What would you do if you were just a 15 year old girl, still in school, suddenly somebody raped you? And how would you feel if you are a mother to such a girl?
In the case of Dilla, at first she was afraid to tell her mother, Dahlia, about it. But she did become somewhat rebellious, and after a while her mother suspected there was something wrong. After coaxing her to talk, Dilla finally admitted she was raped.
Fearing for the worst, Dahlia brought her daughter to the hospital to be tested. What she feared most was confirmed… Dilla was confirmed pregnant. But despite her initial rebelliousness, after getting her mother’s support, Dilla’s strength grew tremendously.
I had expected Dilla to just stay in her room, not wanting to see or talk to anyone during her pregnancy. On the contrary, whenever I went to visit them at home, she sat together with us, and would even smile whenever I joked with her younger siblings. She went to school as usual (with her best effort to hide her pregnancy of course) and sat for her PT3. She stopped schooling immediately after her PT3 as her tummy was getting bigger and her pregnancy became more obvious.
Despite all those, Dilla scored 6A 2B in her form 3 exams. Dahlia managed to register Dilla at a private college (with full sponsorship by the state government) for a 2 year culinary course, a field that Dilla had always been interested in. Barely 2 weeks after Dilla delivered a cute little baby girl, she started attending classes at the college. Yep, just 2 weeks after delivery.
While some might think it is such a waste that a bright girl like Dilla didn’t continue going to school up to form 5 at least, I was happy enough she did not quit altogether. At least both Dahlia and Dilla had plans for Dilla’s future.
Well, she will soon complete her first year of studies at the culinary college, and she has another year to go. If you think she is already feeling contented with the culinary course she’s doing, well… you’re wrong. Those her age will be sitting for their SPM next year, and Dilla doesn’t want to be left out. Although she no longer goes to school, she still plans to sit for her SPM next year as a private candidate, in fact she has already registered for 10 subjects! I was concerned that she may not be able to cope, but I could also see that her determination is truly exceptional and inspirational. I’ve seen what she is capable of, so I guess I will just continue to give her all the support and encouragement that she needs. It is cases like this one that I usually pay special attention to.
Seriously, I can’t even imagine what I’d do if I were in her shoes. Compared to myself when I was her age, Dilla is certainly a more matured and determined girl. I have nothing but admiration for her. Salute to you, girl!
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