Page 106 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

As she walked down the path, ma’am Karmola cast a final glance at her house and said, “We have been
through hell a lot. How can I forget this place?”
“Madam, see you next time,” I said.
“See you.” She sniffled. “Remember what I said.”
“I will, madam. Thanks for the advice.”
She wiped off the tears. “Bye.”
The NFE Instructor and I followed the multi-grade teaching. The classroom, adjacent to the office,
held Classes PP to II. And the other block, opposite to the office, held Classes III to VI. The adjoin
classroom housed ten students each of the fifth and sixth grades. We had forty-seven students.
In the coming year, a newly-passed out B.Ed. teacher joined us.
“Dear, students,” I said in the morning assembly on February 10, 2007. “We are happy to receive a new
teacher this year. Are you happy?”
All forty-seven students glanced at him. “Yes, sir!”
“He would be with us. You must cooperate with him, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Welcome to the family of Kerong CPS, sir. Introduction, please?”
He stepped forward, clearing his throat. “Good morning, students. My name is Tengyel. And I am
from….”
He spoke fluent English, so I assigned him to teach English to the third and fourth grades.
Two months later, an old man watched me punish students. After the assembly, I said, “Sorry, Memey,
I must tell you this. You can’t watch us. The school has certain rules for parents.”
He gaped in his rosary. “But I was only watching!”
“You’re not supposed to watch. We don’t want misapprehensions with the community. I respect your
age, but it’s my responsibility.”
From the next day, Mr. Tengyel stopped coming to the office. And later, he stopped attending
meetings.
I tried hard to figure out. “What could be the reason? Have I done something wrong?”
But I bequeathed to his will. A month later, a young man came to the office.
“I am an apprentice teacher,” he said.
“I am glad you are joining us,” I said. “Your name, please?”
“Keltsho.”
“Welcome, Mr. Keltsho. We are now four.”
After a long conversation, he said, “Which subject should I teach?”
“Um, your choice. What subject are you supposed to teach?”
“Social Studies and Mathematics.”
“Teach any grades you want.”
“Um, fifth and sixth?”
“All yours.”
A few months later, Mr. Keltsho, too, stopped coming to the office. And the NFE Instructor took
recurrent leave on health grounds. She would return after weeks.
“Excuse me, miss,” I said, one day. “We must talk, can we?”
“Why?” she asked.
“I think you should return on time the next time you go on leave.”
She frowned. “I was sick.”
“I am sorry I must tell you this. Hope you’ll understand.”
Red in her face, she stomped out of the office. “I am sorry.”
I shook my head.
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