Dear Sensei

[1]~ Dear Sensei

𝐹𝓁𝒶𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝐹𝒶𝒿𝒶𝓇𝒹𝑜

ᴇᴅᴜᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ғᴏʀ ʟᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ — It's a heartless competition set by wise people who think highly of their assumptions. A competition that upgrades and downgrades people — it's a game of luck.

"Nagkasakit daw si Ma'am Katty kaya kumuha sila ng subtitute niya"

"Talaga? Sana naman mas mabait"

Subtitute teacher?

I looked out the window which is right beside me. What's the difference of permanent and subtitute? They're still the same teachers. Both obstacles.

I heard a faint sound of footsteps. Naagaw no'n ang atensyon ko, can't help but check what creature came in.

No doubt. She's our substitute teacher. Suot niya ang uniform ng mga teachers dito, which made her status obvious.

Tumayo siya sa gitnâ at inilibot ang paningin sa loob ng classroom. There are only fourteen of us here [not including her] . Hindi rin naman kasi regular class ito — this is a special class for students who utterly failed in passing Public Speaking — normally wala ang subject na 'yan pero nasa private school ako, what can I do?

"Good morning, class...", ibinalik ko ang tingin sa labas. I have no intention to listen, wala naman akong pakealam sa sasabihin niya. And I'm one hundred percent sure that the first thing she'll do is — introduce herself.

My only goal here is to pass and end this crap. Getting to know her is out of my bucket list.

Class composed of 'defected' students. That's the unfiltered definition of everyone to us — that include the teachers who are suppose to be supporting us — well, can't chide them. Sarili mo ngang pamilya ay minamaliit ka minsan just because of failures, like this.

What hurts my ego is that all of my classmates here are from lousy sections.
To be frank, I'm terribly humiliated sitting here. Lalo na't kabilang ako sa Grade 10  ideals [First section] ng paaralan na ito.

Plano kong huwag makinig hangga't hindi nag sisimula ang discussion pero nabago iyon, when I heard our new teacher say something weird and — stupid.

"Gusto kong mag pakilala muna kayo. At para hindi masyadong pormal sabihin niyo nalang ang nickname niyo. That would help us build a good relationship, don't you think?"

Heck! What's the connection of nickname to relationship? Is she really a public speaking teacher? Because you know what... She doesn't sounds like one.

Some of my classmates faces lit up — some dimmed, can't blame them. I alone felt stupid by simply imagining myself doing what she said.

" I'm Ericka! "
" Hello, I'm Tanya"
"H-Helen"
"Chris"

Tahimik kong pinanood ang  mga ka-klase kong nag papakilala. They look stupid.

And I think I'd be one of those stupids.

Wala akong nagawa kundi tumayo when my turn came.  I took a deep breath, "I'm Flaire", those words almost took all my strength, one shot.

Self introduction.

Simple? No. It's not. Atleast for someone like me who feel stupid speaking in front of people, who are in the first place aren't interested to listen.

Whack!

My head turned to the person sitting next to me.

He kicked his table which created the noise. Luckily, naka fixed ang mesa kaya hindi natumba. He's also sitting like a boss, masakit rin  sa mata ang red at blue niyang buhok. He dyed the right side of his hair with red and blue to the opposite.