When it comes to my education, I will do me

Professor Treasure.

That would be a badge of honor to my family, not just my name. I held my jaw in my palms, wondering how it would feel to be like the dark-skinned woman who was dictating a paragraph off her laptop. She pushed her glasses an inch up her nose and turned to the student seated in front of her.

Source

“Read the last line you have there.”

As the young man read through the sentence, I wondered how old she was when she left the university and how old she was now to have become a professor at such a young age. Most professors I had encountered were old and graying.

“A penny for your thoughts missy” I allowed my gaze to linger on Professor Mabel for 30 extra seconds before turning to my best friend who bore the same name as me.

“Mmmm?” I raised my brows at her.

“What is so important that you can barely focus on the class? You're not even taking notes! Who is the guy?”

I turned away when Professor Mabel's gaze fell on me momentarily.

“What guy?”, I did a light tut “No guy can make me think as hard as Prof has made me this afternoon.”

Professor Mabel had rounded up now, so we turned to speak more freely to each other.

“This woman is very young. At most, she would be in her late 40s. How did she become a professor so early?” I asked Treasure who was eyeing me warily.

“How will you not ask such a question? Madam academic. I just hope you're not planning on becoming a professor.”

“Why not?” she gave me the smirk she wore whenever she wasn't in support of an idea.

“Treasure, you always said you wanted to become a Theatre facilitator, not a professor. Do you think professors in this country are well-paid? They're not even well treated.”

It was my turn to drag my lashes up and down at her.

“I never said I was going to become a professor. You just assumed that. If I have the resources to bag a doctoral degree after school, why not? And that would be in Theatre in Education, just as you rightly said. If I decide to chase my career further to become a lecturer, well….” I gave her a lopsided grin.

“Who is becoming a lecturer again?” It was the third person in our gang, David. He ruffled our hair and made his way between us until he could sit. Treasure pursed her lips, waiting for me to give a reply.

“No one yet”. He looked from Treasure to me

“So why is Treasure’s face like that?” we both giggled when she hit him playfully on his arm. Both of them could hardly exist in the same space without starting an argument or hitting each other.

“We were just talking about life outside these university walls.” I offered.

“Well, what do you want to do after?” he asked me.

“I'm quite indecisive. I know I'm going to do my master's degree, then I may decide to bag a doctoral degree too. That's not for sure yet”

“she's dreaming about becoming a professor” Treasure suddenly cut in.

“Allow her to dream now, when she's done, she will wake up” We all burst into laughter. David was not one to take things so seriously. “But come to think of it, Treasure, why do you want to do Theatre in education? You're so good at other stuff.”

I lifted my shoulders in a limp shrug.

“I want to do something different. I've been writing nearly all my life, I'm a born actor, and I tend to be artistic so I may be able to direct a play, I want to go into a completely new field of Theatre.”

“Teaching is not new to you” Treasure frowned

“Theatre in Education is not all about teaching” I frowned back at her.

“That's enough, both of you.” David turned to me. “What significance does this Theatre in Education have to your future? Last time I checked, you wanted to be a playwright so bad. Isn't it going to affect your writing?”

“Nah, I'm going to be using Theatre to assist kids, especially those with a learning disorder. Besides, I could still do my writing on the side, so it doesn't affect nothing.”

“I’m still not in support of the idea o. I don't want my best friend to finish studying Theatre Arts and become a teacher in one local school.”

“I'm not becoming that kind of teacher!” I called out after Treasure who had packed her bags and was leaving for the cafeteria.

“Don't mind her, she'll come around. Just do you.”

I flashed a smile at David. Of course, I was definitely going to do me.