This is the story of Lil Kay. When she was but 3, she decided she would be a vet when she grew up.
Perhaps not quite her first choice but it was as close as she was going to get to what she really wanted.
She'd hear her parents always talk about her with pride. Her Dad wanted her to be a Female F1 Driver. The first in the country to break records and win awards. Her Mum wanted her to be the first female prime minister.
And so on that fateful day when Mum asked her that 6 million dollar question, "What would you like to be when you grow up?" Lil Kay took a deep breath and knew she had to slip in her heart's desire.
"When I grow up, first I will be an F1 Driver. Then I will be a Prime Minister. And then I will be a cheetah."
Little did Lil Kay know, that humans could never grow up to be an animal but of course, Mum burst her bubble. After Mum's little talk, she decided if she couldn't be one, she'd perhaps help one. She'd be a vet.
Over the years, Lil Kay never waivered. Every time she was asked the question by relatives, friends and through school assignments, she stuck by "I want to be a vet."
Mum however started having some doubts because Lil Kay didn't seem to like grass or wet sand. And Mum would quiz her on how she would work with farm animals or zoo animals if it came with conditions like no grass or wet sand (she liked the beach though).
Lil Kay would laugh it off and stuck by her dreams. And finally, it was time to choose her major at Uni. Again, her parents presented the different options she might consider like Journalism or languages (things where she could avoid grass and wet sand), but Vet it was.
Sadly, the Uni did not give her, her first choice. Her parents did not have the money to send her to a private school so she had to take what was given to her.
It was Bachelor of Sciences in Parks and Recreations. Her Dad thought it was exciting and her Mum was happy as long as she was happy. Her friends were excited too because it sounded like fun but Lil Kay was disappointed.
She also had to listen to some ridicule, "what the hell is that?", "Are you going to be a Glorified Gardener?", "Is she going to be a Park Ranger?"...
She took it all in her stride, and put up a brave front, for not getting her first choice, and for the hurtful comments thrown her way.
Today Mum fetched her from her Uni as her first semester came to an end. With most classes being online, her exams will also be online and she'll do them from home. However, last week she went for a few physical classes.
There was the deer farm.
Then she went kayaking.
And this morning, she went to a plantation and the class was conducted while they sat on the grass. The grass was damp.
On the drive home, Mum and not so Lil Kay had a chat.
M: How was it? Were you okay sitting on the grass?
K: My pants got wet and the lecturer said if we wanted to stay dry we could get waterproof track bottoms.
M: So you want to get waterproof track bottoms?
K: Nah, not really. It wasn't so bad. Might as well get used to it.
Mum just smiled and thought of the girl she'd tease "So now if they called you to help a sick cow, how will you get to it? Will you need someone to carry you over to the cow so you don't have to walk on grass?"
Images of trees from Lil Kay's Uni grounds