Hold My Hand

Chapter Two

I only concluded from the lesson that a new classmate would join us the next day, and we should've made him feel welcome as cordially as possible. I don't think it was necessary to understand more, because I thought it was a set of unnecessary words thrown away by the tutor, especially since her speech didn't even get near to the Russian literature and language and it was not a remarkable event for my "well-behaving" classmates. Nothing interesting happened before the English lesson. I usually listened to each lesson without too much explanation. Only the English lesson and Miss Shengelia's assignment made me feel better, or rather, made me feel amazing. At the last lesson, a blonde, blue-eyed lady dressed academically in a white shirt, black jacket, and trousers of the same color - Miss Natia Shengelia came in.

- Good morning, class! - she greeted us.

- Good morning, Ms. Shengelia!

- How are you doing?

- Fine, and you? - Again we answered unanimously.

- Me too! For today's lesson, we're gonna talk about - 'The views of London'. Open your book on page number 123...

The rustle of textbook pages was pleasing to the ears throughout the class, and every student's book stopped at page 123.

The book contained photos of various London landmarks and brief information about them. The topic made me jump on my desk with joy; After all, it was about my dream city, and if I were lucky, I would have the opportunity to make a presentation and talk for the full 45 minutes about this city and its other interesting places.

After explaining the given texts about each landmark and discussing foreign words, our teacher started to give the homework.

- Mary! - she turned to me completely unexpectedly. - You're one of the best pupils in our class, so please, come to the board, to write today's homework.

Without saying a word, I went to the blackboard and took the chalk carefully, so that it did not crumble in my fingers.

- You guys have to read these passages and speak about them for the next lesson, You've to learn the vocabulary and just do one writing task...- Here I got a little tense and wanted to hear the words: "Make short presentations about other important and interesting places in London." - as if reading my thoughts, the teacher also uttered:

- Please, make short presentations about other important places in London. That's it! Mary, are you finished?

- Yes, Ms. Shengelia!- I answered with a voice trembling with joy and I wished I didn't scream. I jumped back to the desk and thanked the teacher wholeheartedly for fulfilling my heart's desire.

- Are you happy? - Guga rushed to my desk right after the lesson.

- Are you kidding me?

- No.

- Yes, I'm glad, - I answered dryly.

- Aren't you excited about a new classmate moving in?

- No, not at all. Why should I be?

- For some reason, I think that he'll be one of the smartest of us.

- Let it be as you think!

-What's wrong with you?

-I beg your pardon ?

-You are speaking in high-level words.

-Not at all, sir.

I knew he was right . For that reason, I tried to drag myself out of my present world of talking trees and crying clouds back to my desk here in grade 9/6 at Public School 161. Then I discovered that still in the imaginary world, I would walk through the rain-scented streets of Victorian London in a long, ankle-length purple dress, gloves, and hat of the same color, knocking on the wet cobblestones with high-heeled shoes, watching ladies walk gently, with the manners of aristocracy, and dressed the same, similar way, and the mustachioed gentlemen holding their spouses' hands and accompany them slowly down the sidewalk.