…..a boy can dream
Then there was silence.
“Thabani, Thabani may you please make your way to the front to receive your prize?”
Thabani?
“Is Thabani here?” The headmistress asked in frustration as she dropped her glasses slightly over her long nose so she could see clearer.
“Thabani?” She asked once again. As she was ready to move on to the next person, she heard whispering, gasping and slight giggling from the students as a small, scrawny, tired looking boy came up to the front.
“Yes?” she asked clearly surprised at the young boy who had come to the front. In a faint whisper he said, “I, I am Thabani.”
‘Speak up boy, I can hardly hear you over the, QUIET, QUIET I said.” And there was silence in the hall as everyone was taken aback by the headmistress’s thunderous voice. “Yes, young boy you should know better than to disturb me.” Tears filled Thabani’ eyes as he could no longer speak, he was now afraid.
“Erm excuse me headmistress that’s Thabani,” said his grade teacher.
“That’s Thabani? Well come on up Thabani, such a clever young boy. Come on school let’s clap hands for Thabani as he makes his way up here. You could all learn a thing or two from Thabani, such an intelligent young man” She said with the most crooked smile Thabani had ever seen. As he made his way up to the stage with the whole school cheering, Thabani could not believe it, a stroke of grace, he didn’t think anything good was going to come out of playing soccer. His parents didn’t think anything good was going to come out of playing soccer, his teachers scorned him when he arrived at school, shoes dirty, socks down because he was kicking a ball on his way to school.
“Just look at me now,” he thought, “scholarship to study, soccer accolade.” his thoughts trailed as he heard a girl saying, “Thabani is my boyfriends,” another saying “that’s my mate there,” he even heard his teacher saying “I knew he would get far with soccer, I actually encouraged him,” as she clapped profusely with a huge smile on her face.
Thabani knew better, he knew they were only showering him with praise because he was the first person from the school to not only receive a scholarship but to also to play soccer at the mother city of soccer, Brasilia but he didn’t mind he drank it all in. As he lifted his award to his new found fans, he saw it in a flash, the lights, the action, the girls screaming his name, the crowds cheering him on, Ronaldo saying,” Thabs…”
“Thabs! Thabs! Thabani!” he heard his friend whisper so loud it could wake sleeping beauty. “Thabani! He shoved him, GOOO!!!! The headmistress is waiting for you, go and receive your best science project award! Yo man, you know how she gets when people make her wait!!!
“Is Thabani here?” The headmistress asked in frustration as she dropped her glasses slightly over her long nose so she could see clearer.
“Thabani?” She asked once again. As she was ready to move on to the next person, she heard whispering, gasping and slight giggling from the students as a small, scrawny, tired looking boy came up to the front. He could hear another boy saying “Lost in dreamland again aren’t you Thabani?” As he laughed so loudly with the whole school laughing with him.
He could hear it so loudly as if he was right behind, his best friends sigh as he shook his head.
Thabani walked up to the stage and shrugged his shoulders thinking, “Oh well a boy can dream, one day is one day!”
