At Bannister Academy
“Good afternoon sir”, she greeted the school director as she went inside the office.
“Good afternoon Miss Jannah. I guess you have a very important matter to discuss with me.”, Mr. Lester Mendoza said and offered her a seat.
“Sir, I would like to hand in my application for indefinite leave. My brother and I will travel to South Korea for personal reasons”, she said, looking at him intently.
The school director stared at her with a blank expression.
“I don’t know what’s going on Miss Jannah, and I won’t ask you about it because you said it’s personal. But I’m hoping, it will not take too long because I know the kids are very much attached to you”, Lester said calmly trying to avert his gaze.
“Whatever it is Miss Jannah, I’m hoping that all is well”, he smiled and offered his hand for a shake.
“Good luck”, he uttered.
“Thank you sir”, she exclaimed as she went outside the office.
She heaved a deep sigh as she took the elevator going to the second floor. She was still thinking how to tell the kids about her plan.
“Hi cher, good afternoon!”, the kids greeted her as soon as she went inside the classroom. They were so cute and adorable and seeing their innocent faces warmed her heart. In the meantime, she forgot that she had gone through a lot of pains in life.
She inhaled deeply as she looked at them sitting on their respective chairs. As she took her glances at them, she felt great sadness, while thinking that she would be leaving them a few days from now. How would she be able to tell them?
“Cher, you look so sad”, Josh exclaimed as he rested his chin on both his hands. The other kids did the same too while they were looking at her with knitted brows.
“Did you and army quarrel each other cher?”, Josh asked curiously.
“No, sweetheart. I just wanted to tell you something very important”, she replied, trying to clear her throat.
The kids furrowed their brows in confusion.
“Kids, come here!”, she signaled them to come closer.
“Let me hug you all for one minute. Is it okay?”, she asked with a quavering voice.
She bent down and opened her arms widely and so the kids fell into her warm embrace. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she was preparing herself to talk to them, what she wanted to tell them.
“Cher, why are you crying?”, said Gillian. She wiped out her tears and tried to talk in a more casual tone.
“Kids listen. Teacher is sick and she needs to be treated in the hospital. So, teacher needs to travel to South Korea because it is only there where she can find the best doctors that can treat her”, she started explaining while trying to control her emotion.
The kids were silent for a moment trying to understand what she meant to say. Afterwards, they began to sob.
“So, you’re leaving us cher?” the kids exclaimed in chorus as they cried even more.
Upon hearing them shrieking, screaming in a loud piercing cry, her heart was totally broken. God knows how much she loved them. They became an important part of her life and because of them, she felt her worth as a person, as a teacher, and as their psychological counselor.
“But I will be back kids. Only that I don’t know when. Will you wait for me?” she asked trying to comfort them.
The kids hugged her again as they continued sobbing.
“So, who will teach us cher?”, Samantha asked, convulsively catching her breath in weeping.
“You will have another teacher, kids. Be good always okay?”, she stressed out.
“But still we will wait for you cher. And we’ll pray for you too. But promise you’ll be back”, Marco snorted.
“Don’t cry anymore cher”, Chris said, trying to wipe out her tears with his cute thumb.
“We will always contact you in messenger cher so that you won’t be lonely”, Josh said in a sad voice.
“Uhm, cher did army know about it?”, Josh asked curiously.
She shook her head to let him know that she did not tell Zacky about her plan to leave.
“So, when will be your flight to Korea cher?”, Chris asked.
“Next week, sweetheart”, she responded in a soft voice. She hugged again the kids and pinched their cheeks.
She did not conduct classes the whole afternoon, instead, she brought the kids to the school canteen and treat them to their favorite ice cream and burger. They chuckled as she shared jokes and funny stories with them.
Her time with the kids went over and they said goodbye to her. They stepped out of the room with sadness on their faces. Suddenly, they went back inside and hugged her, as they started to sob again.
“Cher, we will be missing you”, the kids screamed. She was getting emotional too.
“I’ll be missing you sweethearts. Take care, okay?”, she responded and kissed them on their cheeks.
**********
The day has come when she had to leave her home.
“We’re going now Nanny. We might be caught by heavy traffic. Take care of yourself here”, she said and kissed her Nanny’s cheek.
“Take care darling. I wished I can go with you, but your brother doesn’t want me to leave the house”, Nanny snorted, wiping her tears away.
“It’s okay Nanny, Bye!”, she exclaimed as she was heading towards the entry door.
She was about to open the door when Nanny ran towards her and hugged her tightly.
“I’ll be missing you, darling. I will pray for your quick recovery”
She smiled at her Nanny as she stepped outside. Their family driver and Jareed were already waiting for her. She took a quick glimpse at their house before she went inside the car. She did not know how long she would be away from home. She was not certain what the future lies ahead.
*********
She was already boarding the plane but still, she was in deep thought. Sitting next to her was her brother who was seriously reading a newspaper. She looked at her wristwatch and it was already 10:00 0’ clock in the morning. The flight would only take 3 hours and 30 minutes from Manila to Seoul.
After a while, the aircraft departed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
**********
Seoul, South Korea
The plane had finally landed at Incheon International Airport. Jareed held her hand as they disembarked the plane.
From a distance, she saw her mom, stepdad, and Jungwon, smiling and waving their hands trying to get their attention.
“Hi mom, Jungwon!”, she greeted them. Then she turned her gaze to her stepdad.
“Annyeonghaseyo abeonim (hello, dad)”, she said as she bowed her head, and Jareed did the same.
“Hanguk-eh oson geoseul hwanyeonghanda, J.A.-yah, Jareed (Welcome to Korea)”, Mr. Park uttered and tapped their shoulders.
“Dasi mannaseo bangawo, J.A.-yah ( Glad to see you again)”, Jungwon exclaimed and pulled her a hug. Then he turned to Jareed.
“Welcome here bro”
After some time, they had gotten into the car.
She was just silent, while her mom, stepdad, Jungwon, and her brother were having a conversation. She was thinking a lot of things. What kind of life awaits her in South Korea?
She missed the kids so much. And of course, the love of her life, Zacky. And every time she thinks of her, she could not help but get emotional. She tried to set aside those thoughts because she doesn’t want to cry.
The ride took approximately 32 minutes from Incheon Airport to Gangnam station. Her mother lived in an apartment in Gangnam-gu, one of the largest districts in Seoul. The most affluent district where influential and rich people reside.
The air-conditioned apartment where her mom lived has four bedrooms, a cozy living room, and a fully equipped kitchen. It was well-painted with neutral colors. The floor was made of vinyl tiles, and a beautifully embroidered carpet was set at the center where sofa beds were placed. Beautiful frames and carvings were hung on the wall that complements the elegance of the furnishing.
“Just feel at home dear”, her mom said and directed her to the guest room.
As soon as she stepped inside, she was fascinated by the whole ambiance. The medium-sized room was fully airconditioned, equipped with a TV and a fridge. There was also a bathroom inside. A soft mattress was placed on the right side with high-quality beddings, blankets, and pillows.
“Just take a rest dear. I will just wake you up as soon as I finish cooking. Okay?”, her mom said and smiled at her. Afterwards, she was left alone in the bedroom.
She felt a little awkward, upon thinking that she would be staying here for an uncertain time. But she had to do this not only for herself but for her family and the kids as well. And most importantly, she had to do this for Zacky.
She wanted to live longer. And she was hoping that this new place and new environment would bring good fortune to her in terms of health condition.