English Lesson

After demonstrating the word `Immediately` to Mari for the hundedth time, Toji Sensei, my english teacher, apporached me with a grin on his face and a camera dangling around his neck. `I have two favours to ask you,` he said in his thick American English accent. `May I take photos of you and the class to commemorate your last english writing lesson? Also, can you give us a 15 minute speech at the end of the lesson about your time here in Tachibana?` Taken a little aback but quite accustomed to being put on the spot, I nodded and told him I`d be more than happy to help. Phrases like that come out of me these days like I`m a robot. After he walked away, Mari instantly demanded of me a Japanese translation of the entire conversation.

Soon enough my 15 minutes of fame were knocking at the door and the girls clapped as I walked to the front of the class. I listened to my all-female class `Ohh` and `Ahh` as I wrote my own name on the board, then Toji Sensei started some of the questions, to get the 15 minutes moving along. He asked me when I am leaving and I answered his questions, then he fired a big one, `What are you going to miss about Tachibana High School?`

What am I going to miss about Tachibana High School.

Catching me off guard, the feelings start rising up inside of me, all their faces, all the memories rising like boiling water, accomanied with the first tear drop to roll down my cheek as I stand, head bowed. Like they could read my mind, they just sit there. Sitting silently at their desks watching my memories come flooding through, no language is needed to be spoken, this was universal.

I don`t know how and I don`t know why, but in silent situations such as this, there is always a precise moment where the time for silence is through. So, at that precise moment, I decide I had better speak. Taking a deep breath, gaining composure, I look up at the class but all that I can muster are the words `I`m Sorry` as I start to drown again in the memories. All of this was simply because of what I saw when I looked up.

I wasn`t feeling the hurt alone.

Whoever wasn`t silently crying was handing out tissues and at that point it became obvious that we`d gone beyond the 'carrying on and ignoring the fact we are crying` stage. Their teary smiles allowed me to also break out in a smile and carry on, until I noticed Mari. Sitting beside my vacant chair, she hid her face as her head hung down low, the odd tear splashing onto her text book.

When my 15 minutes of fame were over, we all tried to compose ourselves, acting like we were fine. I noticed Mari and a few others had dissappeared for a while during which I composed myself with the help of Marina and Auka, tissue-giver-outer-ers.

Theres something so cliche about the way the train is going to whisk me away from these people on Saturday. It`s not going to be nice.