Monday, June 26, 2006
Two
I am fasting.And I am hungry.But I refuse to surrender!
.....
'Ok, bye.'
'Bye Ma.'
After getting out of the car, Lily and I walked down the familiar route towards the school building. Everything looked and felt the same. Even the stray cats were there to welcome us, just like they used to do. I wondered how they ate when no one was around, and if any of them starved to death.
Around 15 minutes later, I trudged up the school stairs along with a teacher (who unlocked the doors) and a dozen other students behind me. Zahira was among them, an Huda, too. As we noisily walked up, shouldering our bags and books, I noticed how, again, everything was just the same as before. 'Even the smell is the same,' we joked. Not that it smelled too bad or anything.
Being one of the first three people to arrive in my class, I had a good look of how it was left before the holidays. Our class was in a pretty bad mess. There were a lot more tables than there usually were, strewn anywhere and everywhere in an improper way. It was hot, too, almost to point that the class felt muggy. There were words on the whiteboard that still hadn't been erased, and everything just looked abandoned. Zahira and I exchanged looks.
"Doesn't look very nice," I wittily commented. Zahira agreed.
But despite how shabby (for lack of better word) it looked, we cleaned it up anyway. In the end, even though the room was small and the extra tables that were pushed against the walls made it look even smaller, it looked just right. Like a second home.
Soon, the class became noisier but better as friends began to file in. There were a lot of greetings and grins, and conversations started right away. I found out that I was wrong into thinking that it was going to be a lonely term. Everything felt normal. Everything felt right.
During assembly, after reciting our prayers, the prinicipal came up to give her talk, or speech, whichever you prefer.
"She's smiling!" Mas, who stood beside me, pointed out excitedly.
To say she was smiling was an understatement. It was more like she was beaming. Widely. Which was why the first sentence she said to us seemed totally out of place.
"It's been a month since we saw each other," she began, "And yet already we are misbehaving, talking while the teacher infront is talking."It took me by such surprise that my mouth dropped open. Literally. Then I shut it again because 1) I did not want to look stupid, and 2) I did not want her to see me with my jaw hanging and ask me why I was so surprised. What was I going to say to that??
The first lesson was English, which was fun. We had 'dates' with friends, and I'd explain further about that, but I'm too lazy to. Then there was Science (the teacher did not come. -__-" At first I said 'Tau tak bawak buku!', then realised that, being the idiot that I am, had accidentally brought Loi's Science book instead of mine. Which meant that Cher not coming was a good thing. Which also meant that I shut up after that), and then Hadith, during which we had to write what we liked and what we didn't like about our class. When Zah called on my name to read what I liked about the class, I read aloud,
"This class is something like a second family. We all always support each other in whatever we do. If there is a class project to complete, we might argue, and there might be dissatisfactions, but we come to through in the end. We are happy together and sad together, and when you return to the same people everyday, it's almost like home."
I received quite some "Awwws" from the others. What can I say? I'm sappy.
By the end of the day, I was feeling pretty good, if not sliiiightly confused. I was really happy that Mus, the rest and I joked as per normal, which was great, but which also made me confused, because it felt exacly like before,when supposedly I wasn't a part of the gang. By the time I was on my way home, I had chalked up a list, albeit a short one.
If You're Not Someone's Close Friend Anymore, But You're Still Their Good Friend, and You Sit With Them, Then The Difference is Either:1) You don't recess or go home with them anymore.
2) You don't share secrets.
That was all I could come up with. Barely any differences, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm all good.
.....
3:43 PM
