书城旅游梦想与升华:十七岁 我走进非洲
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第138章 附:给校长的信(2)

NearlytwomonthsaftermyregistrationatELCollegeRhodesfoundationcourse.Shockingly,IwasinformedthatthisfoundationcoursewascancelledbecauseELcampuswasgiventoUFH,andwecouldcontinueourN4levelstudyoffinancialmanagementbutthatcoursewillnotleadustotheentranceofRhodesUniversityanymore.Ifeltmywholeworldwascollapsed;therewasnohopetoliveinSouthAfricaanymore.Asyoumentionedinyourarticleaboutthishandingover,manystaffinEastLondonfeltbetrayedbythedeal.Butyouwouldneverknowtherewasaheartbreakingforeignstudentalsofeltbetrayedandevencheated.Iwantedtocry,butwho’sgoingtolistentome.WhomshouldIappealto?Who’sgoingtotakethisseriousresponsibility?Iaskedalltherelatedstuffinthecollege;IwalkedtotheNewFortHarecampustofindoutwhat’shappened,withamapinmyhandasIwasn’tevensurewherethecampusis.SomeRhodesstuffhadleftsincethehandingover,andtherestofthemhadtoomuchconfusiontosortout,theyhadnotimetohelpthispoorstudentandeventheydidhavetime,therewasnothingtheycoulddotopreventorretrieveit.NowIcanunderstandwhynobodycouldanswermeatthattime,becausenobodyknowsexactlywhat’shappenedandwhat’sgoingtohappen.Icouldn’tandwouldn’tblameanyoneaboutthischange.Itjusthappenonmeandprobablysomeotherlocalstudentsaswell.

DrWoods,rememberyousaid“wemustallmoveon”accordingtothis.ButIcouldreallynotmoveonduringthatperiod.Aftertalkedtomyparentsviainternet,IdecidedtogobacktoChinaafterIgottheN4certificateinthemiddleof2004,becauseIcouldreallynotthinkaboutanyotherwayelsetomakeup.

AnolderfriendofmineknewwhatIwashoping,shesaidtome:“well,althoughyoucan’tstudyatRhodesasyouplanned,atleastIcanhelpyoutoachievehalfofyourgoalbeforeyoureturntoChina.”SoshedrovemetwohourstoGrahamstownfromEastLondontoshowmewhatRhodesUniversityreallylookslike,butnotonlyinthepicture.IwalkedaroundeverydepartmentofthecampusandfeltsosorryandpitythatIcouldn’tbeastudentofanyofthem.Eventually,IwenttotheStudentBureauinthemodernbuildingandhadthisbrieftalkwithMrs.Wicks.ShecommiseratedaboutmycircumstancesandsuggestedsomeotherpossiblepathstocometoRhodes.

InJune2004,insteadofgoingbacktoChina,IregisteredatUniversityofSouthAfricatodoapreparatorybridgingcourse.Aftersixmonths’correspondingselfstudy,Ipassedalltherequiredsubjects.ThenIwentbacktoChinatowritetheIELTSlanguagetest.

Iwaspartedfrommyparentsfor10months.MyfamilythoughtIchangedalot,fromalittlenaiveteenagertoamatureadult.ButnoonecouldunderstandhowhardthatyearwasformeandhowmuchIsuffered.17shouldbeabrightandstunningageforagirl.Butbecauseoftheunpleasantexperienceandstruggle,becauseofaclingingdream,Ididn’treallyhavehappytimeinmy17thyears.

Thenewyearof2005wasn’teasyformeatall.IwaswaitingforthereplyfromRhodesofmyapplicationanxiouslyinChina.Isatinfrontofthecomputereveryday,checkedmyemaileverytenminutes.However,Ionlygotanegativereply.MyapplicationfailedbecausemyUNISAresultarrivedtoolateandalsomyqualificationwasnotfullymeetyourhighrequirement.

ThenIhadtomakeacrucialdecision,stayinChinaorcomebacktoSouthAfricastudyasUniversityofFortHareinstead.Finally,IdecidetocomebackbecauseMrs.WicksaidifIcouldpassallmyfirstyearcoursesinUFHEastLondoncampus,thenRhodeswillthinkaboutagainonmyapplication.SoIwantedtotakethelastchance.

Attheendofthefirstsemester,luckilyIpassedthem;IpostedthemarksreporttoStudentBureauassoonasIcould.SoonIgotadespondentletter,Ihaven’tbeenselected.Bythattime,Iwasreallytired,Iwasn’tverysad,probablymyfeelingwasnumb.Icomfortedmyselfthat:“It’sfine,clamdown,Lucy.ItshowsthatyouarenotqualifiedtobeaRhodesstudent.Let’sgiveup.”SoIgaveup,triednottothinkabouthowmucheffortIpaid,butmyheartwasalwayspainful.

OnedayinOctober2005,IgotanunusualbiggerthickerenvelopefromRhodesagain.Ididn’treallyexpectanything;Ithoughtthatwasjustarepeatedpost.WhenIopenedit,Inearlydroptheglassinmyhandonthefloor.Surprisingly,thatwasanofferfromRhodes!Thedateshowsthatitwassignedjustafewdaysafterthepreviousunsuccessfulletter.Butbecauseofsomereasonthisofferwasdelayedbythepostoffice,ithaspastthedeadlineofrevertingthreeweeks.Icouldn’twaittofindoutwhat’sgoingonthere,thenIwastoldthepreviousletterwasamistake,IwasfinallybeacceptedbyRhodesUniversity!

InFebruary2006,Iwaswalkingaroundthecampusagainastwoyearsago,samepersonbutdifferentmood.I’mhereasastudentofRhodesUniversitybutnotavisitor.Iwillenjoymyeverydayofstudyingathere.AndIbelievethatthesedayswillbemymostpreciousmemoriesinmylife.IloveRhodesUniversityandI’mproudtobepartorit.

DearDr.Woods,I’msorryit’snotaninterestingstory;probablyyouhaveheardsomanysimilarthingsinyourcareerbefore,besidesmyEnglishwritingisnotthatgoodeither.ButIjustwanttosharemyhappinessofbeingaRhodesstudentwithaspecialperson,whoalsolovesRhodesandsacrificedtenyearsofhislifetoRhodesUniversity.Thankyou,Dr.Woods,thanksforeverythingyoubringtoRhodes.YouwillalwaysbetheleaderandguiderofRhodesUniversityinourheart.

Ihopetherewillbemoreandmorestudentslikeme,comingfromallovertheworldtostudyatourUniversity.Andalsohopeyouwillhavegreattimeandrestaftertheretirement.

Lastly,mayIbegforalittlerequest?CanIpleasetakeaphotowithyouasafuturememory?IfeltsopitythatImissedyouropeningaddressduringtheOrientationweekbecauseIwassick.SoIreallyhopeyoucangivemealittlechancetomeettherealyou(notonlyonthepicture),evenjustfortwominutes,willbeagreatpleasureforme.

Thankyousomuchforyourattention.Andallmybestwishesforyou.

Oneofyoursheep:LucyMeng