Waiting
Molly’s hands were shaking as she held the envelope she had been waiting for for so many months. She couldn’t believe that the time had finally come. She looked at her friends, they had all been waiting too. “I’ll go first,” Molly spoke shakily, her damp hands struggling to open the envelope. As she read over the piece of paper, her mouth dropped open and her heart began to race.
She couldn’t believe her eyes. Suddenly, she yelled out in excitement, but then it downed on her… What about her dad?
Molly And Clive
For as long as Molly could remember, she always wanted to make Clive, her dad, proud. Growing up with a single parent was tough at times, but she wouldn’t change her upbringing for the world. She made a promise to herself to always look after her dad and the home they shared.
But one day, Clive made an interesting promise to his daughter. Looking back, he probably shouldn’t have made this promise.
GCSE’s
GCSE’s tend to be a pretty stressful and scary part of growing up. This is a lot of pressure to put on 15/16-year-olds. Clive knew this all too well, and because of this, he told Molly that for every A* she earned, he would give his teenage daughter £100.
The pledge started out as a joke, but Clive had no idea that his words would soon backfire on him.
Doing Her Best
Molly’s final school year flew by, and during this time, she stopped at nothing to get the best marks she could. She studied non-stop for several hours every night. On weekends, she focused on revision, topping up her knowledge ahead of the exams.
But even though Molly was clever and knowledgeable, she had no idea what awaited them.
The Time Had Come
It was 06:40 am when Molly decided to check her phone. It was the day that she would receive her results, and she had been waiting in anticipation. She sighed, getting up out of bed before rushing to take a shower. She had been waiting for months, scrolling social media sites, and rearranging her wardrobe. She couldn’t wait to finally put her mind at ease.
But just as she walked into school to collect her results, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of intense anxiety.
Anxiously Waiting
Molly waited for her name to be called out, her heart pounding as her palms grew sweaty. Rubbing her damp palms over her knees, she sighed. “It feels like I’ve got the whole weight of the world on my shoulders,” she thought to herself.
But as soon as her name was called, her negative thoughts shattered. She got up from her seat and went to grab her envelope.
Her Results
“No way!” Molly yelled aloud. After opening her envelope and looking over her results, she learned that she had passed 14 subjects with an A* grade. She was stunned. She worked hard all year, but she never thought that this would actually happen!
But just then, she noticed a teacher from across the room. He had a stern look on his face as he approached her. What was his problem?
More Good News
But he was there to give Molly even more good news. “Your results are the best results the schools ever saw! Well done Molly!” The teacher had a smile on his face. The two of them then embraced, and Molly had a wide smile on her face. But what about her friends?
She was so excited that she’d completely forgotten to ask them how they did.
Going Home
It turned out that all of her friends also achieved great results. Some got a few A’s and B’s, while others managed to get a few A*’s. But still, no one managed to achieve what Molly did. “I’ll see you tonight at, say around 8?” Molly greeted her friends as they all got ready to leave. “Definitely!” they shout back leaving the room.
Molly was pumping with excitement and pride as she left the school. She was ready to tell the person who would be the proudest of her. Her dad.
He Made A Promise
“Well done Molly!” Her father yelled through the phone after Molly informed him of her results. He was so proud of her. She had been through so much to make this happen, yet she still pulled through. She always managed to make him so proud. But as he listened to Molly giggle through the phone, a feeling of uncertainty creeps on Clive.
He’d made his daughter a promise, would she still want it fulfilled? She was now due to a generous £1400 from her father.
A Running Joke
Despite the promise he gave Molly, Molly knew that money wasn’t her main focus and motivation to do well in the exams.
Just like her dad, Molly saw the promise he made as a joke at first, and as time went on and the date of the exam grew closer and closer, the pledge quickly became a running joke in the entire family.
A Strange Envelope
As soon as Molly got home from her results day she walked into the living room to find her dad standing with a massive smile plastered on his face. “Congrats daring,” he says before squeezing her tight. Then suddenly, he pulls away before getting out a blank envelope from his back pocket.
The father and daughter look at each other and pause. “Go on,” Clive says, “open it.”
Thousands Of Questions
As Molly opens the envelope she can feel her dad's eyes burning into her as thousands of questions run through her mind. What was inside the envelope? Was it the money? She finds a piece of paper inside the envelope and stops cold when she sees what it is.
It was a blank cheque. Molly looks and her dad and bursts into laughter. It was a joke of course. With the whole family knowing about the promise Clive made, Clive felt this would keep the joke going. But their family wouldn’t be the only ones with an opinion.
Going Viral
Since the results day in August, Molly and Clive’s story got picked up in a local newspaper. The daughter and daughter themselves immediately went viral sparking a lively online debate.
Some of the comments applauded Molly and her father, while others were incredibly feisty, with users not afraid to state their opinions.
Opinions Of Others
The majority of people claimed that Clive had every right to reward his daughter, with some stating that, “money is an incentive. Just like anything in life – you know you have to work hard if you can see a great goal ahead.” However, these feelings weren’t reciprocated by other users, with one claiming, “parents should motivate through showing their kids what they can achieve for themselves and others.”
Despite the criticism, little did Clive know he wasn’t the only one rewarding his daughter.
Motivate And Encourage
One user stated that she did the same thing with her daughter; setting out a certain amount for each grade received. This woman also claimed that by doing this, it motivates and encourages the kids. While the debate was still raging on, Molly suddenly felt a feeling of anxiety creep upon her.
She still didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life.
Plans For The Future
She knew she had always wanted to go to university so Molly intended to stay at school for A-Levels. In fact, she knew exactly what subjects she was hoping to study, but in terms of her career, she had no idea what she wanted.
Despite his daughter's uncertainty about her future, Clive was still super proud of his daughter.
Celebrate In Style
To celebrate the momentous occasion that was results day, Molly decided to attend a garden party with her school friends later that evening. After coming home from picking up her results, she had been treated to a delicious Italian meal by her father. A few hours later, with her stomach full of pizza and garlic bread, Molly starts to get ready for the party.
As she laces up her trainers, Colin calls out his daughter's name. “Come here quick,” he says.
What Money Can’t Buy
“I’m so proud of you Moll,” Colin says while pouring himself a beer. “You get what you put in at the end of the day and that’s just been proved right today!” he says before smiling at his daughter. “It’s just down to really hard work,” Molly replies. “You’ve always said you get out what you put in, and that's been proved right today!” she says with a smile.
And so, as Clive watches his daughter hop into a taxi to take her to her results day celebration, he smiles to himself. He may find himself £1,400 down, but the reason why will undeniably soften the blow to his wallet.
A Good Idea
Many people think that Clive had the right idea going. It's’ very hard to convince teenagers to do anything, but they can be agreeable if it's at the right price. Usually, money or expensive gifts make any job worth doing.
Although Molly does not seem like a materialistic girl, she definitely used the idea as ammunition to fuel her studying.
A Caring Father
She probably knew that her dad was just trying to motivate her and the thought gave her the encouragement she needed. Molly was a bright girl and she thought about the best way to use her money.
She didn’t tell any of her friends about it because she knew what they would want to do. So, she kept quiet, it was her little secret.
Responsible Molly
It was a good feeling knowing that she had a nice amount to do anything she wanted. Most teenage girls would head straight for the mall and spoil themselves with clothes and shoes. But Molly was different.
She was not a spoiled rich girl. She knew that her parents worked very hard for the money they had.
Graduation Party For All
That night while celebrating with her friends she felt truly free. She thoroughly enjoyed their dinner Party. She laughed and ate with her friends as though it was the last time they were going to be together. It sure felt like it.
Now that they had graduated, they would all go their separate ways. Molly knew that she wanted to study, but she hadn’t decided on where yet.
Back Of Her Mind
She had applied to a few schools but she was still waiting for a response. Her best friend was moving to a town 200 km away. She wouldn’t see her anymore, and she was going to miss her but it was for the best. They had to grow as individuals.
They had to experience the world from a different perspective. They had been great friends and helped each other through everything, she was really going to miss her.
Graduation End
As the night drew to a close, Molly and her friends ordered one last ice cream sundae to share. Vanessa, Molly's best friend came to sit next to her “ So did your parents get you anything for graduating with all As?”
Molly smiled at her friend, she knew her parents were obsessed with her and wouldn’t pass a moment to make her feel special.
A Good Friend
They bought me some lovely clothes and shoes Molly responded. It wasn't a lie, they did, she just didn't want to mention her main gift, not just yet. "What about you?" Molly asked in return. Vanessa licked ice cream off her lips and grinned “Guess what they got me? ” “No way said, Molly”
“Yes, Way!” Vanessa screamed and pulled a small box from her bag. Her parents had bought her the latest iPhone for graduating school so well.
Gifts Galore
Molly was really happy for her friend. Vanessa wasn't a wealthy girl either. She had normal hard working parents so everything they did for her was much appreciated. The girls ogled over the new cell phone and took cute selfies while trying all the camera filters.
It was a memorable graduation party. As Molly reached home she thought about whether she should be leaving her hometown.
Big Girl Dreams
Her whole life was here. She loved her friends and her favorite hangout spots. It would be difficult to leave her parents. Unfortunately, there rent a lot of college options for Molly.
If she wanted to go to an Ivy League college she would have to leave the state and that was something she was not sure of doing, not just yet anyway.
Everyone Else Matters Too
She would have to think long and hard, It wasn’t just about her life, her choice would also affect her parents. They were getting older and they also needed her around. She had a lot of thinking to do.
As she walked up the stairs she thought about what a great day she had, she was truly blessed. When she entered her room she saw her dad's gift on her dressing table. She smiled to herself. She was thinking about what to do with the money and decided to save it. She would open a savings account and start saving all her extra cash. She also had an afterschool job as a dog walker, so she had a bit of extra cash to save.
An Intelligent Choice
Molly walked over to her cupboard to check her savings. She was an old-school type and still kept a piggy bank behind her clothes in the cupboard. She open it up and counted the cash. She had more than $800 saved. The intelligent young lady smiled to herself. She already had more than $2000 dollars to put towards her college fund.
She was so happy with herself. She couldn’t wt to tell her parents the good news. This year was going to be a little easier on them. She was a responsible young lady and was eager to take care of her own self now.
To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.