Today ne would have to claim a life unless by Providence's sake the girl refuses nis deal. Either way, it would not bother nim much. But for the girl, life would be hell either way.
---
Another bouts of cruel laughter rose at the back of the building. The students assigned to sweep the ground around the concrete water tower and to clean the little garden were having a bon.
Ne stood on the balcony overseeing the back of the school complex building and watched on quietly.
The girl has stubbed her big toes trying to scale the water tower just like a few of her male peers. She had failed miserably and instead rammed her sneakers on the cement wall half way up on her unsuccessful jump.
Two other girls giggled and burst out laughing.
The girl has said nothing but smiled with them, picking up the broom and started sweeping red-faced.
Later when ne followed her to the girl's restroom, ne found her examining and rubbing her feet. Ne peered into her thoughts and found her condemning her foolish self, trying to fit in even when she knew it would be impossible after the bowel accident one time in her junior high years.
At that time she was only in seventh grade and was nervously writing the qualification exam required in her prefecture for students to pass onto the next grade.
Her stomach was not feeling well and as the cramps built up, she tried to hold it in as long as she could, as the proctor was very strict about not going to the restroom during exam period.
In the end she had let out a series of tiny, soundless fart and soiled her underwear. Unfortunately, the farts were odorous enough to make those around her aware she had an accident. Embarrassed, she had immediately ran for the restroom at break but left a visible mark on her seat.
Though she did clean up afterwards, but inside, she already knew she's in trouble.
After the incident, her social life at school had taken a drastic downward spiral and every day she had to endure her classmates calling her unsaintly nicknames, one of which was "Poo king" in a local dialect.
The students were clever in their taunting and ostracizing of her. They never did anything against her when the instructors were around. But she was always by herself at school recess and it was difficult for her to find a team to join for projects or whenever PE class started.
She got by only through reading novels and doodling and though relatively low-profile, even the home class instructor recognizes her talent for arts. Even so, no one encouraged her to develop her potential and she was left alone in the corner desk to be ridiculed and verbally abused by her classmates whenever an instructor's back was turned.
She used to be a bright, care-free, pretty and smiling girl, now she was just reduced to enduring the day as it passed and plagued by the newly popped-up acne problem most of her peers seemed not to be affected.
She just wanted to die sometimes or to live in a fantasy world of her own creation. She felt better interacting with these made-up characters than facing the daily jeers and disgusted looks from her classmates. No girls would play with her, no boys would talk to her.
Her family did not know how to handle this and one day she found her parents awkwardly stooping down to beg the school administrator of letting her transfer to another school. But afraid of damaging the school's reputation and letting the wind out of the bullying at school affect the annual ranking process, the administrator had refused her father's plead and sent them away. She was stuck in this school.
She had despaired and it soured her heart seeing her respectful father bending down to an unsympathetic woman half his age.
Afterwards she had run to hide behind a storage shed and let her repressed rage seeped out through stifled sobs and balled fists. If there was nothing her parents, the adults, could change, then what was there for her to defend herself with?
Her grades have taken a toll and there was no joy in her school life.
The prefecture was known for producing future college graduates like physicians, engineers, lawyers, architects, journalists, and professionals to fill all sorts of esteemed occupations. Those students who failed in the pre-set education system had no hope in securing a future and were looked down to.
One day, a young substitute instructor came and replaced the home class teacher, who has gone on a maternity leave. The young instructor was very popular among the academically-stressed students and he always had a way of elucidating complex course materials with witty jokes. His unconventional lax attitudes and handsome looks were a plus.
It was a humid afternoon and the sticky rain has left the tension raw in the badly ventilated home economics classroom.
Tasked to create recipes, cook them and put the final products on display at the August Festival to raise funds in competition to other grades was not easy.
Her class has lost last year to a junior grade class and the classmates have vented their anger by vandalizing her desk. The home class instructor at that time had turned a blind eye on this and many ensuing acts.
"Hey, Faith, do you have any idea on a dessert?" The girl sitting next to her asked casually. Faith looked down at her writing pad and sketched an ice-cream bar.
"Pish, why ask for her opinion, Sarah. She'll just jinx our chance of winning." The student treasurer of her class who was sitting opposite to Faith gave the student president a disapproving look.
"Yeah, poo doll here will just made everyone sick with her stinkiness." The tall boy with a prominent forehead remarked with a sneer.
And before ne came, the class has erupted to jeers and the usual elbowing.
With a barely contained rage, Faith abruptly stood up from her chair and threw the writing pad at a male classmate.
"Woah, what's into you, ass-wipe. You think you can take us on, is that so?" And scrunching up a piece of paper, he started flicking paper balls and rubber band projectiles at Faith.
Laughing now, the other male classmates joined the fray.
"Sit down, Faith. Just ignore them, Teacher Y'i will be in soon." Sarah pulled at Faith's sleeve, but Faith knew the only reason Sarah spoke to her occasionally was to uphold her squeaky clean image in instructor Y'i's eyes. Sarah had on many occasions, deliberately wrote her name on the whiteboard at study periods when Faith has not misbehaved, just to have someone stay behind after school and to show she was doing her class monitor job.
Faith did not sit down but remained defiantly standing, allowing herself to be pelleted with saliva, paper balls and rubber bullets.
When Instructor Y'i showed up without warning behind Faith, the students were caught red-handed in their acts. Some froze their throwing hands in mid-act and others only had surprise and guilt on their faces. Instructor Y'i placed his hands on Faith's slightly rigid shoulder and she sat down obediently.
Smiling, teacher Y'i had casually asked the class to pipe down and walked to the podium to begin class. Afterwards, the class had remained behaved for the rest of the week and Faith was freed from taunting and one or two girls actually apologized for not standing up for her.
Instructor Y'i's presence was enough to squish any further violence.
Where did he come out? Many students had scratched their heads but had no clue. The classroom door was at the left but Faith was sitting close to the back wall. If Instructor Y'i had come in, all would have noticed and the two boys charged for watching the door did not see the teacher come in.
---
"Faith, please come to the staff room to see Instructor Y'i." The sinewy voice of the Administration Secretary carried over the PA and was broadcasted over the entire school complex.
The students raised their heads and the Science teacher jetted her thumb at the door. "Haha, finally you'll get what you deserve, shit-face." A boy whispered close by.
"Yeah, nobody's called into the staff room if not for doing something wrong and to be punished." Another chimed in.
Faith said nothing. She was thinking about suicide and revenge, but was too chicken and soft-hearted to carry out either.
"Have a seat, Fei. Would you like a can of fresh, cool, rambutan bubble water?" Instructor Y'i was rummaging in the staff cabinet and winked as she came in. "I had the privilege of being given Teacher Lindsay's famous homemade rice-rolls but I ate already and was wondering would you do me the honor of eating them?"
She nodded and a tiny smile broke on her worried face. Apparently Instructor Y'i was trying to help her.
It has been hours passed since a student has bumped her in the hallway and caused her to spill her lunch box on the floor. Nobody reported the incident and Faith knew telling the other teachers would only made her life more miserable. Besides, the teachers would at most lecture the class and let it go.
---
Her luck was starting to improve when Teacher Vanessa returned from her maternity leave and Instructor Y'i was promoted to an adjunct professor to the financial prefecture.
Faith was left crest-fallen. She was just used to eating lunch with Instructor Y'i from time to time and enjoying the improved attention and new-found relationship with the other students. Her grades were getting higher and she actually liked coming to school for a change.
To be continued...
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