I had the best holiday of my life thanks to my new mother. At the end of the last school term my mom called me to the sitting room, i saw her next to the bookshelf and she look so gloomy. I asked myself what's wrong as i walk close to her. I letter realised that she's had a good look on my results because she was holding a file i store my papers. I knew what she was up to, rant and rave as usual for my bad results.

"Can you please come and have a sit with me in the couch, son?" She said with a fake smile. I haven't heard her speak to me in such a cool manner for years. She'd always shout or command me, i'll shout back and we burst into arguments, at the end we go our ways angry.

I agreed and sat next to her in the couch. Then, she brought a picture of my late father when he was looking my age. The setting now is strange and scary, i was totally confused, can't even read a  meaning on how she's acted so far.

"Son, i want you to know that i love you so much" She said softly. She then grab my hands and continued: "You are special to me among all my other childrean." When she mentioned "other childrean" i could imagin how she cared more for my two little step siblings and often treated me with contempt as the only child of my father. I argued within my heart but didn't speak out but she might saw a glimpse through my facial expression.

"I wont to beg for your forgiveness, i have deprived you of a motherly love since you've grown to teenager, i haven't being the kind of mother i should be, i made you suffer maany times, i never encouraged you or even commend you..." She speek at lenght and her tone of voice was like the sound of a gentle stream. She deserved my forgiveness because i wronged her many times and also contributed to our crushing relationship.
"It's not all your fault mom, I, I deserved a share of the blame, i didn't respected you as i was suppose to." I replied her. She breght a deep relieve.

"Ok, lets amend things now and start over again to rebuild our relationship."
"Like mother and so." I chipped in with a smile. She smiled back too.

After about 30 minis of intimate discussion between us she picked my file and my dad picture from the table. She showed me my dad picture when he was my age and told me a brief history of him, how he was brilliant, humble, and generous. From that flash back i learned for the first time that my dad attended my school and was a Senior Prefect(SP) in his time. "Wow, interesting." I said after she'd finished.

"Son, i want you to imitate your father, he's a good man and always prioritise his time to make sure of the most important things. You can be like him if you are ready. I made this card for you, it contain a list of your dad's qualities and weekly schedule, they'd help you a lot." I took the card and had a look especially in his weekly schedule. I don't think any student can survive with this schedule, but i was ready to give it a try.
"But its too late mom, i have just a year to finish school, and nobody can stick to this schedule, not even Ken."
"You can't or you wount?" She asked.
"Ok, i'll try" I assured her.
"I love that, it remend me that your dad spirit is in you, he never give up when he can still try. Try the best you can, use this holiday to make a start."
"That would be nice mom" I nulled in agreement.
"I suggest you don't travel this holiday, use it to make a start and see how far you'd go. Before school resumption you'd be aquinted with the basics of your dad schedule "
It was had to ditch a holiday travel, but to prove the folks in school who thinks i am a fella wrong i'd sacrifice anything. So i concured to my mon suggestion.

***

Alone in my room i made a thorough flash back of my life to find out what was my problem. I wasn't my friends. I had two great friend, Ken and Frank, Ken is the best student in the school, he'd represented the school few times last term in inter-schools quiz competitions, beating all SS3 students to have a spot in representing the school at SS2 was a suparb feet.
Frank on the other hand was also brilliant but not even close to Ken standard. He was very popular for his acting skills, he's the only one of our 3 in Art class.
Unlike Ken and Frank, I was a known trouble maker, i's band 3 times for fighting in class. But i always care about my friends.

Finaly i identified my problems after pondering for hours. I was ready to change my personality, i started at home. I changed my hair style, stop finding faults ect.

***

2 days letter i finish drafting my schedule from my dad's. I was so determined to live up to it, but it was very difficult.

I failed sometimes but continued to try. Before the end of the first week i read all my SS1 notebooks. I was so proud of myself and the person i was becoming.

In the last week of the holiday i decided to break up with the 2 girls i was dating, it was a really had decision but the stress they caused me is worth the decision, they made me loose sight of my goals caused me so much miseries. I thought it would be too difficult but it wasn't because they were secretly dating other guys who use them for sexual gratification as i letter discovered.

I began to see the reality of life, thanks to my mothers effort to fix me on track.

I called this holiday the best not because i enjoyed it more than others but because i used it to work for my future and discovered my potentials. Now i am ready, yes ready face the school in a brand new way. I'm determind to compete with the top student but not Ken. I'm ready to wright my wrongs and change my name.

I can't wait to return to school.

***

Few days before school resume Ken called me. I told him i had the best holiday ever but refused to tell him anything about it.
To my greates supprise he told me he's dating. Olivia. Olivia is the most beatiful girl in our class recently admited to our school. I tried many times to date her but couldn't. If i Uche of all people can't how could Ken? I asked myself and laughed in amusement. (Read more about Ken and Olivia in the Part 2 of Love In A Circle(Teen Edition))

***

Finally school resumed. I met with my friends Frank and Ken, we discoursed at lenght before devotion and there Ken proved to us that he's really dating Olivia, something everybody thought was impossible. I was personaly intrigued and jealous but dating anybody was not in my agenda this term, i was aiming for a far better archievements.

***END OF PART 1***