The silent advocate

Party preparation

The house was a whirlwind of activity as they arranged things for the party.

​"Madam, lost in thought again?" Mimi’s mother teased, nudging her. "I suppose your mind has finally settled now that you aren't worrying about those results, eh?"

​Mimi smiled, adjusting a stack of plates. "I was just anxious, that’s all." She looked over at the crates of refreshments piled in the corner. "Isn't this a bit much, Mum? Exactly how many guests are we expecting?"

​"It seems you’ve forgotten how your father gets when it comes to a celebration," her mother laughed.

​"I haven't even secured my admission yet!" Mimi joked. "If we are having a big party now, what will you do when I actually start school? Throw a luxury gala?"

​"That is exactly what we’ll do, you silly girl," her mother replied warmly. "Now, stop talking and help me arrange these chairs."

​Just then, her father walked in, balancing even more drinks.

​"Ah! Not another crate!" Mimi exclaimed.

​"What?" her father asked, feigning innocence.

​"Don't mind her," her mother chimed in. "She’s complaining that the drinks are too much."

​He smiled broadly. "This girl... it’s like you’ve forgotten what kind of parents you have. We don't do anything halfway."

​"That’s what I told her," her mother agreed. "She doesn't realize the magnitude of what she has achieved. Anyway, Madam, go and check the rice I left on the fire. Fry the meat before you start counting guests!"

​Mimi hurried to the kitchen, bracing herself for the smell of scorched rice, but to her surprise, it hadn't caught yet. She added a splash of water to soften the grains, then set a frying pan on the stove. As the oil began to sizzle and the aroma of browning meat filled the air, her mind drifted far away from the kitchen.

​She closed her eyes and pictured it: the heavy fabric of a matriculation gown, the hushed silence of a university lecture hall, the pride of finally being a student. She smiled to herself, lost in the golden glow of her future.

​Little did she know that for her, the university would always remain a beautiful, distant dream—one she would never get to touch.