“What is this I hear about an exam or a scholarship?”

Sofia looked at her mother before her father again.

“Mama was telling me about an opportunity for me to go to nursing school. I’d have to write a scholarship exam to get into the private school in town first and if I get in, I’d have to work hard enough to get the second scholarship to go to nursing school”

As she was speaking, she was seeing that her father’s scowl was only getting deeper and deeper.

“And you want to go ahead to write the exam?”

Beaming brightly, she adjusted on her bed, too antsy to sit still.

“Yes, I’m going to write the exam and go to nursing school. Can you imagine that? I won’t have to work almost 18 hours a day for my tuition fees. All I’d have to do is study hard enough to be the best student in the school and that’s something I can do rather easily”

Her mother nodded and squeezed her hand.

“Yes, my treasure, I know that you’re going to blow their minds with the great scores you’re going to get. I’m sure that you’d be so good they’ll even offer to send you to a bigger nursing school than the one you chose”

Before Sofia could respond, her father cleared his throat which made them give him their attention.

“I see that you’ve come to a decision with your mother without even asking about how I feel”

Sofia and her mother looked at themselves before Sofia pasted a smile on her face.

“I’m sorry, papa, I was just so excited at the prospect of going to nursing school as I always wanted. What do you think? It’s a good idea, right?”

“No, it’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard in my life”

Sofias smile fell slowly as she started to frown. Her father continued before she could get as much as a word out.

“What do you mean, papa?”

“How can you think of bringing yourself down to the level of going to beg those rich, arrogant people for peanuts just to go to nursing school? Do you not have any pride?”

Sofia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Why was her father speaking to her in such a manner? Why was he saying that she was bringing herself down and not caring about her pride as a lady?

“I don’t understand”

Her mother wasn’t saying anything but merely looking at her husband.

“Even if you do not have pride, do you not have self respect or self preservation? Most of those rich people have children your age. Are you going to also beg their children for food when you get there? Are you going to go on your knees just for their hand me downs?”

The way Sofia felt, she hadn’t felt that way in such a long time. She was so embarrassed and confused at the same time that she didn’t know what to say.

“What would you have her do instead?”

Her mother finally spoke up.

“I would have her keep the fragments of her pride intact by doing what she’s always done, working to provide everything that she has. I will also do my best to provide. If I can’t get enough to send her this year, I’ll work harder to get more to send her next year”

Though Sofia knew that what her father was saying was to an extent sensible, she didn’t think it was a wise decision to allow the opportunity her mother had told her about pass her by just because of something as fickle as pride.

All she needed to do was keep off the radar, not draw attention to herself and do her best in school to maintain her scholarship while also doing internships on the side so she got a good job when she was done with school.

“You need to understand that we aren’t getting any younger. You’re already on a ton of medications as is. How do you think you’d get the strength to work hard enough to foot her bills? You’re well aware that most of the money Sofia saved was spent on this family. Where would she get more for her tuition fees?”

It was obvious that her mothers words were getting to him but he was too stubborn a mule to accept them.

“You really want to go to nursing school?”

He was looking at his daughter and not his wife anymore as he asked the question.

“Yes, papa, I really want to go to nursing school”

She perked up with the hope that he was finally getting to see things from her point of view.

“And you think the scholarship to and from the private school in town is the only way to do that?”

She nodded in response.

“If that’s what you really want…”

He broke off as he looked away. She jumped to her feet, ready to run into his arms and scream her thanks to the rooftops but stopped in her tracks when he finally completed his sentence just before walking away.

“What?”

She kept staring at the spot where her father had been standing only a few moments ago, sure that her ears were deceiving her. She turned to her mother who was sporting the same look of surprise.

“Did he really say what I heard?”

Her mother opened her mouth and closed it, shocked herself at what her husband uttered.

“Mama, tell me that I misheard him and he didn’t actually say that”

“I… I… what?”

Her mother wasn’t able to say what she wanted her to say which meant that her father had really said what she heard.

“My father actually said that…”

Sofia broke off, too surprised and still in disbelief to continue her sentence. A short laugh left her throat as she walked back to her bedside and shoved her feet into the slippers that were beside her bed, ready to confront her father because there was no way she was allowing such a comment pass just like that.