"Juri, can't you hear me? Come and solve this equation", Mrs Ugru shouted. I was jolted from my deep thoughts. I got up slowly towards the board, collected the marker and began to solve the equation on the board. I did it well and Mrs. Ugru told everyone to applaud me.
The bell rang. It was now time for brunch break. Everyone else eagerly ran out of the class. I waited with Bara and Yanu. They are my closest friends. "You did that equation well. Lucky you, I don't even understand it since monday that the teacher has started it", Yanu said. I smiled shyly. What do I say? Bara looked at me. She frowned. "Are you ok?", she asked.
"Yeah, fine", I replied.
"But, you seemed far away before the teacher called you."
"Yes, err...ehm but I am fine", I stuttered.
She began to look bright. "Come and see the storybooks my daddy bought for me. We went to Laterna Bookshop at V.I. after school yesterday. He bought books for all of us. We bought a set of scrabble and monopoly games for the family..." she kept on happily. I was happy for her and her family bt my mind went back to what I had been thinking since maths class. It's been three years my father left home for Europe. We occasionally talked to him from our neighbour's phone. We have to wait there for him to call before which he would have called to send message to us to wait at the phone. That was not a time for GSM. Only two people had phones in our neighbourhood at the time. Hmmn, it's been quite hard. Daddy doesn't send money regularly and when he does, it's just a token. "This country is hard o... I don't have a job...", so he keeps saying. We have to manage to live on mummy's salary.
"Juri Juri, don't you think it will be interesting?", Bara was still talking. I had lost touch with her again. It must look strange to my two friends. They both know how much I like reading books. The books kept me busy and happy all the time. And, I learnt a lot through reading. Bara, Yanu and I always top our class. Bara takes first position, I take second and Yanu takes third.

He kissed my forehead. "Be a good girl, I will be back soon", He smiled. Then winked. My eyes watered, I was upset. "When will 'soon be?", I thought.
But, mother was happy. She smiled. Her eyes twinkled. "How could that be?", I kept brooding. This is an irony. But, mother kept saying 'thank God'. I wanted to scream. What's happening here?
It seemed father sensed my trouble. He squated to meet my face. "Don't worry, okay? I am going there to make our lives better. I will send dollars and fine, good clothes. Just face your studies and be good. Do you understand?" I couldn't understand but I nodded anyway. When I grow up, I will understand. Adults know better and mother said not to question what adults know.
So, mother held my wrist, and with my little brother asleep on her shoulder, we walked father to his friend's waiting car. "Juri, say goodbye to daddy", mother said. She was happy. She laughed. She waved at the car as it left the gate. Father kept waving too. I just stood there. A sad little girl.