The Legal and Medical professions. Right from when we were still kids, my parents have always spoken their minds frankly on having both a lawyer and a doctor in the family. This always left my mind awhirl with wonder because I often asked myself what was so special about those two proffesions. The doctors with their immaculate white coats and a stethoscope twirled about their necks and going from bed to bed giving hope to those who have been besieged by illnesses. The lawyers in their shiny black, well pressed suits or gowns with matching wigs and spotless white bibs swinging lightly with the wind as they took measured steps in court striving to win the judge by their learned and passionate arguments. Without question, both professions are quite respectable and immensely necessary for the smooth movement of things in the society. But my mind often failed to arrive at a good reason of my parents' insistence on having some of their kids in both proffesions.
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"What course do you intend to study in the higher institution?"
My dad asked me as we were returning one day from the university where we had gone to attend to an important issue.
I was walking the paved roads with light steps alongside my dad. I had already closed the door on my choice of a university course.
"Mass Communication." came calmly from my pouted lips.
A look of half-bewilderment seemed to float for a moment on dad's face.
"Not a chance,"
His face and voice animated with what seemed to me like disgust, as if to say mass communication is certainly not prestigious enough nor is it as good-paying. My dad spoke presently flinging me back to the uncomfortable present
"Law is much better, and that is the path I want for you."
I was waiting to hear something like: You can forget about my sponsorship if choose otherwise, but fortunately I didn't and I dropped the conversation. It would have done no good to try to talk dad into viewing my intended university course more favourable.
I eventually agreed to read law and after all the necessary examinations I was granted an admission into one of universites. My dad was elated and had this big smile on his face whenever we talked about it. But unfortunately, a hitch occurred which interfered with the joy and crashed all our hopes.
Years later I was given admission to study English education in one of the popular universities and all worked quite well for me. The dreams and hopes of my parents to have two or more of the family's children in those two fields were delayed for the time being. But their hopes were again resurrected when my immediate younger brother landed an admission to read law. It was as if a great burden was hurled off my shoulders. I had felt immense tension from my parent's pressure to get me to study law. Now my younger brother would willingly and effectively fill that gap. Somehow I felt he was much more suited to that than I myself. My dad himself is a lawyer and he always talked about how important it is to have a lawyer in the family.
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My late mom being a nurse also voiced her opinion on the importance of having a medical practitioner in the family. And my elder brother's mind as fixed on that too. But that dream hit a brick wall as my elder brother got admitted into the university to study electrical engineering instead. Fortunately, my younger sister by 12 years, nurses the dream of becoming a medical practitioner, and she is due to enter the higher institution this year.
So it was as if my parents' dreams of producing people in both prestigious fields were defeated in me and my elder brother only to come to life again through my two younger siblings. And the sense of satisfaction and fulfilment for them was heavenly.
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