Bittersweet 8
It’s funny how time suddenly grows wings when you’re having fun… especially school fun. One sunny afternoon, we were meant to have our Biology class, but strangely, our teacher, Miss Swartha, a Pakistani woman, was nowhere to be found. Ten minutes passed. Nothing. The class started getting restless. One of my friends and I decided to go and look for her. After all, we had “waited long enough.” We found her in the staff room, her head resting on the table. We paused. I exchanged glances with my friend. Then, being the slightly bolder one, I stepped forward and gently tapped her shoulder. She stirred, sat up slowly, and let out a long yawn. “Good afternoon, ma. It’s time for our English class, ma,” I said, adding a small curtsy for effect. She sighed deeply and replied in her thick accent, “Ayam veyi veyi tayaaaad.” “I am very, very tired.” We thanked her and left. The moment we stepped out of the staff room, we looked at each other, and burst out laughing. “Ayam veyi veyi tayaaaad!” we ...