Who's laughing now?

My parents attended a primary school class gathering yesterday. Mum was excited to meet some of her old friends whom she has not seen for more than 50 years. There's a teacher, banker, architect, businessman, cab driver and some urban farmers amongst them.

Mum was telling me how her friend SN still looks so youthful at the age of 70.

During those days, most of them lived in poverty. Those who were sent to the village school, especially the girls, were counted as the lucky ones. Most of them could not afford books, let alone school shoes. Some of them went to school barefooted.

SN was one of those who stood out. She was the meek and quiet kid who always looked dishevelled, with very little hair on her head and a bloated tummy. The teachers looked down on her and suspected she had worms in her stomach.

Yet she was the smartest kid in class. When the other students were monkeying around, she was the only one reading quietly at the corner, oblivious to the mayhem.

So it is no surprise when mum learned that the untidy little girl everyone had overlooked is today a president in an international bank. She's single, well off and living life to the fullest. Despite her age, the bank still retains her because she's valuable to the company.

Isn't it strange how life turns out sometimes?