The next day, Adriana woke up early, but she couldn’t really
do anything –thinking how to make Adam want to study again despite himself
being so rebellious. Aha, I’d buy him
chocolates, he’ll like it. She gets up and paces downstairs straight to the
dry kitchen in search of chocolates. A packet of Kisses, perfect. An hour
before class starts, it was raining so heavily she didn’t think she could come.
She’d be completely wet but she can’t just be so selfish. As
a teacher, she knew, whatever the odds are, she’s going to show up and be an
example for her student. Adam so far was the most spoilt child she had ever met
in life, but no, his education lays on her hands, her responsibility. Adriana
picks up the umbrella and drives at fast speed without hesitation.
“I don’t give a f**k about all this anymore”, Adam confessed
on the second hour.
“Tell me what’s the matter,” she patiently asked.
“You’d get mad if I do.”
The words he finally spoke was a stab to her heart. It has
nothing to do with her attitude or the way she treated him. She hadn’t done
anything wrong.
But what was bugging him was his perception of her. Not because of her.
“How are you so sure I am that person you think I am? You don’t
even know me.”
“Oh, I know alright.”
“No Adam, no one says that word to anyone else. It’s so
sensitive. Who are you to say that?”
“I don’t care about how you feel.”
He lied. The last time she sad he made her mad 2 times, he
was so honest on apologizing.
“I’m your teacher, Adam. I’ve got loads of other stuff to
do, but here I am, wanting to educate you”.
He closes his ears not wanting to hear any word from her. It’s okay, Adriana, he’s just a kid. He doesn’t
know anything. She stiffed herself straight on her chair, tried to be calm
about it anyway and returned to marking his English papers.
All she had taught him, everything, all those secret
formulas, he didn’t even apply them even once. It’s better off as if he’d lost
his memory after those periods made to slowly explain bit by bit. Nothing. Now
she’s upset with him for real.
She turned the last page. There it was, never done before,
had he drawn a picture of her with the self-proclaim word about her on the left
side of her head. That’s it.
“Adam, I’ve never been hard on you. I’ve never even told
your mother how bad you treated the other teachers, I’ve never told people your
secrets. And more, I’ve never had such patience handling a kid like you! Are
you happy being so stubborn to your own teacher?”
He nods with that smile she no longer adored.
“You aren’t even studying anything anymore.”He’s been standing for 15 minutes now, waiting for Adriana’s
next respond.
“Do you want to study?”
He only shrugs and lifts his shoulders. He hid his hand
behind his back. She knew him well enough. He was showing his middle finger. He still
hated her for that illogical self-proclaim perception that made her completely
mad. She just wasn’t showing it.
“I don’t know what to say, I mean, you won’t even focus
anymore, you didn’t want the chocolate I gave you, you’ve dropped your
performance now,..I,...,”
The second she stopped saying, he looked at her. Adriana
was stunned by his drastic change because all she could remember was the times
they enjoyed each others company. She looked at him, realizing how she had done
so much things for him.
The patience. The teaching. The immune-to-whatever-he says
mood. The games he played. The reminders she gave him. The encouragement. The lollipops.
The tiredness. The books. The I-musn’t-be-selfish mood. The chocolate. The
rain. The cold.
Sacrifice.
Adriana felt her eyes start getting smaller and slightly
uncomfortable. That was when she was back to reality. Her eyes were starting to
get wet. Surprised, she looked at her student who was responsible for this.
He was there, unable to say a word but through his eyes, she
could tell everything. He’s panicking. He didn’t mean to make her cry.
A teardrop fell down her cheek.
She stared at him after the first tear drop, and smiled. Happy now? Packing her things, she shut
the door behind her hard and told the principal as well as his mother straight in
the face.
“I do not want to be Adam’s teacher anymore please.”
The other teachers came to hear, lending her a tissue,
telling her take a break from the naughty boy. It was obvious her faced was
burn red. But after a few minutes she laughed with the other educators and
talked about something else. She doesn’t take anything hard too much, so she
got over it. But not over him.
She took out the Iphone from her handbag, opened the Note
section and wrote;
6.60 p.m: 11th August 2015 ‘For the first time for this year, I am embarrassed to admit. But I
have given up, I’m sorry’.
That very night, she forgot him completely. They had her to
talk about her experiences, her dreams, all those stuff like having to teach
her how to bake. She couldn’t stop laughing knowing the principal herself had
loads of hilarious stories to tell.
She went home and relaxed before receiving a call on the
next day from the principal that Adam had called her the other night. He was
desperately telling her to send his apologies to Adriana. Now he’s under the
care of the strict teacher whom he’d had extra class once and gave Adriana a
middle finger in respond on how he hated that class with the other teacher.
Ever since the day she refused to teach him again, her times
were always leisure so she taught it’d be perfect to write something as a
lesson.
Adriana turns on her laptop on this beautiful evening, with
nothing in her mind besides writing to let everything go and learn her lesson.
“First, Teachers Have Pure Intention on Their Students
I always
thought how much honesty the teachers had in educating their students when
everything they do is payed. I thought all they wanted to do was to finish the syllabus
and get the money. No, it’s not. Our teachers were always had their pure
intention of educating their students. I’ve never told any of mine on the
importance of loving Malaysia, but I cared about them so much. Imagine, our
teachers level of excitement to educate us when they keep being energized for
us.
Second, They Never Hate Weak Students in Their Academics
Instead, you hate students who are refusing to learn anything regardless
of being smart or vice versa. Because you put a lot of effort on them, and the
next thing you’re looking at them if they are really appreciating your effort
or not.
Third, the Love of a Teacher is Always Genuine.
If you manage to make your teacher laugh, they’ll remember your
childish behaviors and love the idea of you being comfortable with their
presence and teaching. You’re always on their mind and will be the main topic
they’d be so excited to talk about to their family. A teacher has always loved
their student, even on the first day.
Forth, a Teacher Never Puts the Blame on You, Ever.
Because
if they do they would always think back that their students aren’t experienced
and matured enough in life to be good in handling their attitude and manners.
Though they are hurt, they would always take the time to forgive you.
Lastly, Nothing Heals the Heart of a Disappointed Teacher But a 'Sorry'
That’s all it takes. And the last thing you know,
the happiness of what you’ve shared with them is the only thing they ought to
remember. If you have an ego high above the clouds remember, that the second
you made your teacher disappointed, they are thinking about your results exam
in the future. They are having doubts you’d succeed in the examination and they
know why.”
But our teachers or lecturers out there are so keen on making their students better individuals –even if it means exposing themselves with
negativities of their students behavior. Appreciate them.
4.07 p.m : 13th
August 2015. *Published*
