As he sat there in the front row, impeccably dressed, he couldn't help recollecting those words said by a Father 13 years ago. "Mark my words, son. You're Destiny's Child". Homeless, hopeless and alone that he was back then, he'd scoffed at it. How could he have even contemplated back then that he would be here, at the most revered altar of wisdom, ready to enter this hallowed trail tread by the greats of yore.
His heroes, his role models, those luminaries who he thought he would never meet, were all there sitting on the dais looking at him smiling encouragingly. Surely they knew who had got the scholarship, and this thought made him confident that he must have surely achieved it. After all, the interview panel had openly appreciated his undeniable genius, and admitted to be in awe of the knowledge and skills he had mastered at such a young age. A lifetime of hardwork was going to bear fruit today. Finally the hour came and the Dean came up to speak, to announce who had won the scholarship.
He walked out of the hall distraught, shocked and devastated, trying hard to appear normal and unaffected. He finally broke down, a barrage of tears rolled down his cheeks. Oh, the injustice!! Though they acknowledged that he was the clearly the best candidate, they had judged him to be potentially weak emotionally, as he had nobody, no family or relatives to lean back on, and therefore deemed to be unequipped in case the going gets tough with the extreme academic workload and intense competition at this prestigious institute. The fact that the panel had instead offered to fund him to study in a different institute, where "the demands were lesser, where he could settle in well and work towards greatness" offered scant consolation to him. A dream was now shattered.
But, he atleast had another dream to cling on to. A more beautiful dream. One which would drive all sorrows away. He walked to the bench under the pine tree where they usually spend time, reminiscing all the good times they'd had together, and imagining the better times they'll have. She was sitting there, sporting a beautiful disarming smile and a cheerful face which lightened his heart. He was definitely in love with her. And today he was going to bare it all to her.
"How did it go?" she asked. He broke down again, telling her all that happened. She held his face, wiping out his tears, consoling him caressing his head. "It is not so bad when you think about it. Tell me, a few years ago if somebody had offered to fund you to study in any college at all, wouldn't you have accepted it gladly?". She was right. The world has always been cruel on orphaned, penniless people like him. He was very fortunate to have this opportunity to study in any college at all.
He looked at her, a faint smile of a person who has accepted his fate appearing on his face, when she flashed her loving, assured smile and said "Let me tell you something to cheer you up. You're the person I'm closest to, you're more than a friend to me. I couldn't tell this to any other person as they do not understand me like you do. Come with me". They walked across the road to a handsome young man. "Hey James", she said to the young man, "Meet Peter". "Oh hello Peter, Anne here always keeps telling me a lot about you, how you are a genius, but more than that, how you are like a brother to her. I must say I'm honoured to meet you, an honourable, helpful gentleman, the best friend of my future wife".
A day ago, he was in high spirits, eagerly anticipating the next day, the day when he would finally have redemption, a release from all his sorrows and difficulties. But nothing went right, only frustrating disappointments on all fronts. But, it wasn't that bad a day as Anne had pointed out. He had seen worse. Who would've thought that a destitute lying miserable, cold and hungry on the verge of death by the roadside, would have an opportunity to go to college one day! And he was not alone anymore. Though not his love anymore, he had a trusted friend in Anne, and found another wonderful one in James. Yes, 14 years ago if he were offered this deal, he would have been head over heels in joy!
As he was walking past the church gate thus ruminating over the day's events, he heard a voice calling out to him.
"Hello son, how are you?".
"Oh, Good evening Father, how have you been?".
"I'm doing alright, son. Tell me how are you? You look disturbed today. What's the matter?".
"Uhm, well.. Father, do you remember what you said to me 13 years ago?"
"Yes son, I remember that day clearly. Why do you ask?".
"Father, I realize that I'm Destiny's Child alright. But why didn't you tell me that I'm its bastard?"
His heroes, his role models, those luminaries who he thought he would never meet, were all there sitting on the dais looking at him smiling encouragingly. Surely they knew who had got the scholarship, and this thought made him confident that he must have surely achieved it. After all, the interview panel had openly appreciated his undeniable genius, and admitted to be in awe of the knowledge and skills he had mastered at such a young age. A lifetime of hardwork was going to bear fruit today. Finally the hour came and the Dean came up to speak, to announce who had won the scholarship.
He walked out of the hall distraught, shocked and devastated, trying hard to appear normal and unaffected. He finally broke down, a barrage of tears rolled down his cheeks. Oh, the injustice!! Though they acknowledged that he was the clearly the best candidate, they had judged him to be potentially weak emotionally, as he had nobody, no family or relatives to lean back on, and therefore deemed to be unequipped in case the going gets tough with the extreme academic workload and intense competition at this prestigious institute. The fact that the panel had instead offered to fund him to study in a different institute, where "the demands were lesser, where he could settle in well and work towards greatness" offered scant consolation to him. A dream was now shattered.
But, he atleast had another dream to cling on to. A more beautiful dream. One which would drive all sorrows away. He walked to the bench under the pine tree where they usually spend time, reminiscing all the good times they'd had together, and imagining the better times they'll have. She was sitting there, sporting a beautiful disarming smile and a cheerful face which lightened his heart. He was definitely in love with her. And today he was going to bare it all to her.
"How did it go?" she asked. He broke down again, telling her all that happened. She held his face, wiping out his tears, consoling him caressing his head. "It is not so bad when you think about it. Tell me, a few years ago if somebody had offered to fund you to study in any college at all, wouldn't you have accepted it gladly?". She was right. The world has always been cruel on orphaned, penniless people like him. He was very fortunate to have this opportunity to study in any college at all.
He looked at her, a faint smile of a person who has accepted his fate appearing on his face, when she flashed her loving, assured smile and said "Let me tell you something to cheer you up. You're the person I'm closest to, you're more than a friend to me. I couldn't tell this to any other person as they do not understand me like you do. Come with me". They walked across the road to a handsome young man. "Hey James", she said to the young man, "Meet Peter". "Oh hello Peter, Anne here always keeps telling me a lot about you, how you are a genius, but more than that, how you are like a brother to her. I must say I'm honoured to meet you, an honourable, helpful gentleman, the best friend of my future wife".
A day ago, he was in high spirits, eagerly anticipating the next day, the day when he would finally have redemption, a release from all his sorrows and difficulties. But nothing went right, only frustrating disappointments on all fronts. But, it wasn't that bad a day as Anne had pointed out. He had seen worse. Who would've thought that a destitute lying miserable, cold and hungry on the verge of death by the roadside, would have an opportunity to go to college one day! And he was not alone anymore. Though not his love anymore, he had a trusted friend in Anne, and found another wonderful one in James. Yes, 14 years ago if he were offered this deal, he would have been head over heels in joy!
As he was walking past the church gate thus ruminating over the day's events, he heard a voice calling out to him.
"Hello son, how are you?".
"Oh, Good evening Father, how have you been?".
"I'm doing alright, son. Tell me how are you? You look disturbed today. What's the matter?".
"Uhm, well.. Father, do you remember what you said to me 13 years ago?"
"Yes son, I remember that day clearly. Why do you ask?".
"Father, I realize that I'm Destiny's Child alright. But why didn't you tell me that I'm its bastard?"
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