More to Life ✔

Chapter 34 Loy Krathong Part 1

RiaLoves2Cook: Loy Krathong has captured my heart with its beauty, meaning, and dancing. Because as many of you know, there are two ways to my heart: food and dance. The holiday celebrates fresh starts and cleansing yourself of the past. It couldn't come at a better time. Here's to exquisite flower krathongs (would you believe I made one?), awesome Thai dancing, and finding more reasons to love this country every day.

#movingon #LoyKrathong #flowerarrangerskills

Posted: November 11th, 9:36 PM

***

Sunshine answered Maria's video call on the second ring. "Hey gorgeous, thanks for cutting your beauty rest short for me this morning."

"Anytime," Maria said with a grin. Not that it really mattered. No amount of rest would change her complexion.

Sunshine sat up straighter on her mom's couch. "Hey, what's up? Your ex isn't getting in your head again, is it?"

"No, I haven't spoken to him since Saturday."

"What's bugging you then?"

Maria chewed her lip. She hadn't wanted to burden Sunshine, but she might understand how it felt more than Maria's coworkers. "When you were here, did anyone ever..." Maria closed her eyes and pressed her head into her pillow. The answer was probably no. The aunties had always complimented Sunshine for her pale skin. "Did they give you a hard time for not being white or not light enough?"

Sunshine's nostrils flared. "Screw those assholes, you are perfect!"

"Those assholes are my students."

Sunshine's face softened. "What happened?"

"Nothing, really. They started the term laughing and misbehaving in my class, then Mitch overheard them saying something about me in Thai. He spoke to them last week, but he didn't mention it until yesterday when I asked."

"He talked to the kids, so that's a start. You'll want to speak to them about it too."

"How do I bring it up?" She'd dealt with judgement and aggressions most of her life, but she didn't turn it into a battle if there wasn't much to gain but an ignorant response. Would her students be different?

"Be direct. Tell them what you heard, how it affected you, and why it's unacceptable. You are as amazing as, if not better than, any white teacher." Sunshine ran a hand through her shiny hair. "When I talked to my classes about this, I asked them what experiences they'd had with discrimination because I knew they'd felt that too. It brought us closer because they learned I'd been through it and it upset me too."

Sunshine made it sound easy, but Maria still dreaded the conversation. "Regardless of the talk we have, I'm still not a certified teacher."

"Maria, you were the best Sunday school teacher, and the only reason you're not a certified one now is because you chose psychology. You would have aced your courses and practicum. I wasn't certified when I went out there either. I took distance courses and graduated during the Thai school year, like a handful of other people in the study and work-abroad program. You're not worth any less than those other teachers. You got this."

Maria nodded.

Sunshine stretched out on the couch. "A little bird told me you're on the fence about Samet."

Maria sighed. "A stubborn little blond, blue-eyed one?"

Sunshine laughed. "Perhaps. You should go, Ria. You deserve to relax and celebrate."

"I can't afford to travel right now."

"Didn't round two come with some prize money?"

"That's for repaying my food costs and my loans."