A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS
EPISODE 01.
Having a dream is good,
But it is useless if you don’t do anything about it especially when you don’t have money to pursue your dreams. Vivian’s only dream was to become a medical doctor but life had really been hard on her. Vivian was a beautiful Teenage girl, she was the most beautiful girl around their neighborhood but she was poorly raised. Vivian had big dreams but money had always stood as her greatest challenge.
Vivian’s father had died few years ago, and the burden to cater for 3 children fell on her poor mother. Vivian’s mother tried her best to send all her children to school. Vivian who was the first child of the family had a dream of building a life for herself as a medical doctor, so she could help her family. And all she wanted was to turn her big dreams into reality,
Dreaming wasn’t enough and Vivian soon realized that having just a dream was useless without money and she needed to take action or else her family will remain in poverty forever. Vivian had thought that the only way she could conquer poverty was by becoming a graduate. After graduating from secondary School with Honor, Vivian’s mother had promised to send her to the state University, so she could further her education. But the poor woman was found it difficult to make enough money. Vivian truly wanted to make an impact in the world, she truly wanted to take her mother and her siblings out of their pitiful state and the only way out of poverty was by being properly educated or so Vivian thought.
The scariest thing about being poor is that you are limited, Vivian was hoping against hope that she would go back to school, everyday she would assist her mother, who was a petty trader, but the only money they made daily was not even enough to feed them, talk much of sending vivian back to school. Vivian’s mother had struggled so much but still got nothing, the poor widow was finding it hard to break her daughter’s heart with the truth, because ever since she could remember, Vivian always talked of becoming a medical doctor, and if they had money, Vivian would had pursued her dream, without delay. Vivian’s mother had Tried so many times to save for Vivian’s University education but couldn’t, because they needed Food more than anything else.
One day, Vivian’s mother was forced to open up to her. “Vivian, my Child, I know what I’m about to tell you, will break your heart but I have no choice, I don’t want to continue to raise your hopes for nothing, it has been almost two years you graduated from secondary School and you are no longer a child, you are nineteen years old, you are my first child and I don’t want you to continue waiting for something that might never happen, With the look of things, my child I don’t think I can afford a University education, I don’t know that University education would be so expensive and I’m so sorry, I can’t afford it, if you had noticed, we barely made enough money for our feeding, please my child, please don’t feel disappointed, you can still be anything you want, with or without education” Vivian’s mother entered. Vivian felt devastated that she almost burst into tears. All her friends had gone back to school, some are already in their second year at the University, she wondered why hers will be different.
“If your father was still alive, things would not be this difficult, you would have been able to pursue your dream, I’m sorry I failed you, my child” Vivian’s mother added in tears. Vivian didn’t utter a word, she got up and walked away, she couldn’t conceal her feelings as she walked into her room, She kept replaying her mother’s words in her head and the thought of not furthering her education broke her heart.
Vivian felt extremely bad and she wondered how she would be able to give up on something that she wanted so much. “How will I be able to get my family out of poverty, if I don’t make it to the University?” She had thought.
In all honesty, Vivian’s mother had really tried, when Vivian’s father died, he had left nothing for them, except an array of debts. The strong woman toiled daily to pay all her late husband’s debt and at the same time, foot her Children school bills and put food on their table. Refusal to pay all those debt her late husband owed meant that they would have to forfeit their house because that was the collateral but the poor woman sold every valuable things she had to repay everything her late husband owed. Vivian knew that her mother had tried but she wished she could do more.
Ever since Vivian left secondary School, she barely had the confidence to step out into the street and get a job or to learn a skill but after that day when her hopes of going back to school was crushed completely, she decided to look for a job and help her family in anyway possible. Vivian wanted to assist her mother and get some family pressure off her and getting a job seemed like the best option at the time instead of learning a skill.
In no time, Vivian got a job at a restaurant as an attendent and that was where he met Chief Okoh, A 59 years old man, who quickly picked interest in her.
Chief Okoh was a regular customer at the restaurant and he was pleased to see a beautiful and young new girl.
In just few weeks, Chief Okoh worked his way into Vivian’s life and the next month, he was asking the young girl out. At first Vivian declined his proposal.
“Sir please I can’t go out with you, I know that you a married man and you are old enough to be my father” Vivian had told him
“But I’m not your father, common Vivian I really like you, it’s doesn’t matter if I am married or not, I will take care of you…. don’t call me sir, I’m not your boss, call me chief… I will take care of you… I can do anything for you…please accept my proposal, you will never regret it, here is one hundred thousand naira, I want you to get some thing new for yourself, buy new clothes, new shoes for yourself…. And Get a new phone too…. and think about my proposal” Chief Okoh said as he handed the cash to Vivian and walked away. Vivian was so scared as she held the money so tightly.
Three days after, Vivian was sure of what she intended to do, she didn’t spend a dime out of the money, she hid the money under her bed and everyday she had a nightmare where she was labelled a thief and she always woke up in fear.
“I don’t know what that old man wants from a small girl like me, I don’t want to involve my mom because if I do, my mom will walk up to my boss and chief Okoh is one of our best customer, my boss would not want to lose a customer like Chief Okoh, I may lose my Job, in the process and I know how I struggled to get that Job….When next I see Chief, I will politely return his money to him, I can’t date him, never” Vivian had decided not Untill her mother was hit by a moving vehicle and 50 thousand naira was needed urgently for her treatment. Vivian was forced to spend part of the money.
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What’s your advice for Vivian?
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