Chapter 4 (Teacher's Daily Routine)

Kaegal's POV

I was walking through our curricular’s office, I teach senior students in high school, as usual most of the student that encounter are greeting me. I’m still holding my laptop carrier bag which most of my things put in and the food that Armand bought for me.

As I went to the office and put my things in my cubicle Nyla showed up. “Hey. I already remind Elyze, Febbie, Matt and... Who gave you that?” She said when the food caught his attention.

“I bought it,” I answered her as I immediately get my things.

She look at me seriously and suspiciously as our eyes crossed. “You rather eat in the school café with me or bring your own foo than dealing your phobia,” she said to me.

I just beamed and maked face. “Armand just arrived and he bring me here with TJ,” I explained.

“I knew it, someone gave you this,” she said. “So why I’m not included,” she added and looked at me looked at me sullenly.

I was about to explain but she was fooling around. “I thought they will be arriving on Saturday?” She asked me.

“That’s what we all knew,” I replied.

“He might want someone to surprise,” she said.

“Who? TJ?,” I told her.

“I guess... It might... Who knows?” She replied me suspiciously and giving me a devil smile.

I just looked at her innocently. “Don’t you get it?” Nyla asked me as the bell ringed.

“It’s time, time to work now,” I said and grinned at her.

I get all of my things, I let the food the Armand gave to me remained on my cubicle and left the office.

The hallway are crowded, full of students walking and running to their next subjects. My room is in third floor, as I walked up stairs I encounter lot of students. Some students are with their partners holding each others hands as they cuddle in the pathway; some students are with their squads; and some students are alone.

When I reached my room I saw some of my students are still in the outside, but when they saw me coming they immediately went inside. As I entered the room my students started to greet me all together while standing. “Thank you, good morning as well. You all may now sit down,” I replied to them as I walked towards the teacher’s desk.

When I finally put my things in the table I told them how grateful I’m to their class cause most of them passed the score from the task I gave to them. In the middle of my speech one of my student got my attention, he was wearing a cap inside the room. I called his name and asked him why he is wearing a cap inside my class. He stood up and remove his cap. We were all surprised, he dyed his hair and he looks more attractive on it. “Mr. Zaldua, I’ll dyed it black in the weekends,” he explained.

“I just asked you why you’re wearing a cap inside my class,” I looked at him. “Dyeing your hair is not the case in here, you look good on it Mr. Atienza,” I added. “Mr... Aren’t you...,” he’s about to asked when I speak up. “Scold you? No, I won’t. In my class you can whatever you want as long as you respect me,” I told him and smiled. He sat down and beamed.

I continue the conversation with my students, I announced their scores that are recorded in my laptop. When I finished announcing their scores I asked them if they have complains but no one raised their hands, I asked them if they have a question then one of my students raised her hand. I called out her name and asked her what it is.

“Sir, this is not connected to our topic...” She said shyly and looked at the rest of the class.

“What’s your concern Ms. Tan?” I asked.

“Sir, I’m just curious. Sir,” she explained.

“What it is?” I replied her in a serious tone.

“Who brought you here Sir?” She asked so fast and immediately sat down.

“Excuse me Ms. Tan?” I asked her.

“We saw you earlier and someone drove you here in university,” she explained.

The rest of the class started making a noise of curiosity. I don’t know if should I answer them or should I ignore the question. But they might misinterpret it if I refuse to answer it.

“Oh. It’s Armand, the biological father of TJ, the kid that I once brought here. Remember him?” I told to them. “We’re good friends since we were a child,” I added.

“Isn’t he handsome, sir?” my other student asked.

“He is,” my student Ms. Tan answered.

“Woah. Woah. Are you my stalker Ms. Tan?” I asked her and the rest of the class chuckled. “I’m just kidding,” I added to make Ms. Tan feel not guilty.

“But yes, he’s handsome and successful man but he’s not a paedophile,” I told them and smiled silly.

“Back to the real world, any questions related to our topic so that we can move forward to our next discussion?” I asked them. One of my male student raised their hands, it’s Mr. Atienza the one who dyed his hair. I called his name and asked him what he want me to clarify.

“Sir. Since we’re talking about knowing and how will we could identify if it’s false informations, is it true that you haven’t been in a relationship?” He asked me. I was surprised from what he stated— the whole class started to make a noise to make the tension more goosey.

“You all are fooling around stop asking personal questions,” I stated seriously. “ It’s not important if I’m single or not, what’s important inside this school is that you all must digest all the learnings that I I’m taught to all of you,” I explained. “Besides, we’re not talking myself here it’s yours,” I added since becoming more serious.

The rest of the class remained silent and I asked them again if they have a question regarding to our lesson but they remained silent and avoiding eye contact from me. I asked them for the last time but no one did. I was about to set my laptop in the projector to start another lesson when one of my student raised his hand, I called out his name— Mr. Arceo.

“Sir. It’s not related to our topic too...” He explained. I just looked at him with a poker face which make him quite nervous.

“I just want to congratulate you for finishing your doctorate,” Mr. Arceo said which gives me a grin in my face.

The class started to clap and congratulate me; some our making noises; some or whistling and some our forcedly clapping their hands. “That’s the reason behind why Sir is still a single,” my kinky student shouted in the middle of nowhere. They started to make a silly noises from what they have heard. But they stopped when they saw me making an awkward face.

“Sorry sir,” my kinky student said.

“It’s okay Mr. Severino,” I replied to him.

“Is that really the reason Sir?” he spoke so fast and sat down immediately. The rest of the class started chuckling, even I.

I’m starting to sense what are they trying to do, they are trying to distract me not to continue our discussion I asked them, “tell me if you don’t want me to present you all our next topic, because it’s kinda obvious,” I told them.

“Actually Sir we planned this to distract you so we will have rest free time doing nothing” my student bravely stood up and explained to me.

“Why?” I simply asked them.

They started to speak all together, some says that they had a continuous examination from their subjects before me, some said that they are tired from work and some are stressed out which I can see it through their faces.

“If that’s the case, I’ll just sit here and wait to ring the bell,” I told them. I rather to be in favor to them instead of forcing them to learn though I know that they are not in a good condition.

“Why don’t you sir tell us about your self, so that we will be inspired,” My student said beside Ms. Tan.

“Isn’t ironic that you hate when a teacher tell their life story instead of teaching you, Ms. Veluz? And now you want me to tell something about myself rather than listening to our next topic?” I told to them and sat on the chair as I give them a silly smile while my continuously raising my eyebrows. They became quiet again and I can how nervous they are from what I said.

“My father don’t really want my profession, even now...” I narrated to catch their. I can see how surprised they were.

I started narrating to them that my father want me to take a course related to any business when I was in college cause he believes that it will make me richer and I could have a lot of profit on it unlike being a teacher which have a small amount of salary. But despite of my achievements, having a lot of awards being included in one of the youngest teachers who finished their PhD, I can’t make him proud. Even now, he still pushing me to take a course related to business. But I always refuse it cause business is not for me, I rather do what ever I want that will make me happy that won’t regret it for following it.

“Isn’t hard for you that your father don’t support you?” My student asked.

“It was, but gladly I have my friends. Including Ms. Nyla, and Armand,” I said. But when they heard Armand’s name they started to make suspicious noises.

“Question, Sir. Among his friends and relatives why did he chose you to took care of his son? Don’t he have a wife?” One of my student asked.

It took me a seconds to answer why... But the bell started to ring.

“It’s already time, it’s lunch time! Let’s pack up so we can eat now,” I said to them.

“Sir. We can extend and eat for 30 minutes,” my student said.

“It was you, not me, sorry,” I said to avoid the question though I’m not yet hungry.

They started acting how disappointed they were, a reaction like knowing that they just failed from an examination.

“Tomorrow, we will start discussing our next topic. Okay? Prepare yourself,” I told them as they packed up their things.

We left the room all together and making sure that the room is clean.

I went back to our office, as usual set up. The hallway are crowded and encounter different kinds of students.

Before I get inside the office most of the students greet me.