"Kyaaaaaaaa…! ROBBERRRR …. William run..call the police!" shouted Sandra.
"Sh*t. Mom relax. He isn't a robber, mom. He is not. Calm down," said William, trying to reassure his mother.
"He is not?" Sandra gave William a questioning look.
"Yes, my lady. I am never a robber," said Norman, startling Sandra.
"Then who are you? What are you doing in my house?" asked Sandra wearily, holding onto William and taking a step back for safety.
"Oh, I am... I am..." Norman struggled to find an answer.
"Professor," blurted out William, giving Norman a look that said "Play along with me."
"Professor? Oh yes! Yes, I am a professor," said Norman, showing his teeth.
"So, what is a professor doing here?" asked Sandra.
"Checking on a student," said Norman without thinking.
"Helping with my project," said William at the same time.
Sandra: ???
"I mean... like he came to check on the student, which is me, and ended up helping me with the project. That's what we meant, Mom," William managed to make up an excuse.
"Oh, is that so? But didn't you say there was a robber?" asked Sandra with a confused look.
"Oh, that... yeah, that... right! A robber came right when we were discussing the project. He got scared looking at the professor, so he broke the door and escaped before we caught him. Isn't that what happened?" William nudged Norman.
"Yes, yes, the robber ran scared of me," said Norman with a proud look.
"Oh, really?" Sandra became grateful for Norman's act of helping his son in need. "Thank you so much, Professor, and really sorry I mistook you for... you know..."
"It's okay. It's okay, my lady."
"Okay. William, come with me for a second," Sandra said, walking out of the room followed by William behind her.
"What's up, Mom?" asked William when they had a considerable distance away from Norman.
"Are you sure he is your professor? You're not hiding things from me, right?" whispered Sandra.
"Why would I lie to you, Mom? And why do you doubt him? He has helped me and all..."
"I know, I know... it's rude, but... (sigh)... he doesn't look like a professor, you know... and what's with all the wounds on his body that I see? And his physical build...?"
"Mom, you know we can't judge a person by their appearance, right? And the wounds are because he practices fencing, judo, and other sports as a hobby. That's why."
After thinking for few seconds "Fine. If you say so. Oh! And what subject does he teach?"
"Subject? Uh... um... ah! He teaches math. Yeah, math."
"Oh, okay. Let's not make him wait for long."
Sandra and William went inside to see Norman clad in tight-fitting clothes of William's father. It looked more like Norman's body was being squeezed to fit inside those clothes, and the clothes could rip apart any time now or then.
Sandra forcibly put Norman's awkward appearance to the back of her head and said with a gentle smile, "Thank you again for helping my son in his studies, Professor. By the way, I hope he isn't too much trouble in class."
"Oh, no, he is really good, especially in literature. He is catching up on things fast," said Norman with a smile.
William (face slap)
"Literature?" Sandra looked at Norman in confusion. "He said you were his math teacher?"
"He did?" Norman looked at William, puzzled.
"Mom, of course he is our math teacher. Since our English teacher is hospitalized for a month, they have put our math teacher as a substitute," William explained.
"Yes, yes, I am a substitute," Norman nodded.
"Oh, I see," Sandra nodded in realization. "Then thank you, Mr...," Sandra paused, trying to remember the name.
"I am Norman," Norman introduced himself.
"Alexander," William said at the same time, who came up with a fake name as he still didn't know the name of the stranger yet.
"Sandra: ???"
Before Sandra could ask anything, William quickly interjected, "Alexander Norman, Mom. His full name is Alexander Norman."
"Oh, Nice to meet you, Professor Alexander Norman," Sandra said, extending her hand for a handshake.
"The pleasure is all mine, ma'am," Norman replied politely, holding Sandra's hand and placing a kiss on the back of her hand in greeting.
Sandra : (blushing) looks at William in confusion.
William: ha ha…( fake smiling, in complete awkwardness)
Finally, things settled down. Sandra exchanged pleasantries with Norman and then exited the room to prepare for her work.
William let out a big sigh and sat on the bed, breathing heavily. Norman wiped his sweat, also feeling relieved. In his world, it is said that women have keen intuition and are hard to satisfy, but he never took them to heart. Now that he had a taste of it, he never wanted to experience this again. Just then, Sandra entered the room again with a doubtful look.
"If I may ask..... why is your professor wearing your father's clothes?" She asked, staring at William without blinking.
[Oh no, not again!] thought William and Norman simultaneously in their minds.