Miya Marshall [✔]

~ Chapter 5 ~

Concurrently, Miya’s parents were stuck in the early night traffic on their way back home. After leaving the school, they have not uttered one word to each other as both undergo heavy thinking.

“It’s all my fault.” Martha’s dejected voice said, filling the air. Her husband turned to face her and rubbed her shoulder in comfort. She then looked at her husband with sorrowful eyes. “It’s all my fault Thomas. If I wasn’t so soft of her, she would never have turns out like this.” She expressed, on the verge of crying.

“Don’t say such things honey. If it is anybody’s fault, it is ours. We are her parents, we should have had checked on her school progress a long time ago.” He acknowledged. “We should have had her tested like how I was.” He said in a softer voice.

Martha glimpsed a tear falling from her husband’s eye and she stretched across to wipe it away. He then took hold of her hand and kissed it.

Just then the traffic eased up and they drove steadily until they were finally home. There, Martha went straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner, while her husband went into his study to await the dinner call. Before going into his study he had went upstairs to his daughter’s room. There, he saw her still sleeping figure. He admired his daughter for a few seconds as he thought about the dinner conversation in which they all were to have.

A few minutes later, dinner was ready and Martha went to call her daughter. Miya awoke with a start as she didn’t know that her parents had come home.

“I’m coming!” she shouted when she heard her mother calling her from downstairs. Many seconds later, Miya dragged herself downstairs to dinner as she was still feeling depressed. Her parents sensed her dejected attitude but didn't say anything. Miya ate her dinner silently, just like everyone else around the table. She ate well, because she could no longer stand the hunger she felt. Mid-way through her meal, dinner conversation started.

“So Miya, we went to your school today and spoke with your form teacher, Mrs. Collins.” Martha spoke in one breath. She did not look up from her meal, but heard when Miya shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Miya shifted in her seat, as she felt her throat tightening. While downing her glass of water in one gulp, she never in a million years thought that this day would come. She thought that if she excelled in basketball her parents would be under the false impression that she was doing well in school. Now that basketball was out of the equation, her secret was out too. She knew where this conversation was going and wished, at that moment, that she could just disappear.

“Yes,” her mother continued, now looking at Miya, “We know that you have been failing your classes and have been temporarily kicked off the basketball team. We also know your failure to participate in class when it comes to reading.”

Miya looked at her mother then at her father, who was yet to utter a word. He did not want to lead the discussion as the topic of dyslexia was yet to be surfaced. Miya, however, thought to herself that she always tried to do her best at school and to participate in class, but when it comes to reading she just could not do it. Martha, who wanted to test out the teacher’s theory for herself, placed a reading comprehension paper in front Miya and told her to read it.

Miya viewed the paper trying to decipher the words printed on it. In her mind, they seemed to walk, jump and skip. She saw words reforming backwards which wasn’t right. Miya shut her eyes as she felt a headache grew in her head. All the time, her parents were observing her reaction and facial expressions before they looked at each other.

“Come; let us sit in the living room.” Thomas suggested. He, along with his wife and daughter, left the table and entered the living room to have a formal discussion.

“Miya, there is something we need to tell you. We didn’t know it would have been a possibility but it seems like it is.” her father grimaced. Miya looked at her father, extremely confused. “When I was about your age, my mother transferred me from school to school as they could not teach me. Many said that I would never learn, and I believed them. Then my mother found the perfect school, who told her that the reason why I had such a hard time learning was because I was dyslexic. With the teachers’ dedication and a special program, I was finally able to learn.” He related.

“Why are you telling me this?” Miya queried.

Thomas looked at his wife and his wife nodded her head for him to carry on. With her approval he said, “Miya we think you may have dyslexia too.”

Miya sat there shocked beyond words. How could she have dyslexia? Wasn’t it a reading disability?  She thought. Then it all made sense. Ever since she started Clare Hall High, she has been failing assignments, and seeing jumbling and prancing words everywhere. It finally made sense now. Her father felt her shock for he had experienced the same feeling when he found out that he had dyslexia.

After learning about her disability, Miya felt misplaced. She wanted to overcome it just like her father so that she could improve her grades and play basketball once more, but she didn’t know how.

“So how do I beat it?” she asked her parents. Her mother smiled widely at her daughter, pleased that she did not want dyslexia to win.

“We spoke to your teacher and she told us that we should enroll you into the dyslexia program called ‘Second Chance’,” Her father answered, “We did the research at your school and checked the reviews, and decided that it was the program for you.”

Miya smiled at her father and then surprise him with a hug. She then hugged her mother and thanks them both.

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A few weeks later, Miya was now a member of the ‘Second Chance’ program. There, she learned more about Dyslexia and worked very hard to triumph over it.

In the program, she met people of all ages and nationalities. She learnt their stories and what they aspired to be in life. When Miya was asked what her future goals were, she starting thinking about school, her friends and her family. Miya did not know what her goals in life were, but she did know that as of this moment things were going to change for the better.

During her tenure at ‘Second Chance’, she received exceptional results. Finally feeling at one with herself, Miya told her friends about her disability, as well as her coach. With their long-lasting support, Miya went to do her booster exams and obtained an average of 95%. Everyone was happy for her, but not as happy as Miya was with herself. The average placed her 1st in most of her classes, in which surprised her. Her friends and teachers were all very proud of her, as well as her parents.

In the following month after Miya rejoined her basketball team, her team won the playoffs against Chester High and she led them to the nationals with the position of MVP. There her team placed 2nd in the competition that held 35 basketball teams from all over the world.

Along with their victory, their school received a sum of $500,000 which went to the renovation and empowerment of the school’s sports club. Miya, herself, received her own award of being titled the most outstanding basketball player since ‘Babe’. She also received 7 scholarships to the best colleges in and out the state.

Five years later, Miya Marshall is now a senior with a college scholarship from ‘University of Promise Futures’. In her last year, at Clare Hall High, she has been succeeding and coming on top in all her classes. Reminiscing on her former days, she remembered hating herself for something she knew nothing of. Who could have thought that her disability would have gotten her to where she was now? Many sympathized with Miya, but Miya never pitied herself. She thought of herself an overcomer, an achiever of magnificent things. Because of Dyslexia, she was able to tap into her purpose. If it was not for her parents’ insight and the support and empowerment from the ‘Second Chance’ program, as well as her own determination, Miya would have never been who she was today.

Now, she is currently studying to become a Specialist Teacher dealing with Special Needs in children, and helping those with Dyslexia to rise above it.

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