Page 39 - Demo

98
School. Study. Sleep. Her life equation.
Her parents have always given her the best they could. The “best” according to their definitions. Buried in textbooks and assignments, she eased her mind by imagining what it would be like to follow her passion — an option her parents never let her consider.
Both her parents are business persons, skilled at making investments and bringing improvements to their firms, prominent among the industry as opportunistic entrepreneurs. The couple seized the risky opportunity to purchase a flat at historic low housing prices when SARS broke out, with stable jobs, they rarely had to cope with any money worries.
However, they held onto the fear of risking the time and money they have invested on the formula to the success of their daughter. The effort they have made into ensuring their daughter’s “bright future” — the most typical item on the checklist of every parent in this monstrous city. Their daughter’s aspiration was nothing but a distraction, keeping her away from the “best” future. Allowing her to follow her dreams would simply sabotage their lifelong investment.
Head buried in textbooks and blind-folded by fear, how could they possibly look into the future, or perhaps grasp onto an invaluable opportunity? They have been so adamant that they have given the best opportunities to their daughter.
Mournfully, it was only from their perspective. Nolan has always, insightfully, caught sight of how they wrenched away precious opportunities from Susan’s very own hands. The chance to study literature at school, chances to take part in photography competitions, were all confiscated by her parents, who were tenaciously holding onto the utopian future they believed in. They never praised her for the flair she has for creating pieces of art and grounded her spirits down. It always came to Nolan’s mind how much Susan could have accomplished if she had the freedom to embrace all these opportunities and the vibrancy it would add to her mundane life.