Everybody in the house was overjoyed because it was Elena’s matric result day. Her mother, Elyssa, was both excited and anxious. She didn’t want her daughter’s efforts to go in vain, as Elena had really worked hard this time.
As soon as the results were uploaded online, Elena quickly searched for her roll number in the list. She was nervous, but she believed in herself and her hard work. At last, she found her roll number in the list of those who had scored 90% or above. She was so overjoyed that her eyes filled with tears.
She ran to tell her mother with a big smile and she hugged her tightly, “Mummy, look! I got an A+ grade in the exams!”
“Honey, I always knew you would ace it. Those six hours of studying every day and late nights were worth it. Do you remember what I told you during your midterms?”
Elena began to recall her mother’s words about hard work and success. It was during the midterms when, one day, she arrived home with a tired, defeated look on her face.
Elyssa rushed from the kitchen to check on her. “What happened? I’ve never seen you like this before,” Elyssa asked.
Elena threw her bag on the
floor as her face flushed red and the sound of stifled tears grew louder.
A tear slipped down her cheek, which she quickly wiped, but the tears wouldn’t stop. She rubbed her cheeks vigorously, frustrated, until Elyssa gently held her cold hands.
“What happened, darling? Is everything alright?” Elyssa repeated, her voice full of concern.
She guided Elena to the sofa and helped her sit. Elena clenched the cushions tightly, refusing to let go, as tears fell again.
“To…day… today I failed in mathematics, even though I studied really hard. Why is it always me?” she cried. “You always say that if I work hard, I’ll succeed. But what now? Look, I failed and everybody in the class was talking about me.”
Elyssa quickly hugged her as she broke down again. She patted her back gently, letting her know she wasn’t alone — her mum would always be by her side.
“Whatever you’ve done so far is great, and your father and I are proud of you.
Just keep working hard, something good must be waiting for you. You should never be ashamed of yourself. But you must work hard every day. Failure and success always go side by side,” Elena’s mother assured her.
Elena nodded at her mother’s words and wiped away the remaining tears.
Elyssa picked up her bag to show that throwing it down would change nothing.
Elena smiled at her mother’s gentle reminder, because she had absorbed every word.
And now, the result was there to prove her mother’s words right.
Published in Dawn, Young World, August 30th, 2025