Taste of Ms. Alexander

FIFTEEN

POV: AMANDA "ASIA" ALEXANDER

I was running extremely late, so I decided to just head straight to the classroom. As I walked down the hallway, I could hear the usual noise from the students outside the room. Most of them were gathered in groups, either arguing over some football match, eating food, or lost in their own personal drama. Not a single one of them spared me a glance as I walked past. I didn't have the energy to persuade them into joining the class. Whoever wanted to be here would have made the effort. My hangover was still heavy, but somehow, I managed to pull myself together. Note to self: only get drunk when there's no work the next day!

I pushed the door open and made my way to the desk, plopping myself down into the chair with a deep sigh of relief. I glanced up at the students, my tired eyes scanning the room. I could count them all on my fingers. Out of thirty-five students, only ten had bothered to remain in the classroom.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it in earlier," I began, my voice slightly strained, but steady. "But with only twenty-five minutes left, I'm just going to give you an introduction into our next topic. Today, we'll be focusing on Financial Markets."

I stood up and walked toward the center of the room, forcing my posture to stay strong despite the pounding headache.

"Your peers seem unfazed by what's happening in this room, but I'm happy to see the few of you who are actually interested in your education," I continued, trying to keep my tone light. "It would be a waste of time to share what we discuss today with them," I added with a small smile, as the students looked at me in silence.

The room was still, as they stared at me without a word. I gathered myself, pushing through the fatigue, and began the lesson.

"You may wonder, what exactly is a Financial Market? A Financial Market is any place or system that facilitates the buying and selling of financial instruments such as bonds, equities, currencies, and derivatives..." The words flowed easily, a result of all the late nights I had spent studying and rehearsing this material, not to mention the constant corrections from Mr. Sookoo.

His insistence on perfection had drilled these concepts into my head, and even though he could be a tough mentor, I respected him for it. I promised myself I would visit him again before he retired, though I wasn't sure if I would keep that promise with everything on my plate.

As I moved through the lesson, I paused every now and then to address the students questions. It was a small group, but their eagerness to understand brought a sense of joy that distracted me from my hangover. The next ten minutes flew by, and before I knew it, it was time to dismiss the class.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," I began, but I was cut off by a voice from the back of the room.

"Miss, yuh know seh we nah have no class until Monday, right? Some minister ah bury tomorrow, and Friday ah holiday," she announced, rising from her seat with a satisfied stretch.

"Oh damn! I honestly had no clue. Thanks for the heads up, though. I guess we'll pick this up on Monday. Stay safe this weekend!" I called out, my voice carrying through the classroom as they disappeared through the doors, already halfway checked out.

With such a long weekend ahead, a heavy sigh left my lips. What the hell was I going to do with all that time? No classes, no real plans, just hours stretching endlessly before me. I headed to the office to clock in and stash away my personal belongings. Only two lecturers were inside, and their quiet chatter filled the space. I gave them a quick nod, nothing more. No need for unnecessary conversations. Coworkers were best kept at arm's length. Let them wonder. Let them speculate.

My eyes drifted to Anisha's desk. As expected, it was pristine, not a single thing out of place. Her aqua blazer was draped neatly over the back of her chair, a silent declaration of her presence. For a moment, I thought she wasn't in today. I made a mental note to ask her if she had any clue where the hell I had misplaced my phone.