1 Graduation

Graduating from university was all I could ever dream about. Finally being able to see the outside of a textbook and see the world in it's natural beauty not what you see on page fifty-two of a geography book. It's all that I could think about, it's all that got me through those four long years of torture, stress and tears. Now that time has come and I couldn't be happier and yes I am nervous of stepping out into the open world. Stepping out and getting to do everything I've ever wanted to do, well nearly everything.

I watched as everyone walked towards the front of the seminar room as their name was called and I waited, nervously, for my name to be called. I could feel my palms becoming hotter and sweatier and my face begin to burn as I hear two words come out of the lecturers mouth.

"Sabrina Jacobs" he said with the usual tone, he had one of those voices that made everyone look and listen. He was unusually young for a teacher, he was one of those people who told you everything about his life and his age was one of those things, I remember it so well because it surprised me - he is only thirty five years old. I know, it shocked me too. 

I rose and made my way to the front and I could feel the eyes of onlookers staring at me. I had done nothing wrong and I was just doing what everyone else had done but somehow I felt guilty, like I was a criminal. Crazy, I know. But that is how it felt. I had walked past, what felt like fifty thousand people and had made it to the front and walked up the stairs where I was greeted by a familiar face, my thirty five years old lecturer, and received a firm handshake and a certificate. I looked up, and he spoke again with a similar tone as before but in more of a whisper and said,

"Well done, Sabrina." This is when I knew I had done well, I had made it through the draining four years and I, Sabrina Jacobs have passed the test and can now smile with my head held high alongside my friends. I let out a sigh of relief as I made it towards the crowd of people, which I had called my classmates for the duration of my course.

The time had come, we all lifted our hats and in unison we elevated into the air and released our hats and watched them fly around the hall and I could see the happiness on my mum's face. Sadly, my dad wasn't here to see me but I knew who would be looking down on me and would be happy. He was my hero, the person I looked up to and who I aspired to be. He was the one who proved to me that even the people who didn't have a great childhood can grow to be a very successful businessman and in my case I hope to be a very successful businesswoman. Jade, my best friend, had always wanted to open a business together and we have completed the first step towards success.

Jade Wilkinson, has been my best friend since I can remember, she was there through all the sad times and she was there in my most happy times. She was the source of my happiness and I have her to thank for everything. Jade and my mum are the most inspirational people in my life and I wouldn't change that for the world. I love them with all my heart and I would never be where I am now it wasn't for those brave, lovely and talented ladies. When my dad suffered a heart attack and sadly lost his life, Jade was there for me and I was there for her when she lost her grandma to cancer. That's what friends are for, there not just there with you when you are happy, they are there when you need to be lifted up.

To celebrate our success, our mothers have taken us to this very expensive restaurant. They must have saved up for this over a couple of months because our family is not the wealthiest and we often struggle the pay the bills. Jade and my family are quite similar in the sense that our mothers are left as single parents. However, the circumstances of that happening are very different. He left Sarah, Jade's mother, for another woman. A fancy schmancy lawyer. That lawyer turned out to be Sarah's sister! She didn't need him, she never did! She may not have the money but she has Jade and for her that was enough. Nobody could hurt them and nobody would split them apart. They had been through thick and thin and they always came out the other side. Jade is the strongest woman I know, she has grown so much and has had to deal with so many struggles in her life, more than anyone I know.

My mother was widowed five years after I was born so I never really knew my dad. He worked for the majority of his life and was quite high up in his workplace. He was respected by a lot of people but he struggled to overcome a drinking problem which led to him suffering from liver failure. This meant that he needed a transplant but he didn't make it which left me without a dad and my mum was left to bring me up and she did a great job, I don't mean to be cocky but she did it all by herself as her parents disowned her for having a baby outside of marriage. She came from a working class family and her parents were very religious so believed that you should not have a baby unless you were in a loving marriage. That's when she gave birth to my sister Lily, she's two years older than me. She was only nine and I was seven when our dad left us. Sadly, Lily couldn't come today as she had a very important meeting with her business. She's coming next week to help me set up my new business as she has the experience.

I cannot wait!