TRY AND TRY AGAIN

Yesterday was a day of mixed news. I have been tutoring Mirela, a fellow teacher and friend in English since October. She needs to pass an exam in English to emigrate (sau immigrate?) to New Zealand. She finally took the exam two weeks ago Wednesday and yesterday she got her results. She failed by one point. She needs to receive a score of at least 6.5 and she got a 5.5. She was devestated. She called me up and I didn't know what too say. "I lost my hope." she told me. That crushed me. How do you give someone hope? This was the second time that she took the exam and she must wait three more months to take it again, not to mention the exam fees. "The third time's the charm!" I told her. I also told her that we would work harder every week. We started studying this morning. To be quite honest I was heartbroken myself. Mirela has become much more than friend to me, she is like my surrogate mother. I eat with her family. Fatima, her daughter and I go running during the week. She yells at me for going outside with my hair wet and makes me dry it. She cares about me. Going to Mirela's house is one of the events that i most look forward too each week. It was a hard blow for us both. All she wants is a better life and more opportunities for her children. I feel guilty that i've had these things and more guilty that i wasn't able to help her acheive her goal. So now we are going to work harder this round. :"Americans are very stubborn," I said, "We don't except failure, we keep trying until we are blue in the face." "I wouldn't mind being purple in the face if only I can pass," she replied. The next test is in June and she will pass, she must!