A Surprise for Francis

For Francis, the day of his graduation from college will forever be etched in his memory as one of the happiest days of his life. He graduated at the top of his class earning the title of Summa cum laude for 2012. His parents were crying copiously as they took to the stage to pin his medal on him. He could see the utter joy and pride in their eyes for his achievement. And Francis was mentally giving himself a pat on the back for making his parents happy. They deserved it because they had worked hard to send him to the best university in the country.

 

After the ceremony, they all trooped to a hotel nearby where his parents had reserved the ballroom where they could celebrate the special moment with family and friends. His siblings had been dropping hints all day that their mom and dad had prepared a wonderful surprise for Francis on his graduation. As the doors of the ballroom flew open, Francis could see that in the center was a big, circular space surrounded by lavish curtains in gold and crimson. The lights suddenly dimmed as he entered except for a single bright light illuminating the circular space in the center of the room. When he got to the center, two men in waistcoats drew the curtains apart and what was inside made his heart skip a beat. There stood in dolphin grey was the SUV he had been dreaming of for months, the XUV500 in the shiniest grey imaginable. His father appeared by his side and handed him the key and for the first time in his life, Francis was speechless.