Today was the first day of the semester. As a teacher, this time was the second busiest time after the last days of the semester, when we would frantically collect grade and deliver them, preferably before the deadline. Early semester was all about making syllabus and activity that was up to standard, even if every single semester the standard was barely met.
Our protagonist in this story was called Ari, he was a 22 year old male, began teaching in Bright Star Elementary School as homeroom teacher last year. Since he was a fresh graduate, he was bullied to take the most difficult class, the first grade. Even this year he had not managed to escape the responsibility.
'Ring Ring Ring!'
The bell noting the start of the class sounded on the speaker. The gaggle of new students, still silly and so small they couldn't even reach Ari's waist, huddled together in a group in front of his class. He could see some of the stray first graders still in the front gate, crying and hugging their families as if going to school was a crime done to them. The parents in the front took a look at his teacher uniform, and frantically push their children towards him. The gaggle of students in front of his class became larger, so was the chatter that accompanies it. If it was last year, Ari would be panicking inside, but this year Ari was unfazed.
"First grade students, let's go in. I'll get your attendance inside." Ari said monotonously. The gaggle of students, after hearing his permission, shot like cannonball to the class, leaving chaos tailing them. Ari, who had one previous disastrous experience before, didn't go inside until after they all came in, lest he got knocked right and left.
Inside, the same as last year, there was commotion because the best seat was already occupied and there were many students who wanted it. Before it escalated into more chaos of crying and screaming, Ari wore his most stern expression and told them to be seated first. The first graders went to the remaining seat tearfully, meanwhile the children sitting in the best seat was smiling smugly. After it became somewhat calm, Ari began the first class of the semester.
"Alright, I'm your homeroom teacher, you can call me teacher Ari. We will assign seat from your class attendance, and then we will rotate it every week." Ari said.
The groan and scream of protest from the first graders were heard by the principle, who was walking through the classes making his morning round, who tilted his head in worry.
The vice principle, who was walking together with the principle, just waved his worry away.
"It's the new class." The vice principle said. The principle only nodded wisely. He was a senior teacher, and every single teacher had the honor to teach a first grader. Thankfully this year the youngest teacher still could be bullied to take it again. Next year he better hoped for a newer teacher.
"The youth." The chaos, the principle continued in his heart, sighed wisely.
--=--=--
"Teacher Ari, Amber is being mean!"
"Teacher Ari, I dropped my pencil, can you help me find it? It was my favorite!"
"Teacher Ari, why is it spelled like that?"
"Teacher Ari, we don't know the way to the canteen yet!"
"Teacher Ari, where is the toilet? I need to pee right now!"
"Teacher Ari…"
"Teacher Ari…."
"Teacher Ari...."
"Teacher Ari, my mom said…."
'Ring Ring Ring!'
'Bruk'
A heavy body dropped at a couch in the teacher's office carelessly. The other teachers, who was here before only looked with sympathy. The youngest one of them, the former first grade homeroom teacher before Ari came, took pity and pour him a glass of water. Ari, gathering himself from the drop, rise from the couch and took them with gratitude in his eyes.
"You've work hard." One of the teachers said admirably. She was a teacher three years before Ari came, and luckily the one and only to get the hellish first grade homeroom teacher position for just one year before new teacher came in. The said new teacher survive for two years before relaying the responsibility to Ari. Even until now, every single teacher still looked at her with envy.
"Yes, you must keep your spirit." The teachers all nodded their support towards him. He only nodded in thanks. After one year of being coworkers, they all know each other little habits, like Ari prefer minimal talking, so they didn't mind him too much.
Ari rested a bit at the couch, then he gathered himself to his desk to sort his paper. He had learned the hard way that a delayed paperwork would haunt him till the last day of the semester, even if it only was a grading one. He would forget the context, the writer, and even the lesson, so he didn't dare to do it again. Elementary school first grade's assignment was not hard, but grading squiggly and barely readable letter in his paper was a headache on its own. He diligently worked with the gossiping teacher's whisper as sound in the background.
"The delinquent child in my class make a fuss just today, it's just the first day"
"There were so many girls in the infirmary today, all said they have low blood sugar. I know it's because you old man gave surprise quiz in your class!"
"Eh, they need someone to keep them on their toes."
"There were older girls asking me for pads at break time. I gave it to them, then their boy classmates confront me and demand to be given the same thing…"
"At the canteen there was a commotion between two boys, but thankfully Old Bud came to scare them silly, otherwise the meal might be the victim."
"Eh, when? I didn't do anything at the canteen, I just greet some students?"
"For the sixth grader, I think we need to tighten up the syllabus a bit more, they haven't learned this formula before, right? Sometimes it appeared on the entrance examination."
At the sunset, finally his grading finished. He only needed to finish his lesson plan and he could go home.
"Oi, Ari! You haven't finished yet? We're gathering at the usual noodle restaurant, you wanna come together?" one of the teachers called him.
"Apologize, but I have plans this night. Enjoy." Ari decline absentmindedly.
The teachers went out in groups, some teasing Ari about his plan tonight, but Ari refused to tell them. Finally all of them were out, leaving only Ari in the office. He did a bit more work.
Close to seven at night, he finally finished all of his lesson plan. He gathered his things and prepared to go home.
The night was chilly, but he wore his jacket before he went out. He nodded to the security at the school gate and decided to eat dinner first. Just two minutes walk from the school, there was a rice bowl shop, where he ate and order one more portion for breakfast tomorrow. After securing his meal, he continued his way.
The bus stop nearby had route to his destination. He rode the bus to his destination silently, got off the bus after fifteen minutes of riding. There were some florist that still opened at night, and he stopped by one to buy some flowers. Then he went in the gate and walked towards the center of this place.
"Uncle, I have come." He greeted. He placed the flowers on his uncle's gravestone, and proceed to tell him his days.
After his parents' death in his infancy, he was taken by his uncle to raise. He was too young to remember his parents, so he only had his uncle growing up. His uncle worked hard to raise him well, but unfortunately he was overworked and died a sudden death in Ari's last year of high school. Since he was of age, he was not given to the orphanage or any relatives, and he chose to live alone. Some relatives took turns to check on him, but they never got close like him to his uncle. He always confided to his uncle his worry before, and his uncle had given him counsel that settle his heart. After his uncle's death, he still made sure to tell his uncle his days even in his grave for his own benefit at least anually. He had started this as tradition even before he had a job, and he won't stop doing it now.
"Today was the first day of the semester. I have taught for a year now, and children still baffled me." Ari started.
"I think I was an easy kid, obedient, not making fuss, but teaching hundreds of kids in the same place and told them to behave was not easy."
He told his uncle about the first grader that start today, and the squiggly handwriting he needed to fix before the year changes.
He liked teaching, so he chose to be teacher. The one thing that he regretted was he had chosen to teach children barely graduated from toddler. Only after teaching them he began to respect his uncle and every parents out there who raised children for years from baby. It was not easy, and if he could choose he wouldn't for his live take care of children fully. He even began to regret his decision to be elementary school teacher.
"I think I will change to be a junior or senior high school teacher in a few years." He concluded. He liked teaching. But before working he didn't think that the one you taught would bring that much difference. His naivety.
After telling all he could to his uncle, he just squatted in front of his uncle's grave for minutes, occasionally pulling wild grass, enjoying the eerie silence. A grave keeper came across him, and threw him a bewildered look before he went his way. Maybe he was mistaken as a ghost. But he had told his uncle that sometimes he could only visit him after work, and that often happened at night.
He went back slowly to the bus stop. it's now half before nine, thirty minutes before the bus last service. The bus stop was empty, and the bus that would take him home was also empty. He quickly got in and took a back seat.
The ride went normally, his stop was the bus' final stop, so he didn't really focus on the road, instead he tallied his activity tomorrow in his head. He had just dozed off a bit until he felt his body thrown to the side forcefully and his head hit the glass. Disoriented, he winced in pain while holding his head. He craned over his neck to see the driver, planning to ask what was wrong.
Everything seemed to happen slowly.
There was a big vehicle across them, likely a truck or bus, that went off track towards their bus. The headlights from the vehicle was blinding his vision. The vehicle didn't seem to stop, instead accelerated towards them.
The bus driver honked the horn frantically. He turned the steer sharply that Ari had felt like his body was floating.
'Brak!'
It was too late.
The bus had crashed, crushing the front side and flipping the body.
He felt himself flying from the momentum.
He knew no more.