Childhood Friendship
Clara and Rita had been childhood friends. They grew up together and attended the same school. Although they came from different worlds, the bond they shared never broke.
Clara came from a poor family. Even though she was the only child, she was not always properly fed. However, her parents taught her to be content with what she had and never to covet other people’s belongings. Clara grew up with these values, which made her stand out among her peers.
Rita, on the other hand, came from a very wealthy family. Her father was a billionaire with many businesses both within and outside the country. Her mother also owned several companies under her name. Even Rita herself had a company registered in her name. She lacked nothing—she had more than enough—yet she still chose to befriend Clara despite their different backgrounds.
Rita often gave Clara gifts such as bags, clothes, and snacks, and sometimes they even shared food. The bond between them was as strong as a rock and could not be broken. Some people thought they were sisters, others believed they were cousins or relatives, and at one point, people even started asking if they were twins.
School resumed again, and academic activities began Clara and Rita resumed on the same day.
“Good morning, Clara,” Rita greeted.
“Good morning,” Clara replied.
“So… uh—” Rita was interrupted by the headmaster.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Mr. Okon struck his hands on the desk.
“Good morning, students.”
“Good morning, sir,” they all echoed.
“So, uh… welcome to this new session. I hope you all enjoyed your holiday. As you all know, your Common Entrance Examination is fast approaching, so I want to advise you to prepare very well. From your last term’s examination, some of you passed, while others failed woefully—you know yourselves. If you do not want to repeat this class, make sure you are fully prepared and ready, because this examination is what will grant you access to your First School Leaving Certificate.
“The fee for the Common Entrance Examination is sixty thousand naira (₦60,000). This includes the examination fee, certificate, and testimonial. So, uh… I think that’s all for now. Have a good day.”
"That's really expensive" Clara said
"It's not that much "Rita replied
"Well that's for you like it's really expensive and I don't think my parents can afford this much"
"Then what are you going to do"
"I think I'm going to drop out for this session and help my mom in the store and also look for what do"
"Hell no Clara I would never allow you do that "
"But there is no other option there's nothing else I can do to earn that much when I'm at school"
"But dropping out is not also a better option"
"I know"
"This is what is gonna happen I'm going to talk to my dad about this let's see what is gonna happen after that"
"Really?"
"Of course"
"I don't really know what to do without you"clara said as she hugged Rita
"I Don't know what to do without you too Clara".
They kept on hugging each other
