Chapter 1 : The Maiden Teacher
Pie Mindara Manaying
I wasn't always mean but doing a 'surprise' quiz would always be my favourite. It was fifteen minutes before the lunch break when I decided to do one. The reactions from the students were priceless; I loved to see them panic. I knew it well; nobody really loved quizzes but then honey that was a norm as a student. The fifteen minutes felt like forever as the students were too engrossed with their sheets, answering the questions provided carefully that you could have heard a pin drop. I brushed my gaze to each of the children briefly. To my interest, I caught several of expressions which could make me burst out laughing. A few of them seemed composed and steady as they answered the questions, some held their gazes on me as if the answers were written all over my face; which I presumed they looked at me for some inspiration while the rest seemed nonchalant with the surrounding as they kept writing down every piece of their thought on the sheet. I have never made the questions easy. They were all in subjective forms which required the students to compose their own words based on their understanding. Again, I wasn't a mean teacher. It was just my kind of bench mark to monitor the students' understanding on the subject.
The bell rang, indicated that their time was up. I heard most of them grunted as they put down their pens. Knowing my way of conducting the class, each of them began to rise from their seats and walked to the front of the class where I was waiting. They handed in their sheets before they left for the lunch break. The last person who handed in the quiz sheet was Michael, the naughtiest boy in the class. He scowled long as I took the paper from him.
"How's the test?" I asked even though it was obviously he has showed it to me how unhappy he was with his performance.
"Don't ask me anything, teacher." He looked up to me and shook his head quickly. I nodded at him, trying to stifle a laugh as I watched him left the class sighing loudly to his disappointment. Once his figure was nowhere to be seen, I took out his sheet and have a brief check on it. He barely answered anything, leaving almost of the blank spaces clean and unanswered. I guessed I have just given the bad boy a lesson today; never played around in Pie Mindara's class.
Soon after, a familiar figure walked briskly into my classroom, greeting me with her wicked smile. She took a glance to the pile of sheets in my hand before she spoke to me, "Surprise quiz again?" Her eyebrow arched into her significant sarcastic remark.
"Why asking the obvious?" I ignored her and began to assemble my stuffs.
"I don't understand why you still get a lot of presents on Teacher's Day and be one of the most favourite teachers in the school. As far as I have gone through my old days at school, students hate teacher who love to burden them with difficult test." She complained as she grabbed one of the sheets from the stack which I have arranged. She scrutinized the content of the sheet to its details before she placed it back to the stack and grunted softly. "I pitied the children. You're one wicked teacher." She muttered, over and over using the same adjective to describe me.
"Yes, I know it." I nodded at her. "Perhaps you should find me a flying broom. It's such an honour for me to be crowned as the Wicked Teacher of the West" I told her. Fern didn't even laugh for my intended humour. You can boo me for the reason I failed to make it as a joke. She rolled her eyes to me and silently made the 'HAHA' remark, expressing how 'funny' it was to her. She was too mean.
"How can I explain it to you, Mrs. Maurer?" I pretended that I was pondering something. "Perhaps, I am the fairest teacher of all. No one can hate a hot teacher." I told her and couldn't help myself from not laughing when my companion shot me a disbelief look. This time, she got affected by my brag.
"Oh please Pie." She made a 'shoo' gesture by waving a hand quickly. My best friend used a lot of body gestures to express everything.
"Let's get going, Fern. We are running out of time." I glanced to my wristwatch just to find that ten minutes have passed and we only have about forty five minutes for the lunch break. She didn't say a thing when she trailed after me.
We walked out from the classroom and went down the long hallway. The classrooms were nearly all empty as the students gone for their break. Eventually, we made our way to the staffs' pantry. We didn't usually go to the cafeteria. I brought my lunch box so did Fern.
"Seriously Pie, the kids really like you despite the fact that you often made them think studying your subjects are like surviving a life in hell." Fern said, still couldn't get over of the previous conversation we had in the classroom. I couldn't blame her for her exaggerations; Fern is the head panel of the Language department. She was good in languages that she was cable of arranging the words and phrases into something that either could annoy you or shut your mouth completely. Sometimes she included foreign languages in between our conversation with intention either to irritate or to talk bad about me. I didn't really mind it anyway. As for me, I held an important position in the Science department. Pure Science is my field and I'm an expert in Chemistry and perhaps Mathematics.
"I am just doing the best to help the kids, Fern. After all, you have been going through the same thing when you were in high school." I shook my head, amused by my best friend's reaction towards the way I conducted my lesson. "And to answer you, I have no idea why they like me either. Anyway, I'm not that awful and strict like the discipline teacher." I shrugged. Fern shuddered at the thought of I'd mention the discipline teacher. Mrs. Morrison, a woman of her mid forty was not only feared by the students. The teachers hardly get along well with her too.
"I prefer you, not to mention about her. She scared me." Fern stated and shook her head as if Mrs. Morrison was standing in front of her right at the moment. She had a bad encounter with the teacher in the past.
The pantry was empty by the time we arrived there. We headed to our favourite spot and placed our belongings. Fern helped me to get my lunch box while I grabbed us some drinks from the fridge. Thank you to the thoughtful teacher who gave the idea of inventing such wonderful pantry. We got almost of everything here.
"I guess I can do more wonder than you, Pie." She said, thrusting the container to me. "Words are mightier than the sword and words can change the whole world." She added. I noticed that she threw her gaze to the empty air. She was about to start her drama again.
"The Shakespeare is here." I rolled my eyes at her. She punched me in my arm playfully before we took our seat, across each other. "Did your hubby cook your lunch?" I peeked into her container. She had a scrumptious lunch, beautifully decorated that it looked like a child's lunch box.
Fern flushed red as she nodded at me. "Yes. He made this for me." She stated, staring to the content of the container with a huge grin on her face.
"You're so lucky to have Mario. He is a good man." I told her. Fern and Mario married three months ago. They met at a function and become close to each other for about a year and half before they decided to tie the knot. I envied her for that. She has a loving husband while I was all single and forever alone.
"You should give a man outside there a chance to be with you, Pie." Fern said, directing us to another topic of conversation which I dislike the most. "You hardly date anyone these past few years. What are you looking for?" She added, babbling to me like a nagging mother.
"Not again, Fern." I shook my head, not wanting to further the conversation because I knew Fern would ended up getting pissed off because of me.
"Are you aware that you're not getting any younger, Pie? It's the right time for you to think about your future and years ahead. Don't you want to see your little one who resembles you or your husband running around naked and cute?" Fern didn't notice that I was frowning at her upon hearing her description about my 'future child'. Why she must include the naked? She's gross. "Don't you want to wake up next to the one you loved and feel you're the luckiest person in the world?" She continued, flooding me with her 'advice'.
"Wait..." She grasped for my hand that her action startled me a bit. "Are you having a crisis on deciding your sexual orientation, Pie?" She asked, causing me to choke on my own breath.
"What are you talking about?" I retorted, almost shrieked to my horror because of her absent minded assumption.
"Well, you haven't really gone out with any man and I'm just wondering if you are attracted to woman but fear that the society would criticize you for your feeling. You can always talk to me. I'll always support you no matter what your decision is." She told me. I appreciate her concern towards me but she was talking nonsense.
"I'm straight." I assured it to her. "As straight as the stripper's pole." Fern shook her head upon hearing the uses of my language.
"Mind your words, teacher." She gazed at me with a scolding look. "It's inappropriate and so unprofessional if the students ever heard you."
"I don't see any problem of being single." I shrugged at her and started to eat my food. I motioned with my spoon to Fern's direction, reminding her to start eating too. She wouldn't manage to eat any if she kept pestering me to get married as soon as possible.
"I hope you will get a problem soon." She scowled and began to dig into her food. My head whipped to her at any instant but she wasn't really looking at me. Did she just praying something bad to happen to me? Shush. She was so mean.
"How's your life going so far as Mrs. Maurer?" I asked her just to steer a conversation again. She looked up to me and smiled sheepishly.
"You want some tips to be a good wife, don't you?" She returned a question to me instead answering mine. God! She totally misunderstood my intention.
I took a sip of my juice and shook my head immediately. I shouldn't let her drag me into another talk about marriage. "I ask you Mrs. Maurer, how is your life so far?" I restated.
Fern pouted at me and finished her last bite of her food from the spoon. She inhaled deeply before she spoke to me. "I have an important announcement here." She said, directing my attention to her.
"Listen to me carefully, okay?" She said and I nodded ardently.
"I am pregnant." She announced.
I stared at her, trying to register what she has been telling me. "Pregnant?" I found myself asking. Fern nodded at me with a big smile on her face.
"You're pregnant?" Fern nodded confidently, expressing her yes.
"Oh my God, you're pregnant!" I exclaimed. Seconds later, I found myself hugging my best friend, rejoicing the happy news.
"Why are you so excited?" Fern asked, giggling.
"How can you get pregnant?" Fern shot me a confused look upon hearing me. "Cross that." I shook my hand instantly when I realized what have I said to her. What has gone wrong with me? "I mean, Congratulations." I corrected.
"Thank you." She engulfed me into her embrace again.
"I'm going to be a Godmother soon." Fern giggled along with me.
I freed myself from her and observed her appearance all over. She has not changed much. "Where's your baby bump?" I slid my hand to her belly.
Fern shook her head, looking amused herself. "It's just three weeks old." She told me. "You wouldn't see it for now." She said.
"Are you excited?" I searched deep into her eyes. The gaze she held was somewhat I have never seen before. Her eyes sparkled brightly; so bright that it seemed to carry a new light of hope in her life.
"Of course, we are. After all, this is what we have always wished for." She placed her hand on top of mine. I was going to see this woman carrying the baby for nine months. I couldn't wait to witness her pregnancy development.
"I'm so happy for you, Fern."
"Yeah, thank you Pie."
Knocks on the door interrupted our moment. We saw the Principal stood by the door, looking at us expectantly. "I'm sorry to interrupt your sisterhood moment." He chuckled. Fern just smiled at him while I preferred to stay nonchalant. "May I have a moment with Ms. Pie Mindara?" He shifted his eyes to me. "Please meet me at my room once you have done with your lunch. It won't take that long." He said and left.
"What do you think he needs from you?" Fern turned to look at me with a puzzle look. I shrugged at her and began to pick up my food container.
"Perhaps he wants to tell me my achievement for this month. I'm the best teacher, remember?" I responded to her casually.
"You're always full of yourself." Fern smacked my head with the back of her hand.
"Doesn't your Momma tell you not to play with the head?" I slapped her arm in return. Fern stuck out her tongue to me and ran away when I tried to get her. My best friend soon to become a mother but she still the childish woman I have ever known.
*******
I knocked on the door three times to acknowledge my arrival to the person inside the room and only enter the room after the Principal gave his permission to me. I stepped into the room just to be invited by the messy surrounding. The last time I came here, it didn't look this mess. I took a step further into the room but then, my movement halted as I felt something on my feet. I peeked down and found a robotic dog stood there, expecting me to stroke its head just like it was a normal dog.
"Just ignore it." He said, chuckling. "Please have your seat." He invited me to sit across him.
"What can I help you?" I asked him before he even managed to talk to me. The Headmaster raised a brow to me, wasn't expecting that I could be that bold today.
"Well, let's get straight to the point." He took out a large envelope and slid it to me. I didn't need his order to have a look when I picked it up instantly and took out the content.
"You have been promoted for a rural teaching placement and you are expected to report yourself by the end of the month." He told me just before I manage to read the letter.
"What?" The envelope nearly slipped from my hand. I wished I listened to it wrong but I heard he told me that I was about to be transferred for a rural teaching.
"They need your help there in order to overcome the teacher shortages in remote school." He stated as he leaned forward that I could feel his breath brushing to my face. I had to lean away to a comfort distance.
"We have been facing a serious rural education crisis. The ministry has decided to redistribute the teachers so that the rural students have the same opportunities for a quality education as their urban peers. It's also aimed to equalise both educational and future employment prospects for our rural citizens." He explained briefly right at the moment before I spoke to protest.
"Ms. Pie Mindara, you have to go for this mission." He said to me like a dictator.
"Why it must be me?" I retorted. "Why don't the ministry send the pre – service teachers for it?" I began to dispute. I need to argue for the sake of my life. No one has ever wanted to be sent to the rural region. I was no exception. It was ridiculous that I wanted to leave my urban life.
"The diversity of expertise is required for the rural school." He reasoned. "And you are the best teacher majoring in pure Science in this district." He pointed at me using the pen in his hand. Apparently, he got the point there. I was crowned as the best Science teacher in the district a few months ago. It was surprising because I'm way too young to accept such honour but the achievement was worth the hard work I have been putting in.
I took a look at the letter again. My name was written in bold on the form. He wasn't telling me a joke.
"I can't accept this offer neither sign for the contract." I placed the envelope on the desk and slid it back to him.
"Why?" He frowned. I watched him removed his glasses from his eyes and put it down on the desk. Later, he brought a hand to massage his brow as if he was having a headache.
"Are you kidding me Mr. Somchai? No one has ever wanted to live in rural region and what more being stranded there for five years." I didn't speak in my professional manner by now. I remembered reading the contract awhile ago. It has been stated that I has to teach at the rural school for at least five years and there has to be a possibility that they wanted me to stay there permanently. It was preposterous to me. I have never been predisposed to live in remote area. In fact, I have never left this metropolitan area.
"There you go, Ms. Pie Mindara." He shook his head, looking disappointed. "You need to change your attitude and misconception about teaching in rural areas." He said, fixing his gaze anywhere but me.
"I apologize for the inconvenient but I won't sign for the contract." I said stubbornly.
"You got a lot of benefits from this offer, Ms. Pie." He tried to persuade me. "You should have taken a look on it all over." He handed the envelope to me again. I didn't take it. I didn't want to go for the placement.
"I'm not going to the rural school." I reassured it to him.
The Principal leaned back to his chair while sighing loudly. "I can't do anything to cancel the recruitment. Unless you are able to change your status from 'single' to 'married' in a week of time, you have to report yourself immediately by the end of the month." He told me and I could have sworn that my eyes nearly popped out from its socket upon listening to what he has been saying.
"Are you trying to tell me that the other reason for the placement was because I'm single – unmarried?" I asked disbelief. He might trying to pull my leg.
He nodded at me telling his 'yes'. My previous conversation with Fern at the pantry came to replay in my mind. I remembered telling her that I didn't have any difficulties of being single and lived my carefree life. Then, the flashing image of Fern when she wished that I would have a problem because of my stubbornness struck me to my dismay. It really came true in a short while.
"If I am able to get married before the upcoming week, would you guarantee that they won't send me for the rural teaching placement?" I found myself asking even though it sounded foolish. My mind began to work to its efficient way. I need to find a way out of this matter.
"I didn't know that you're currently dating somebody?" He didn't really answer me. I shot him a look and saw him grinned sheepishly. He has no right to interfere with my private life. It's my business.
"Just please answer me, Mr. Somchai. Is it 'yes' or 'no'?" I leaned forward, gazing right into his eyes for the conformation.
"The ministry sort the list accordingly to the achievement of the teachers and also the marital status. They short listed the bachelors and bachelorettes as the main subjects for the placement." He informed me. "And to answer you, yes you might evade the contract if you're married." He answered. I buried my face into my hands, pondering why the ministry needed to work in a weird way. Of many more reasons in the world, why would they use someone's status to be the major reason for a purpose?
I took a few seconds to think about my life and my future. Eventually, I couldn't think anything at all. I was trapped, torn whether to take or leave the contract for good. I loved teaching as it has been my greatest passion but at the same time, I wasn't prepared to leave my bed of roses. I couldn't imagine myself out of this urban life style. I was used to the prosperous of my current life. Besides, there were a lot more things needed to be considered about teaching in rural school. It wasn't as easy as it seemed.
"I guess you have no choice, Ms. Pie." The Principal said, snapping my moment of contemplation. I whipped my head to him quickly. "You have to be prepared for it. We are all aware that the teacher shortages in rural school have been an issue for decades in our country. You need to do this in order to support the supply of rural teachers." He said to me in his most encouraging way.
"You have a week of time to think and take everything into your consideration, Ms. Pie." He handed the envelope back to me. This time, he made sure that I held it in my hand.
"It's too soon to finalize the say, Mr. Principal." I feigned a laugh. "I'm going to get married soon." I couldn't believe that I actually told him a lie. The Principal raised his brow but it didn't depict that he was surprised neither taken aback by my confession. Instead, he was mocking me with his smug look.
I watched how his lips curled up slowly into an ugly smirk before I heard he spoke to me, "I wish you all the good luck of finding the best bridegroom to be your saviour."