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Laura studied in
the school of
her
neighborhood,
and she was in
the third grade
of the
Elementary.
She didn’t worry
a lot about the
studies, but she
always got
approved, though
with difficulty.
Now, at the end
of the year,
Laura would take
an important
test.
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Her mother told
her to study,
but Laura
answered:
— Later. Now I’m
playing.
— Laura, let’s
study, my
daughter!
— Later, mom. I
need to talk to
my friend now.
Some hours later
her mom called
her again, and
she replied:
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— Tomorrow, mom.
Can I watch TV?
Just a little!
Later, she got
sleepy and went
to bed and, on
the following
day, everything
happened again.
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Now the time of
test has come.
Nervous, Laura
went to school
and came back
disappointed.
A total shame!
She got an F in
the test and
became a
laughing stock.
All the others
did well and
though it was
easy. Only she
knew nothing,
and because of
that, she didn’t
answer.
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The teacher
called her,
asking why she
did so bad, but
Laura, head down
and ashamed,
didn’t answer.
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As she got home
she told her
mom, crying a
lot. She felt
humiliated, she
thought nobody
liked her. And
she made a
decision:
— I’m not going
to school
anymore! I don’t
want to see
anybody.
Her mom,
stroking her
hair said:
— Don’t act this
way, my
daughter. In
fact, you
deserved it. You
reap what you
sow, got it? As
you studied
nothing, how
could you know?
Your failure is
only yours!
The girl looked
at her mom,
surprised, not
crying anymore.
— Maybe. But I’m
not going back
to that school
anymore! And,
after all, I
failed already!
Her mom smiled,
she knew it was
not time to
insist on that.
Laura would
think and,
probably, change
her attitude.
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To wind up, she
invited her to
go to the
bakery. On the
way, the girl,
who was
absent-minded,
tripped over a
banana skin and
fell down!
Quickly, she looked around,
to see if
someone had
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noticed it.
Laura went
back on her
feet,
ashamed. |
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Her mom saw in
that incident an
opportunity for
a lesson and
said:
— Why didn’t you
keep lying on
the floor?
Laura looked at
her mom,
surprised with
the question.
— What? Why I
didn’t stay on
the floor?
Of course not!
— Ah!
You didn’t think
about being
lying on the
sidewalk?
Laura replied,
horrified:
— Of course not,
mom!
I got back on my
feet as soon as
I could!
The lady nodded
her head, and
agreed:
— That’s right,
my daughter.
That’s how it
works. Don’t you
think the
situation you
have at school
is similar?
Laura heard and
kept thinking.
— Think about
it, darling. In
our lives
difficulties are
obstacles we
need to
overcome. And no
matter how many
times we fall,
we need to get
back on our feet
and keep going.
The girl smiled.
— That’s right,
mom! A bad test
doesn’t mean
anything; I just
need to start
studying.
I’m going to
school tomorrow.
On the following
day, early,
Laura came back
to class and,
her teacher gave
her a new
opportunity with
a make-up test.
After all, that
problem which
seemed to be
unsolvable was
in fact quite
small.
And Laura, from
that day on,
whenever she
felt like giving
up, she
remembered the
banana skin.
Aunt Célia
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