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563
Edder
Student @ University of Abuja
Student @ University of Abuja
THE BOY WHO WANTED A SCHOOL BAG
<p style="text-align: justify; "><strong>Part Two: The Decision</strong></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">For the next few weeks, Musa continued to ask.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Not every day.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He had learned that asking too often made adults uncomfortable.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Sometimes he would ask while his father was eating.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Papa, can I go to school next term?”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Sometimes while his father counted money.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Papa, I can help around the house after school.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">And sometimes, when his father was in a good mood, Musa would simply stand nearby and wait.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">But there was another voice in the house.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">His father's new wife, Amina.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">She had a daughter, Zainab, who was almost Musa's age.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">One evening, Musa overheard them talking.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“School fees are not cheap,” his father said.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Amina was quiet for a moment.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Then send Zainab,” she replied. “At least one child should start.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa stopped outside the room.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He waited for his father's response.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“But what about Musa?”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Amina sighed.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Musa can learn something else. He is a boy. He can work with Uncle Sani at the shop and still learn a trade.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The room became silent.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa didn't wait to hear the rest.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He walked back to his sleeping mat and covered himself with the old wrapper beside him.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">That night, he didn't cry.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He simply stared at the ceiling.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">For the first time, he began to wonder if wanting something badly was enough to make it yours.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The following Monday, Zainab got a new uniform.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><img src="/media/inline_insight_image/11140.png"/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa helped her put it on.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">She turned around proudly.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“How do I look?”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa smiled.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“You look like a student.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">She laughed.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Then she asked him a question that stayed with him.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Why aren't you going to school too?”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa looked at her.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Because he didn't know how to explain that sometimes two children could live under the same roof...</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">and still be given completely different futures.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">So he only said,</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Maybe next year.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">That evening, Musa folded the small piece of paper where he had written the alphabet.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He put it under his pillow.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He didn't throw it away.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Some dreams are stubborn like that.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Even when the door is closed, they keep waiting outside.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">To be continued.</p>
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