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After Rejoice's father finished his siesta, he called Rejoice and Sonia into his room so they could finally try to reach Mrs. Happiness Scott. The two girls sat eagerly on the edge of his bed, their hands nervously clasped together. Sensing their anxiousness, Mr. Apex Christie smiled gently and said, "Calm down, girls. Everything will be fine."
He dialed the number, but after several attempts, the phone was switched off. "Maybe we should wait and try again later," he suggested.
"Just try one more time," Sonia said impatiently. Her tone was a bit sharp, and Mr Apex noticed it. He wasn't pleased with how she spoke, but he let it go. He didn't want the girls to think he wasn't excited or interested in their dreams, so he gave in and redialed one more time. Still, no response.
Later that day, while Mr. Christie tried to listen to a sermon online, the network was poor and kept buffering. Suddenly, a call came in. The number was unfamiliar, but he picked it up anyway. "Hello?" he answered cautiously.
"Good evening. This is Mrs. Happiness Scott," came the graceful voice on the other end.
"Oh! Madam, I'm so sorry for not picking up earlier. I didn't realize it was you," Mr. Apex said, sitting up straighter in his seat.
"It's no problem at all," she replied with warmth. "I noticed your missed call, and since my main line had poor reception, I decided to use this number instead. May I know who I'm speaking with?"
"I'm Mr. Apex Christie. I'm a friend to the family of Mr. John—Sonia's father."
"Oh, the pleasure is mine! I know Mr. John quite well. How are you and the family?"
"We're doing well, thank you," Mr. Apex said, pleased by her kind tone.
After a few pleasantries, he went straight to the point. "Mrs. Happiness, my daughter Rejoice and her best friend Sonia have a strong desire to study fashion designing. It has always been their dream, and I believe they would benefit greatly from your school, which has such a good reputation."
"That's wonderful," she replied sincerely. "I'll be sure to inform you once the application forms are out. They can then purchase them and start their journey into the fashion world."
"Thank you very much, madam,"Mr. Apex said with visible relief and happiness. He wished the girls had been in the room to hear the conversation—he could already imagine the excitement on their faces.
Meanwhile, Rejoice and Sonia were out shopping. Mr. Christie had given them some money earlier to keep them occupied while he rested. They had visited several stores, buying shoes, bags, bracelets, and some girly accessories they had long admired. On their way back, they chatted excitedly, still unsure if Mrs. Happiness had returned the call.
"I just hope she calls back," Rejoice said hopefully.
"I don't know," Sonia frowned. "She once told my mom that she never calls back missed calls from unknown numbers."
"Don't think negatively," Rejoice said gently. "Let's just believe that she will. If she doesn't, we can always send her an SMS."
"And what if she thinks the message isn't real? You know she doesn't even have your dad's number saved," Sonia insisted.
"Then I'll ask my mom to speak to her," Sonia added, trying to be prepared for any situation.
Rejoice sighed but didn't say anything. Sometimes, Sonia's pessimism got under her skin, but she didn't want to argue—especially not today. Though they were best friends, their disagreements in middle school had nearly ended their friendship once before.
When they got home, both girls flopped onto the couch in the living room, exhausted but content with their shopping spree. "Welcome, my girls," Rejoice's father greeted them cheerfully. "How was the shopping?"
"It was fun," Rejoice answered with a smile.
"And stressful," Sonia added, rolling her eyes.
"Well, I hope you bought everything you needed. Now, go freshen up quickly. I've got some good news for you two," he said with a wide smile.
Their eyes lit up. "Could it be…?" Rejoice whispered as she and Sonia bolted up the stairs to take a quick shower.
Ten minutes later, they were back in the living room, their hair damp and clothes fresh. Mr. Apex wasted no time. "While you were out," he began, "Mrs. Happiness Scott returned my call. She was very pleasant and said she'd let us know when the admission forms are out."
Rejoice and Sonia screamed with excitement, jumping and spinning around the living room.
"She called back? She really did?" Sonia asked, nearly tripping over her sandals.
"Yes, she did. And she's happy to help."
The girls broke into a song, dancing around as if they'd just won a grand prize. The room filled with laughter and pure joy. Mr. Apex watched them fondly, and for a moment, his mind drifted to the past—back to when Rejoice's mother had said "yes" to marrying him. That same joy he had felt then was the joy he saw now in his daughter's eyes.
As the sun began to set and the house quieted down, Rejoice stepped out to the balcony with Sonia. The breeze was soft, and the sky painted hues of orange and purple.
"Today was a good day," Rejoice said, resting her head on Sonia's shoulder.
"It was," Sonia agreed. "And I'm glad we didn't give up."
"I told you—when it's your dream, don't let fear or doubt kill it," Rejoice whispered, holding onto hope for what was ahead.
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