Page 38 - Daphne Hart - 89 and Feeling Fine

teacher offered to give me and other kids after-school
lessons. There were twenty of us selected.

Those who passed specific tests would be eligible to
pursue higher learning. In today’s world, it’s called a

scholarship. Then I would eventually go to high school.

I desired to be a teacher myself one day. But that idea
seemed to be drifting further and further away. Still, I

tried to learn as much as I could.

The high school was located in the same area where we

bought that pair of patent shoes. The big question was

how I would get there. I didn’t know, but I went home
all excited to have accomplished such a thing. I was

about 11 or 12 years old.

I started reciting how I was going to tell them. But

instead of feeling happy, I was a nervous wreck because

I knew I would be yelled at. A complete difference from
today’s children. Parents back then did not place a high

value on education.

This was just the start of something special for me—if I

passed the test, then I would be heading to high school

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