1 CHAPTER ONE: APOPHENIA

Nelson Mandela once said education was the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. This makes people who go to school look rad and the people who actually graduate without having killed themselves look like heroes and heroines. I'm not trying to falsify this statement but I'm just saying, you don't need to go to school to be educated because schools are not the only place you can get an education.

So many people of influence have proven that you don't need to go to school to be successful or to be someone beneficial to every damn living thing...

"Sianna you're going to college, period" Sianna's mum called out as she watched her lie on the couch staring into thin air. It was as if she was in a coma; unaware of her surrounding.

"Sianna…..Sianna!" her mum yelled as Sianna jerked back to reality. A reality that didn't concur with her daily imaginations.

"I already called Dad, he said it was okay if I took a gap year" Sianna retorted. Then she finally stood up about to go to her room when mum commanded she sat down.

"Do you have any idea how people struggle to get into ivy leagues? But you just waltzed right into it not because you had connections but because you are that smart. Now if I let you take that gap year, you're gonna zero school from your mind and you bet I'm not letting that happen. You live under my roof, you go to college. You live under his roof, you take a gap year" she stressed halfway fumed.

"It's your choice" she continued this time a bit relaxed as both mother and daughter stared at each other.

My mother. She can be annoying sometimes and at the same time bearable. My best friend and at the same time my enemy. A leader and at the same time a tyrant. Every mother paints a picture of "the perfect daughter". Some mothers are naturally talented at art, while some took lessons and now are good at art, but as for my mum, she just keeps on repeating this art class, repeating and repeating until she gets it right.

"I'll go to college" Sianna answered after the awkward silent break giving her mum a very cold stare. Then she stood up and left for her room. Sloane; Sianna's mum gave a sigh of relief as she sat on the couch rubbing her left hand over her forehead, muttering words to herself.

Sianna's parents were not the best but they were trying like every other parent to raise her. Raising a daughter with two different mindsets was one of the hardest things to accomplish. Sloane was more of a try-hard who believed in perfection. Of course, she knew no one could be perfect but at least all she wanted from whoever she bore was to try to be perfect, follow the rules and norms of society, straight A student in class, punctuality, cleanliness, prayerful and all those good kinds of stuff. To put it simply, she wanted a carbon copy of herself not only in her looks but in personality. Sianna was all that but the things she did was not for herself but her mother and Sloane was very much aware that without caution and reprimands, Sianna would be a menace in her life.

Calvin; Sianna's dad was the opposite of his wife. He was carefree, down to earth, he couldn't care less. He wasn't irresponsible per say, he was just a fun dad. He had wits, he was street and book smart just like his wife, but in his head, he didn't need school. He sold the certificate he got from Harvard and used the money to purchase a bar just around town. He made a lot of money from it and he still does. This is where one would wonder; how did these two meet?

According to Hand; a statistician and an author, there's a Greek word 'apophenia', meaning the urge to make patterns when none really exist, So, we tell ourselves stories to try and make sense of a world of inevitable uncertainty. I do the same. I tell myself stories of how I became or of how my parents are. You'd think it was careless love or teenage boy drama in their years but no. Their love was pure, nothing but true. I forced my dad into telling me how they met. After he told me he said he never regretted loving my mum and why they are separated was his fault. On the other hand, my mum would say she was so stupid to think a man like my dad would ever be able to commit to anything not even his responsibility towards his daughter; to be present at all time…at least when she needed him most. If he couldn't do that then what did love mean to him as a husband. She was right. But there was one responsibility he fulfilled, he liberated me from the norms of the society that said this is that and this isn't that. He wanted me to be a different person and not a shadow of my mum's past, present and future. I respected him for that. Though, he hurt my mum. He destroyed every inch of happiness in her. He made her worse than she was. It's his fault I hate my mum. It's his fault she's this way. I mean if he had just not fallen out of love or whatever the hell he gave as an excuse and just stayed, then maybe we would have been happy, maybe we would have been a family.

It was for sure obvious that Sianna was not gonna adhere to her mother's request that easily. Yes, she was going to attend college but she wasn't going to attend the college of her mother's dream. It was then she began writing an application to one community college far from where they resided. When she had finished, she sent it and then closed her laptop hard. She laid on her bed with a series of doubts running through her head. What has she done? Was it necessary? Fours years was just all it took until she graduates with flying colours and whatnot. Then she could be free from her mother's grasp and do whatever she wanted with her life. Now two years of community college though it had advantages, meant she would be halfway done in completing her initial four-degree course and would still have to go to University to complete it. It really was a waste of time and it was clear that she was only doing this to anger her mother. All she had to do now was to wait for the returning mail the next morning.

The day of reckoning came and all Sianna had on her mind was the acceptance letter from the community college she applied for at Bernice, California. The first doorbell rang and she sprung up from bed and quickly dashed for the front door. Sloane was present in the kitchen which wasn't far from where Sianna was and witnessed the whole commotion. Sianna reached for the door and then opened it. It was the pizza guy- whom she of course wasn't expecting.

"One large pizza with extra cheese" the pizza guy said with all smiles on his face

"The hell ordered you?" Sianna asked quite arrogant

"Sianna that's no way to talk to a stranger especially if it's the pizza guy" Sloane interrupted. She left what she was occupied with and came to address the whole situation.

"You're sure this is the right house? Cause we didn't order for one" she said calmly

"It's not ours, period, you can go now. Ugh!" Sianna moaned as she left for her room.

"Your daughter's weird and hot as well" the pizza guy said nodding his head. Then he took his leave. Sloane left irritated by what was said closed the door and sighed. Then she headed for the kitchen to continue what she was occupied with.

About an hour later, the doorbell rang. Sianna sprang up from bed and quickly dashed for the door. She opened it and saw it was the pizza guy again. This time her mum was on the living room couch watching the news. No one needed to tell you that Sianna had had it up to the ceiling.

"Hey, I was wondering if I could get your number cause you know I kinda like you and…." the pizza guy tried asking her out as she banged the door shut to his face.

"So is that a yes? Or maybe?" he exclaimed from outside the house

"Go the hell home weirdo!" Sianna exclaimed while she stomped the stairs up to her room angrily.

"God have mercy" Sloane said to herself as she continued watching the news.

The last doorbell rang and Sianna was not having it at all

"I swear to God, if it's the freaking pizza guy I will…."

"Who is it?" Sloane asked saving Sianna the stress of disappointment and constant rage.

"Mail" the mailman responded

"F…." Sianna almost cursed then remembered her mum had a no cursing rule in the house

"Are you expecting any mail?" Sloane asked cause she didn't expect Sianna to wait for the mail

Sianna opened the door and collected her envelope gracefully. She even thanked the man and waved him goodbye as he left.

"What's in that envelope?" Sloane asked with a stern face

"Mum, I would like you to do the honours" Sianna requested with a huge smile on her face as she handed the envelope out to her mum. No longer concentrated on the news she carried the envelope, carefully opened it and read aloud;

" Congratulations! It is with great pleasure we wish to announce that you have been offered admission into Bernice City College, California. Due to your high grades, high test scores, outstanding essay and application, it is prominent that you will be a great addition to our faculty…." She muttered the rest with so much disbelief.

"You ungrateful devil" Sloane cursed with rage as she shook her head

"Like mother like freaking daughter" Sianna clapped back