run as fast as before? Think about that!"

"I am your father, I know what's best and worst for you. You, as my daughter, just have to follow my order. If you keep on refusing then go find that bitch and her children. You will be the same as them in my eyes," her father warned her, before leaving the room with Sam on the floor, devastated.

~

"Sam, it is your turn." One of her classmates tried to wake her up from sleeping, head facing the wall. "Sam.." her other classmate tried to wake her up again after receiving no response at all.

"Just tell her I would not come," Sam said tiredly, not even trying to get up from her current position.

"She told me to come for you, please wake up or I would get scolded" the same person tried to wake her up again.

"That's your problem, not mine." Sam said carelessly.

Her classmate gave up from waking her up. She then went to the counselor room to tell the counselor about what Sam said to her earlier.

Minutes passed by, just when she fell deeper in her sleep, someone patted her shoulder twice. Still, Sam did not want to wake up. The pat on her shoulder turned into shaking a minute after. What the fuck?!

"What?!" Sam looked up to the person who shook her shoulder, getting annoyed. Her eyes soon softenned.

"Go with me, now." The counselor said, made Sam smack her own forehead. Why didn't you tell me?! Sam mouthed her breathless whisper to her friends, which her friends answered by shrugging their shoulders.

~

"Sam, the entrance test will be open in just a week. I told you earlier that you had to at least have three universities on your mind as your option" The counselor scolded her in the counselor room.

Sam did not budge, her eyes staring at the form on the table that she had not filled out yet. "I am sorry, Ms. I just.. I don't even have a plan on continuing my study.. that's why" Sam sighed loudly, the counselor realizing her student's problem.

"Are your parents somehow.." the counselor said.

"Yes. My Dad forced me to try the national entrance test" Sam finished her teacher's words.

Nodded her head knowingly, the counselor then took the form on the table. "I see. As far as I can remember, you love basketball right?" The counselor asked, pushing her glasses closer to the bridge of her nose.

Sam nodded, "However, Dad would be mad at me if he found out that my major is Sport. So, it is impossible for me to choose that kind of university." Sam said, holding her hair, frustrated.

The counselor smiled, "So, which major does your father prefer?" She asked Sam.

"Business and Management. Wherever it is, as long as it is, he approves." Sam said.

Upon hearing Sam answers, the counselor browsed in her computer, searching which universities that have the major her father prefers and have best basketball teams. After reading some of them, she filled the form with three universities who more likely could provide Sam's father's needs and her own needs.

"Here you go, I have concluded these universities for you to pursue. It has the major you choose and has the best basketball team in it. You still could play basketball once you entered," The counselor handed her the form. "One of these universities opens the special test for the outstanding high school athletes. You might even receive a scholarship too, only if you show your best performance on your entrance test day."

Sam's eyes then looked at the form in her hand, focusing her eyes at the one who had the special test, letting out her sigh. "Thank you for your help, Ms." Sam then made her way out of the counselor room.

"Sam!" The counselor's voice stopped her from stepping out of the room.

She stood up and walked to where Sam was standing. "I knew what happened.. Please be strong, I know you can do it!" The counselor motivated her while patting her head. Sam blinked her eyes several times, surprised by her teacher's action. She then nodded her head and went out of the counselor room.

Will he approve?

To be continued