Nana and Aunt Nissi

"Nana? Is that you?"
Nana heard her aunt call her and silently hissed at her misfortune. "What made Aunt Nissa choose to walk this walk?"
She jumped back down from the window she was climbing and turned to see her aunt with questions in her eyes.
"Nana, why were you climbing the window?"
"Aunt Nissi, mommy didn't leave the key for me." Nana said with a pout.
Nissi narrowed her eyes as she suspected that something was up.
"Nana, why would your mom leave key for you, you are supposed to be in school by this time?"
Nana shuffled her feet as she mumbled something under her breath.
"What did you say Nana?"
Nana looked up and said, "I didn't prepare for the test now we are going to have the test. How will algebra make rich in the future, Aunt Nissi? After all the algebra daddy learned in school, he still does not have money. So what is the point?" Nissi looked at Nana's girly head as she pushed her foot in the sand.
"Nana, you need to be in school. School is important. You might not get it now but soon you will see. When you are educated you can go places where people that didn't go to school can go to. Going to school will make people respect you and it will help you achieve what you want to achieve. Okay? Instead of missing tests out of fear of failing, you should learn that failing means you tried but you should try better the next time. Failing is only bad when you don't try again. Make sure you try your best first but never give up. Giving up is for cowards. Do you want to be a coward?"
Nana looked with rapt attention. "No Aunt Nissi I don't want to be a coward. Please can you accompany me back to school to write my test?"
Aunt Nissi gave her a hug and took her hand as they walked back to school.

-Victoria Ukpaka