The Pride

I was deeply touched when my teacher (she used to be my English teacher back in year 2000) announced to the other participants in the seminar, that I was her student, and how she went all the way describing in details my mischief behaviors. Shit, I was embarrassed you know. But later she said something that made my eyes pooled with tears. “In my life as a teacher, I will only recognize two types of students, the good ones and the naughtiest ones. But it’s somehow a blessing when I have one student who got a combination of two. The naughtiest and the smartest, and she is standing right here in front of you”
She gave me a tight hug with a smile drawn on her face. I am speechless and I have a set of miscellaneous feelings, which I can’t describe.

It’s almost a decade and she still remembers me.

When I wanted to walk out from the hall, she tapped on my shoulder and with a very motherly voice she said to me,
“I always have faith in you the moment you asked me what TESL is all about and how eager you were asking me about living in Kentucky. I know you will become a great teacher one day, and now you are already in the making of it. Make me proud. It’s okay if one day you happen to forget me, but every time I come across to an extra ambitious Javanese student in my class, it will always reminds me of you.”

Mrs.Aspalela, how on earth could I forget you?