Going to Africa

“They’ll never accept you,” he said, after I had just recounted to him my excitement about applying for a community development program in Africa. Since first hearing about the program two days ago I knew this was something I wanted to do, had to do. I was running across campus to the dean’s office to hand in my proposal when I ran into an ex boyfriend, football jock, track star, and frat boy. He seemed to have a fair opinion of himself but not of me.

My usual response to a put down like this was to hear a negative voice in my head join chorus with the one just spoken. Not this time, however. My mouth hung open for a split second before something else took hold of me. I looked up at my friend surprised at such a vehement statement. He looked down on me shaking his head but he could not put out the fire inside me.

With the shaking of his head I felt the fire grow strong and steady. No way! I was not going to let him slow me down. Turning I ran like a deer to the dean’s office, bolted through the door without knocking and, breathless. I flung the proposal on his desk. He looked at the big manila envelope and then at me with a big smile.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” he said, “I’ll take it home tonight but the fire in your eyes tells me everything I need to know.”

I ran out into the winter sun singing at the top of my lungs!
Jesse