Part one of your magnum opus. Write between a page and two pages for the first installment. Let your imaginations run free!
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Paul has been teaching public speaking and conversation classes at Chung-Deh for 8 years.
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17 comments:
Mimi
pg.1
That’s her choice, even though she realized the fact at the first time she met him. They were introduced by friends. When he told her that he was a captain she stared vacantly for a moment. Even now she did not understand why after seeing him, her head was like being struck. She felt complicated so she read the news paper and hoped getting better she saw one word “destined” which gave her a peculiar feeling. She saw her brother and she was about little, her brother trying to use the tacks to nail up the butterflies that he caught at the country side. She nearly screamed “no, please don’t” “Why not that’s my specimens for homework” her brother used two tacks to nail up butterflies on white paper. Although being nailed up the butterflies still tried their best flying away from them. And the butterflies did, they could not find where the butterflies were any more.
No longer at the wishes of their relatives and friends they got married. A couple months later he told her that he was going to completed his duty. She stared on him for a moment and wanted to say something else. A picture reflected on her eyes which was the time when she was a little girl. Her father returned from aboard, showing her a big kite, playing the kite with her beside the stream. “A kite need to fly high in the sky, you can not always hold it in your hands, it need to fly high in the sky and that’s where it belong to, you must always remember that. He saw her stared on him then asked her did she want to say anything. Her father’s words still around her ears, she said to him “I just hope you have a nice trip” he was delighted smiling at her. Her pillow was wet and dry before he left but he did not notice that.
Soon he left to complete his duty. On the harbor she smiled to him and told him not to worry about her. She would be fine. Every time when she received the letter he was going to arrive home. She always waited at the harbor from morning to night until he back. The same thing happened over and over again. Nine years past, on the harbor there were always two people waiting for their husband and father.
One day she received a letter from her husband’s company it said
Dear Madame,
pg.1
Kennie
part 1
I love basketball. I love it but I am not good in it. I live in the third floor in the Elephant apartment, and looked outside is a big basketball court which has a lot of neighborhood children played basketball every weekend. I love basketball; I like to watch people play basketball. When after school, I will take some cookies and sit near my room’s window and watch them play basketball, they not good in it either, but I think they are very cute. So every weekend, I down the stairs to play basketball with them. The children call me “little Annie”, because I’m very short, even one of these children named Jacky who is an student of elementary school, he is taller than me.
I really like them. I like their facial expression and serious attitude when they’re playing basketball. They always ask me to be the referee for their game, but I always refuse to be it. They ask why, I just shake my head and smile to them. I think it’s because I don’t know the rule very much. One day, a nice weather day, the children waved their hands and invited me to join their game and I decided to join them, but I late. When I was going down the stair, there were five big boys entering the court before me. Who are them? I never saw them before. Children and I sat on the chair and saw them occupied our court. “Hey, do you want to play with me?” a voice said to us. The voice was come from one of those boys who took a basketball and watched us. “I want to go to the other side to play basketball, do you join me?” Jacky raised his hand and ran to the other side court, and other children followed Jacky. And he looked at me and made a gesture which means “Don’t you join us?” I shook my head and hand, and he smiled then ran to play with the children. Maybe he is 175-178 feet tall, thin and he wears eyeglasses with black rim. He looked like very polite and nice. He was being a friend with these children in the short time, and he taught them played ball very patient and careful. “Hey, Henry, don’t play with the children, come on, let’s one on one.” his friend waved hands and told him. He smiled to his friend and said “No, you four are ok, I teach the children are good” I found he was cute when he smiles. His name is Henry, Henry…… I remembered it. And I felt something different inside my heart.
Mimi
Mimi
Mimi
pg.2
We are regretted to inform you that the ship number 1107 had sank in the strong stormy of Oct.10th. Although we did not find the corpse of your husband we are afraid that he may not survive after the stormy. We send this letter to show our sorrow and hope you do not feel sad. The only thing we can do is to send you consolation money to release your sadness.
Yours sincerely,
Supervisor of DBD Company, Mark Lin
Nob,1th
Again the picture of her child’s time reflected on her eyes. She saw she was playing the kite with her father. Her father was good at play a kite, other people could not even make the kite flying into the sky but her father could make the kite flying very high. They needed to use two or three rolls of line tied together to let the kite flying as high as possible. While their kite was flying very high in the sky, a strong gale blew cut off the line of the kite. This only happened at a second the kite flew away from them and then disappeared in front of their eyes. “Your husband may not survive.” These words around her ears. She closed her lips, her face turning to pale, her body stiffing; she did not speak any word to her family. She did not cry but since then she had become very quiet, she was not very talkative before this incident.
Half year past, her mother was so worried about her calm attitude, her mother afraid of she had been struck. Therefore her mother introduced a man to her; this man seemed have a good impression to her. Her childhood’s picture reflected on her eyes. She saw herself, a stubborn little girl holding the handrail of the kite, did not want to loosen her hands. Soon her father bought a new kite for her, she refused to accept again. Her brother said that he wanted to look for the kite for her, her brother crossed the stream to look for the kite. After several hours she saw her brother holding a kite appear in front of her, She was over joy then put the kite in front of her heart. Her memory back, she told the man “I just got a message about my husband’s sank ship, some people found in the neared island” She remembered the two butterflies being nailed finally were discovered. One was dying on the vase; the other was dying in the corner of the living room.
The school bell ringing, a little boy left the school with his face hanging. He stumbled along the wall of the street, trying to keep balance of each step, and the balance between his mind and his aching injury. A feeling of heat from his face reminded him the scheme in the afternoon, when several higher class students pushed him to the corner of the garbage collection. They grabbed his collar and yelled for money, something they didn’t know was an extravagance for that poor boy, who has nothing but coins for the bus going home. The bullies was infuriated by the unsubmissive looking of him, felt disparaged and started to punch him on the stomach, slapping him on the face, finally beating him on the ground, kicking him once, twice… until the school bell ringed again, leaving him crouching on the ground.
In his small mind, the world is a strange kind of kaleidoscope. Sometimes when he rounds the wheel and look inside it, the reflection among the mirrors containing the most beautiful geographic figure with various colors, like what he used to see on the windows in the church, transparent and passing the light of dawn in the Sunday morning, a peaceful moment in spirit, sometimes even better than that. However, if he turned the device somehow in another phase, the scenario will change into the set of hell, burning different kinds of thorns with indeclinable fire, with each memory he had ever had.
Walking for a distance in single shadow, he finally reached the Square of the Saint Samuel, where lays two stones of lion with different gestures, the standing one with its front foot stepping on as if protecting the whole square. The next lion opposite to it is in a crouching gesture, with its one palm across the other, frowning from whatever he’s done was wrong. The boy calls the former “the Prince”, and the other “the Wise”. He walked to the Prince with smiling, as if greeting an old friend, touching the palm of it, raising his face at the most prideful posture, the dominator in the wild. An undescribable feeling of security rose from the bottom of his stomach, as if having a strong arm holding him, to protect him, without a slight vacillation.
Sitting in the shadow of the Prince, he looked into the sky as if the space of the heaven is the canvas of sand painting. When the wind comes, it congregates the cloud in different shapes, sometimes a big whale, diving and occupying the most part of the blue material, like the king in the ocean; sometimes it spreading, a school of snow fish crowding to the west, then disappearing in a vague mystery; there’s one time came a teddy bear, embedding its head into the jar full of honey, then being chased by the angry bees, as the wind blew up again; sometimes, the dry atmosphere just colors the big dome blue, drawing the boy lost in abstraction, a boy without the warmth from his family. He's father left him when he was five, or more accurately, abandoned the world built with his mom, leaving him without any option.
- (to be continued)
Arron
At one charming evening in cool autumn, with spotted stars in the sky，a woman sat on the stair of the front courtyard, holding a glass of wine，looking around the small garden in a serenely beautiful night, until her eyes glanced at the wrinkles on her hands spreading all over as a spider’s net. She sighed and thought youth had gone. After sitting a long time in the gathering darkness, she heard the sound of closing the door of a car from the bottom of the steps to their driveway. She stood up with passion to welcome her husband coming home， and shouted out："You are tired, Aren’t you？" She took over his briefcase and the man replied with politeness "Not too bad, I dealt with an emergency case caused by car accident， so I come home late，Thank you for waiting for me" He muttered a few more words without any particular meaning, for which she did not pay any attention either. Then he sighed lightly. She held one of his arms， and said" don’t say anymore， it’s too cold outside Let us go into the house， I have already made your favorite snack，almond mousse". She said that， while walking into the house then closed the door，and turned the light in the courtyard off 。（to be continued·······）Regina
She’s from Korean and teaches English at a cram school for junior high school students for a living. She is a very cute and pretty teacher. She loves kids, and she’s sometimes very funny and naïve. When she’s dealing a problem with a kid or in front of her boyfriend, she would start to be childlike.
One day, running home, crying in the street, seeing all people becoming childlike, she doesn’t know what happened to this world and seems she is bothered by weird scenes. She lives with her grandfather, knowing something happened to her granddaughter. She scarily tells her grandfather what happened to her boyfriend; two days ago, she was having a dinner date with her boyfriend in a Japanese restaurant. She loves delicious food and had the table covered with the dishes. She had a wonderful night being with her boyfriend. Before leaving the restaurant, she suddenly found an ugly, fat and old man sitting on her boyfriend’s seat when she returned from the washroom. This man seemed he knew her by calling her nickname. She didn’t know what happened, trying to get out of that place, telling him she needed to go back to the washroom. She hid in the washroom and then sneaked out, hoping that stranger didn’t find her. She successfully came out of the restaurant, seeing her boyfriend standing at the front door, waiting for her. She told him that there was a weird guy sitting at their table. Today, she has another dinner date with her boyfriend after work. She was happily eating and in the middle of the dinner, her boyfriend became another guy who was that stranger again she met at the end of the dinner yesterday.
She couldn’t believe her eyes, but he talked like her boyfriend although his look was awfully different. She was frightened, screaming and heading out without saying anything. After listening to her story, her grandpa didn’t look shocked, saying she is heritaged from the family. She even doesn’t know what her grandpa is talking about. “What heritage?” she asked. Grandpa hid a secret for a long time from her, and now it is time to tell her the “heritage.” Once she is eating food, she will see people’s future, seeing their life, their occupations, and their death after 20 years. She’s told she cannot say it, even though she wants to say, she can’t. If she says it, she will have a bad luck and her future will change; when she tells someone about their future, their future will change, too. When she sees her students’ futures do not follow their parents’ expectations, she really especially wants to help them out by not telling them what their futures exactly would be, but indirectly telling them what their kids really like to do based on what she sees about their kids’ futures.
She is now really annoyed with this heritage because of facing not only her boyfriend, but also her students. (to be continued)
Lu-Ting
Rita
As kids, Victoria and Stephanie were inseparable. Steph was 16 months older, and bigger at the time, but she often found herself following Victoria’s lead. Victoria was a sweet and mischievous girl. When she got an idea to answer mom’s phone pretending like their mom, Steph agreed to join her even though she knew their small victory was just going to be toasted by their charity piggy saving for double scopes of Cold Stone ice cream, and the failure of the game would be a pathetic punishment.
“We will get caught,” Steph said as the air was frozen, and an unpredictable phone ring could be explored any minute. “Not if you can show up in time,” she said calmly, and the next minute the phone rang. “Hello! ... Yes, this is she.” Vic answered elegantly. “Oh! Mr. Frankie, how are you doing?” Vic giggled friskily, but Steph already shrieking in silent. “Oh, really, hum, ok …” Vic waved her arm as a signal, so Steph shouted from a distance “Mom, I am home, Mommy! M-O-M-M-Y!” “Sorry, Mr. Frankie, I got to run; I will talk to you soon, see ya.” Vic hung up immediately. They were laughing so hard; even though back in Steph’s mind this trick might become a blunder. Aftermath every phone ring shocked Steph, apprehension and uneasiness lasting for quiet a long time.
About an hour before they went trick-or-treating, Vic disappeared, Steph was worrying because they supposed to be Snow White and Sleeping Beauty like twin princesses. However, an hour later, Snow White, dressed by Steph, found her perfect match, the evil queen with thick eye liner, glitter onto her eyelids and a dark red lip color stood in front of their house; Vic was wearing Anne’s sister’s custom from next store. That was Vic’s another idea, she thought she had been the princes since the first time they celebrated Halloween, being the same character again could no longer matched her creative personality. Ever since that Steph had the impulse to distinguish herself with bold action, but she lacked her sister’s courage. And sometimes it made her feel inadequate.
They also had different talents, too. Steph enjoyed reading long ancient Epic or English literature, and Vic was more artistic. After graduating from high school, Vic spent a year working at odd jobs before entering art school. In those days, she always seemed to have a piece of charcoal or a paintbrush in her hands. Vic dressed up more fashionable, sometimes, she could fashion some ordinary things out of thin air. Steph never thought she had anything specialty comparing to Vic, but she admired Vic’s artistic ability was a rare gift. They often did their school work at the kitchen table deep into the night. She painted or drew, and another read novels for her college English classes. The rest of the house slept, and so did the world itself, on some nights, seemed to have quit its rotation toward morning. Sometimes, Steph felt even they were at the same room; she, however, belonged to a dark cave as black as the nights, and Vic soon would extend her beautiful wings and fly high.
Yvonne
The morning sun shining, reflecting golden light on the ocean, its clear, deep blue water with mild waves rushing to the shore, a rhythm like a lover’s gentle kisses, J. sat at the dresser, bathed in the genial sunlight coming through the window. She carefully looked in the mirror, watching her thinly powered rosy cheeks, with her scarlet lips smiling at herself.
The market nearby was crowded of women carrying baskets of food, children following at their heels and watching couriously as if they were taking adventures at a bazaar new world, and fishermen, calling and selling their overnightly-caught fresh fish. J. stopped at the vegetable stand to pick some lettuce, tomatoes and red peppers, at the butcher to fetch the beef she ordered yesterday, then at the shop to choose some smoked cheese hopefully to match the long-kept wine tongiht, and finally came back with bags of food.
While she was working in the kitchen, she constantly looked out the window, staring over at the sea for whiles, turning on the music, yet immediately turning it off to listen to if there was any steaming horn from the ocean, afraid of missing any approaching ships; the Spanish ship was said to arrive these days. Though she had a sense of disappointment yesterday, it didn’t take away her hope.
She went downstairs to open the bar door, opening the kingdom built of her dream, the fulfillment of her wish. This little bar was filled with exotic decorations she brought back from her journeys. After years of long travelling around, wandering abroad, she decided to build it up in this little town by the sea, for some reason.
When K. first came in that night, she was playing a nocturne of Chipon, the bar in the rain with soft lighting and the flowing melody like a small lighthouse by the shore. K. walked in as if a sailor was drawn by sirens.
He sat down in the corner silently listening to her, she running her fingers over the black and white keys with her eyes slightly closed. She was so absorbed in the music that she didn’t notice him until pipe smoke coming from behind.
supriya
She didn't really know what to do next, so she thought maybe she could go abroad for a chage. In the beginning she thought maybe she could go to England to study English,but she didn't know she will end up in Pune,India. Lei-lei was her boss and friend who take care of her. One day lei-lei said to her," I am going to pune for 2 weeks to experience few groups what could help my career." Without other thoughts she asked her," Could I go with you?" "Yes" was the answer.
They arrived in Bombay airport around 12,middlenight. It was a new place, a new country. She felt nervous for being around by so many people and the airport seemed quite chaotic and dirty and smelled strange that she can't figure out but later she can always know she came back to India by the smell, strong toilet cleaner mixing with incense. Friend had already booked taxi for them and waited outside of the airport. They saw the sign, written their names. Taxi driver happend to have same name as hers- Rita. Lei-lei insisted to sit in the front seat beside the driver, so that meant she could occupy the whole back seat and sleep lying down. She woke up few hours later noticing her friend almost didn't sleep at all, staring at the road and how the driver driving. "How I can be so relax?" she thought herself.
They arrived at friend's place safely, seeing the friend and his girlfriend already wore maroon robe for dynamic meditation, starting at 6:00am. After resting they went to welcome center, doing register, buying voucher and waiting for result of AIDS test. Finally they entered a gate by showing their brand new gate pass.
For Rita ,it seemed totally new opened to her, high trees, soft golden morning light shedding like veils between leaves, vivid shadows created by the light dancing around everywhere, feeling it likes warm hands touching her, surrounding by maroon people, nature and freedom feeling opened her up.
She walked straight forward into all these, suprisingly two crystal like tears fell, straight on her chest, the voice hit her, straight into her heart. It was Osho's voice, morning discours played everyday in buddha hall after he died in 1991. And then she seemed waking up, realizing that lei-lei still walking with her, tears stopped, back to normal regular isociety.
Part I
Sitting quietly alone in the living room, Melrose starred at empty wall where there used to be pictures of the family hanging, happy captured memories of trips in many places. Her husband, Nick, had put away all the pictures since the day Jared went missing. Three months ago on the day Melrose was confirmed that she was pregnant with her second child after visiting the obstetrician, three-year-old Jared mysteriously went missing. Aside from being frustrated and worried everyday without hearing any update from the local police on her beloved son, what disturbed Melrose the most was her husband’s still reaction towards their son’s disappearance. Hate to have even thought in this way, but Nick seemed abnormally calm about such serious matter; instead, he was concerning the health of the unborn baby more. Melrose felt puzzled and a bit furious, it did not make sense to her at all because before Jared went missing, she was living a perfect life: Nick always pampered and provided the best of everything for her, she loved staying home taking care of both Jared and housework, and little Jared never caused her any trouble. Nick’s shocking reaction, however, could have been a lot more effective to her if he had made some efforts spending more time and playing with Jared within the past three years. In fact, he barely did, though surely he did frequently come home with gifts and toys for him. For years, Melrose never raised to question Nick about his lack of passion towards their son, she thought perhaps she was just being paranoid. Not until the day Melrose spotted the calmness in her husband while she was panicking right after they came home at first both joyously from the obstetrician and found that Jared was not in the house with the hired nanny, she had always thought it would make her a hard-to-please and inconsiderate wife if she did question when maybe Nick was just being a responsible husband who, by the time after returning home from working late hours for the sake of this family, had no more energy left to have conversation with his son besides a kiss goodnight. Now, it was all clear to her that she was right about Nick’s lack of love for Jared. But how could a father not love his first-born and by then only child, especially when he had always wanted one? How could Nick not love Jared as much as her? Each time another question flashed through her mind, another frown grew between her brows, and more tears flooded to blur her sight.
Diane
Jonathan, losing many pounds, was having ophthalmic eyes from study too hard, and now he is finally entering that aspirational middle school in the state of Chicago. There were only 30 elite students from around the state; champions from different fields, just class trophies were about to fill up the half of the classroom. In short, this is truly a genuine exceptional class, well; maybe not everybody was that excellent, but, almost.
Jonathan is a very smart young man; he never gets anything that bellows A in every single subject. Although he did not earned any special positions in his class or any personal trophies, but you still can count him as an outstanding student. Also, he is 6 foot 5, which is the tallest in his class; this is kind of like a vantage to him.
“Young man, show me what you got!” the teacher asked the small boy in the front seat. “I have been winning the teens swims competition as a champion in the year of 2000.” The little boy goes with excitement. Jonathan without showing expression on his face, he was so very surprised. “Very well.” says the teacher. The swimming champ sits back down with a content look on his face. Another girl who looks very shy stood up and says with a weak voice “My art paintings were selected in the year of 1999 international teen’s oil painting competition.” Jonathan can not help himself by opening his eyes wide, stared at this small, shy, little girl in the front seat. “Next!” the teacher kept recording on every teen’s specialty, not only champs, but also lots of superfunctioners. Like this one girl, she could read by her nose!
Everybody knows something to amaze people, everyone is so talented and everyone is so unique. But Jonathan? Not so much. It finally comes to the end of the row, his turn now. But deep in him Jonathan knew he had nothing exciting to share about. “Alright! The last one, let’s see what you are going to surprise us about.” Jonathan was so embarrassed, he could hardly stands up from his seat, barely speaks out a few “I .. I .. also can read…” “That is wonderful!” the teacher exclaimed, “by hand or by foot?” Jonathan speaks with a faint voice “well… by eyes.” The class burst out laughing; some students even flap the desk while laughing. The teacher stared as Jonathan, finally speaks few words “how come you are in the last row for you looked this short?” very soon, Jonathan was placed in the middle seat. The tallness was used to be something he could be proud of, but somehow not anymore.
Tiffany
Part I:
I was startled when I heard her name announced as one of the artists performing today. It had been quite a long time , about 15 years or so, since I had met her last. But I had frequently seen and
heard her sing on television. She seemed to be leading a happy life, having a great time with name
and fame.
And I, I was like an insect, an ant, or a bee having to face up to a biting winter no sooner than it
comes out of a burning summer. I have to bend my back double to support my small family, and
can afford no time to visit her. On the other hand, if I do meet her, I am sure to have nothing to talk
about.
I remember meeting her when she had just left the music school. As I looked with admiration at
the epaulets on her jacket labels that ranked her as a junior lieutenant, she surprised me by
confiding that she had a new man in her life.
After graduating from University, her boy friend found a job immediately as an engineer in the
army; his talent drew him to literature and art. His poems, prose, and even music made the
battlefield (Truong Son Range-North Vietnam) greener at the time when the area was drowned in
the relentless firing.
And her singing voice was like an expansive carpet of happiness that invited encouraged
listeners audience to step on it, and encouraging them to up the hills and down the valleys, treating
death as lightly as a feather, and marching joyously to the battle front.
But the roots of love do not stem from individual success. They were mistaken. Before they had
enough time with each other to have a child, they were preparing to bid each other farewell, not
able to see beyond their respective egos.
After the divorce, she told me:
'' I feel a sense of relief, you know. As if I have just escaped danger. Fortunately, I am still young.
There is nothing to tie us together.''
She sang a little bit, smiling, and walked away as if everything in the world was beautiful, like a
song
Two years later, her voice had become perfect. It could be heard often on radio, television, and in
live music program. It was as though she could, if she wished, stir up a storm in the hearts of the
audience. They called her the singer of love and of happiness.
When we met at this stage in her life, she said:
'' I don't need a man with talent or of great intellect anymore. I'll marry a very normal man.''
I sighed, but remained silent. I might be a close friend, but it is difficult to offer any advice,
especially those who are great and famous and more used to giving orders than to listening.
Annie
Fine before Eleven -1/3 (Sheba)
This is a moment of still and tranquil, grass lying with its lying, trees bending with their bend, flowers falling with their fall. The shining sunlight penetrates through the scattered stratus. It is fine now. The fierce storm was over.
The trees in the park were trimmed hastily, their branches left projecting from trunks, their trunks hacked with hacks. The golden shower trees were scarred maliciously with manual trimmers which snapped the stems with their cutters like a fierce dog’s biting. The green lawn was shaved sloppily, the weed left swaying among the grass, the Manilagrass’ roots dug out from the earth. The hibiscuses were sawed off brutally, flowers devastated ruthlessly, stamped over on the ground, mixed up with the mud and dirt, the beauty of the light purple petals and yellowish stamens demolished rudely. The only left unharmed plant was the firs, rooting deeply, standing tall proudly as if the gods were patrolling.
There came a light brown male heron stayed in the park. He made his home in the brushes under among the firs. He walked around, mourning over the racked plants, moaning for their pain, day after day, till the new greens sprouting, still the new flowers budding. Once again, the park was flourishing, the greens green, yellows yellow, the reds red, flying bugs engaged in pollinating. It was his time. He stood on the edge of the fountain in the park, singing his courtship song, flapping his colored spotted wings, stamping his courageous dancing steps, the slow Waltz paces gliding elegantly along the pool, the quick Salsa twists swaying excitedly on the low fence, the Dreher spins rotating zealously around the square, faster and faster frantically, till his treads slovenly and confused, stopping.
The small colorful world was cheerful, hustle and bustle as if Zeus had a party.
P.S.
Sir, Sheba is not going to show up on 12/29. Please kindly keep one of your handout for her. Thank you very much.
Kristine (Part I)
After taking the drug, she began to revert to the days of her childhood. It seemed incongruous to oust her dreams just when she was so happy, indulging in snippets of her childhood memories, reminiscing the way her father talks, like he is almost whispering right into her ears now, recalling the way her mother walks, out on a rainy day with her striking red heels. It was a slight moment away from the cold, hard reality.
"One... one more shot.." she huffed and puffed.
Inexorably, he pierced her another injection.
Too strong.
For a spilt-second, she thought she was in heaven. It feels as though she was mid sky, above the clouds, soaring higher, lingering.
Suddenly, excruciating pain took over every inch of her blood cells. She couldn't help shaking. A surge of explosion erupted on the inside of her, a sinister sign of death. She was shaking even more vigorously.
Cognizant of his inadvertent error, he dropped his syringe violently. His tremulous hand slowly found its way to below her nostrils.
Where's the breathing?
Her body felt cold and clammy. She died.
He fled for the door, but his knee gave way. He anxiously fumbled for something solid so he could regain his balance. Then he left and never came back.
She almost died.
But God was good to her.
A complete fiasco at twenty-one.
It was not just another ordinary skirmish. It was a huge fray. She never once had to give in in this relationship. As a matter of fact, she always gets away with impunity. Even when it was her fault, even if she knew she ought to have apologized for her reprehensible behavior.
Every little effort she made, he made sure she gets credit for it. He lauded her even when it was just a simple gesture of adding sugar to his tea.
The boy was implacable in his demand for an apology. To the consternation of her, he asked for a break-up. The decision was unreasonable and monolithic, no way was she gonna concur.
" What is you problem? What exactly is your problem?"
" NO! what is your problem?! Look, i have never admonish you for any, I mean ANY mistakes you've ever done in your whole entire life. But let me enlighten you, I'm not stupid. No one took me like a complete idiot except for you! I'm not a dumbass I'm telling you. I can't just sit here and tell you again that its okay, that its all gonna be okay when here you are having an affair behind my back! To think you have the audacity to ask me WHAT IS MY PROBLEM when you and
your sordid acts is now a flagrant violation to my principal. All these years i stood firm to my principals but I had to give way when there are times you.."
" Hey listen.."
" No. NO! YOU LISTEN! You listen and you listen good. I'm not about to listen to your pack of lies and your well-knitted fabrications behind your hands. Don't offer me any of your incredible alibis or well-rehearsed pretexts. That's it. We're over. "
It was all a misunderstanding. She had nothing to do with that guy. He had it all wrong.
For some unfathomable reason, she actually remained reticent, much to her own disappointment.
It's crazy. He wouldn't let me explain. She thought.
He is affluent, highly academically inclined, and pretty good looking. Everything a girl could hope for. Everyday she wondered why he saw her when there are ten thousand better girls out there who saw him.
Right. I should have know its coming anyway.
Kristine (Part II)
Now what she ought to do is to curb that incipient rumor before it spreads like rampant disease. This could be disparaging to his reputation and bring his whole entire family to utter shame. Such possibility must be eschewed and totally gotten rid of.
There has got to be ways to salvage this relationship.
But no, he disappeared, vanished. She knew none of his friends, their relationship wasn't blessed, people don't agree that they should be together, they warned him he'll be a waste to go for someone like her. He didn't dare let no one know. Their relationship was kept clandestine.
She'd construe his decision to be the perfect reason of leaving her completely.
Clean.
Nothing left behind.
He must be outta country now.
I swear I'll never fall in love again.
And she thought she'll never love again at twenty-two.
Too precocious or too childish to talk about love?
I don't know.
She decided to go abroad. Never mind about the cash. Never mind if it's gonna be hard. She's willing to do anything. Right now, she just wanted to leave, the further, the better.
It's five hours away from her state to the international airport. Another sixteen hours straight from the airport to Taiwan.
She got a position as the administrative assistant in a cram school in Taiwan. The kids in her school address her " Teacher K".
" Teacher K, Teacher K.. woo. I love this." She often chanted under her breath with a beam on her face. Her favorite part of her job description would be roll call. The kids would respond with great enthusiasm when their names are called, eagerly raising up their hands to be acknowledged, their face radiate an angel-like glow, an expression only found in simple, childlike faith. Their response is a reflection of Kisbeth's relationship with the children, which speaks of dependence, respect, and unspoken trust when each child's pair of eyes met hers.
" A new beginning, a new life, a better future, I hope. "
The kids brought much joy to her life. Nowadays she find it so much easier to laugh than to frown. It was genuine happiness. She haven't felt something so real for a long long time.
Fear sometimes does creep in and whisper in her ear, that happiness will slip away because nothing ever last. She sometimes became dubious of her brighter life, whenever she turned back and saw her dark past experiences haunting her. Didn't her love end when she thought it was gonna last forever?
Though she hasn't achieved much of a high degree, her English speaking background ensured her a pretty decent job. There is a paucity of talents in Taiwan, not to mention talents that are able to speak in English fluently. Lack of experience did cost her to learn some painful lessons. However, it was lucky for her since her boss was too kind to openly castigate her clumsy mistakes. Now she's an aspirant to the job of an English teacher. Then it would really mean it when her kids call her " Teacher K".
The other time she stopped by the road to answer the question of an octogenarian asking for directions, she actually taught him the way and patiently walked him nearer to his destination. In the past, she would never have bothered to stop and help some hapless fellow who lost his way; much less an old gran who speaks slower than a tortoise climbing mountains.
Work can change a person's nature drastically. She found a character. Though she may not yet be at where she wants to be, but at least she is not at where she used to be.
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