Lucy Xiao
The conversation that I had with my parents about marriage is still playing in my mind.
" Am I doing the right decision?" I ask myself.
Being reluctant about the decision that I've made has been a habit to me since high school. I'm afraid that the decisions that I made is not for my own good and happiness but it is for the people around me.
I take a sip of coffee while looking outside the window. Clearly my mind was drifting away to when I was 17 years old.
Well, I thought I was big enough to know a guy and to understand what is love. But I guess I was wrong— I was wrong about love as I've been tricked by someone whom I proudly called my boyfriend. I remember how sweet he was with me back then—sweet talker, romantic, giving me flowers would always be his sweet act. But those sweet things would only lasted for three months until I saw him cheating with my own best friend— imagine how heartbroken I'd be when I see my boyfriend is kissing and hugging my best friend. Never thought that my first love would haunted me to fall in love again.
***
Knock... Knock...
I'm surprise by the door knock. Mom is entering my room with some clothes in her hands.
"What are you thinking, bao bei?" She ask me while walking towards me.
"Nothing. Some old memories suddenly cross my mind." I said with a smile.
Mom stays for a moment with me without asking more questions. I guess she knows that I'm still thinking about the marriage.
"Ma, do you think I made the right decision? You know... marriage isn't a thing to play. So, I'm afraid that I am just agreeing to both of you without being ready to get married," I break the silence by asking her a serious question that I can't even answer myself.
Mom looks at me and pat my shoulder. She is not lecturing me this time but only say, "Trust yourself and have faith."
That's how she would console me. Maybe she's right— maybe I need to have some faith in love again. Maybe I'll be pairing with a good guy who's better than my ex.
***
The next morning when we are having our breakfast before I'm going to work, Mom and Dad told me that they will start the 'mission' today. I almost choked myself when I heard them.
"That fast!?" I'm shock obviously because I never thought that they will be this eager to find me a guy.
"Well, Daddy actually has got a few candidates for you and I can't wait to introduce them to you, Lucy," Dad is smiling happily when he told me about this. Mom couldn't help but smiling too.
I didn't reply them instead I just look down at my bowl full of cereals and nodded. I don't know how to react to this - confused and speechless.
"I'm going to work. Bye Ma, Dy," I give them a goodbye hug and cheek kiss.
On my way to school, I received a message from my former lecturer, Mr. Dawson. I once was his assistant in the institute and we got along so well that we still keep in touch until now. Sometimes, there are things that still need his help to supervise for me. Maybe this makes our connection become stronger and better day by day.
'I need you in the institute asap with the files!' Mr. Dawson wrote in the text.
He never text me using the exclamation mark before so I guess he really needs me there immediately. Without thinking so much about it, I quickly sprinting to his office and call my colleague in school to take over my class for a while.
As soon as I arrived, I park my car and quickly headed to Mr. Dawson's office. Imagine walking with full speed using high heels with handbag on my right hand and a bottle of coffee on my left hand and also carrying a few files on my left arm - gosh, I do look like a workaholic woman. I walk swiftly in the park to Mr. Dawson's office as it is closer than using the main entrance until someone push me from behind unintentionally. I fall on the ground, hurt my knee and the papers in the files are falling on the ground too. It is on the same time that I received another message from Mr. Dawson again.
"I'm sorry, Miss. I don't..." He lost in words when he saw me when he is gathering the papers for me while saying sorry.
Our eyes meet and I too has lost in his brown eyes. My heart is beating fast than usual.
'What happen to me?' I thought.
The moment only lasted for a minute until I got a phone call from Mr. Dawson. I quickly answered the phone and immediately got up and walk to his office without saying anything to the guy.
***
"Mr. Dawson, I'm sorry I'm late. Here's the files ..." I gulp as the files are not with me right now.
'Where the hell is the files?' I thought nervously and the I suddenly remember that I fell on the ground and the files were falling on the ground as well.
"Sir, I'm sorry... the files are with me just now but then I... I got push by someone and I fell and the files too were falling and... and when you called me just now, I immediately run to your office without bringing the files. I'm sorry, let me get the files." I explain nervously and stuttering.
Mr. Dawson looks at me angrily and when he's about to say something, someone comes in and give him the files.
'It's the guy just now. What is he doing here?' I look at him curiously. He only smiles when he looks at both Mr. Dawson and I.
When I look at him from head to toe, I thought to myself that maybe he must be Mr. Dawson's assistant. Smart haircut, a tall guy with maybe an American and Chinese decent, wearing casual attire and probably still a student.
"Thanks, Joshua. This is a very important files that someone almost lost it." said Mr. Dawson in a stern tone while looking at me.
"This is Joshua, my new assistant. Joshua, this is Lucy Xiao, my former assistant and now has been a teacher for a year." he continued and I just nodded when he introduced both of us.
"Hi," said Joshua. I look aside and smile. His calm gentle voice is killing me inside.
"Sir, I've completed the task that you asked me to do. So, can I go now? Because I'm late to school. Bye!" I said to Mr. Dawson without thinking too much because I know that I'm going to face a bigger problem than this in school - got scold for being late to work without informing the school.
I walk to the car and when I'm about to open the car door, someone close it back. It's Joshua.
"Sorry, but I think this is yours. You must be in hurry until you forgot about your bottle on Mr. Dawson's table," he said while giving me my bottle.
"Thanks. I am actually in hurry. I can't talk to you longer so see you when around then," I replied. He nodded and smile. I go inside the car and quickly rush to school. When I look at the side mirror, I can still see him standing there watching me go.
***
As I've arrived in school, I quickly make my move to the principal's office and apologized to him for being late to work and promise him to not be doing it again. I'm nervously waiting for him to forgive my mistake but he still looking at me with his stern face while smoking a cigar.
"You're forgiven," he says while exhaling the smoke. But I know that I would not be forgiven easily by him. There must be something that he wants me to do for him- scary, of course.
"I can forgive you. If only you do every thing that I ask you to do," he continued.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I don't follow you," I say, nervously.
"Be my second wife and I'll forgive you. I can give you what you want too. Money, cars, traveling around the world. I can give you everything," he says proudly. I look at him in dismayed as I never thought that he could be like this. All this time, I thought that he is a good principle who cares about his colleagues. But, I am wrong I guess. There's only one word in my mind to describe him - disgusting old man!
"Pardon me for saying this but you're a disgusting old man. Are you looking at me as a woman who loves material so much? Am I a slut to you? Fuck you, old man. Look, I don't care about your money, I don't care if you want to give me a punishment. But one thing for sure is, I don't hesitate to sue you for what you've said to me and let people know who is the real 'Mr. Hao'," I look at him angrily while saying this. I can't stand him anymore and his disgusting look too. After arguing with him, I walk out of the room and bang his door.
Everyone around there is looking at me in astonishment. I straight away walk to the teachers' office and relax. I lean back on my chair, resting my head on the chair while closing my eyes.
What is wrong with me today? It's like I'm having a bad luck since this morning. Umph....
Knock... Knock...
My colleague, Miss Ann knock my table and leaning back on the edge of my table. She looks at me curiously while crossing her hands waiting for me to tell her about what happened.
"Okay, I'll tell you. But not here. Let's have our lunch at the restaurant nearby, can we?" I say calmly as I don't want my other colleagues to know about what had happened to me and Mr. Hao. Miss Ann nodded and walk away to her desk.
The school bells are ringing giving the sign that recess time has over. I prepare everything needed for my next class. I'm feeling exhausted and demotivated to work but duty is duty.
***
"What?! You're not kidding me about what he did to you, right?" Miss Ann is shocked after listening to my story. I looked down and nodded resignedly.
"That's exactly what happened this morning. I don't care about the punishment though but I'm afraid that he'll give me a hard time in the future. Well, you know him, right? When he says you need to do this, then you'll have to do it."
"But, aren't you afraid that he'll kick you out of school? Although we know that he can't do it, but he has connections and he can do anything at anytime," says Miss Ann.
She's got a point there. I look blank and I have nothing left to say. Although I have money, my family is rich and I can choose to quit my job at anytime that I want but that nothing compared to my love in teaching. Sharing knowledge with the children in school is something that I want and love to do. Teaching for me is a noble job as I want to be one of the educators to change my students' lives.
"I think today is not a lucky day for me. This morning, I had an accident with a stranger at the university's park who turns out to be Mr. Dawson's new assistant. Then, I had a problem with Mr. Hao at school. Oh gosh, what a day!" I tell Miss Ann in a weak voice. Miss Ann sees me while laughing.
'What a day,' I thought, looking at the spinach pasta that served in front of me. I think it's been a while since I last having a bad luck.
***