My Maths Teacher

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 27

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Adam’s POV:

Leaving Violet’s gates, I proceeded to my apartment. Her outburst ten minutes ago hit me like a bomb. I still hadn’t recoverd from it yet. I began to realize my flaws and mistakes in a more different light. Violet was right, I don’t respect her the same way she’d respect me.

” Mr Adam!” Someone called, running up to me. I turned around and watched her. It was Violet’s best friend, Liz.

” Good morning sir,” she stood before me, catching her breath.

” Morning,” I said. ” I thought you’d headed home by now.”

She hid her hands behind her back and drew lines on the ground with her feet. ” Actually, I wanted to talk to you.”

I regarded her wondering what she wanted to talk to me about. ” I’m listening. Go on.”

” Do you, offer private lessons?” She asked.

” Private lessons?”

She bite her lips timidly. ” I’m in need of a private lesson teacher so I thought perhaps you offer one.”

I rubbed my face with my palms. ” I thought you already have a private lesson teacher and besides, you have good grades. You don’t need me to tutor you. If you keep your grades like this there’s no way you wouldn’t pass your exams.”

She drew more lines on the ground and I wondered what was going on in her mind. She adjusted her spectacles and returned back to herself. ” But I’m having trouble with maths. My private tutor isn’t as outstanding in maths as you are.”

” I’m sorry,” I said, cautious not to make the same mistake I made with Katelyn. ” I don’t offer private lessons and I don’t intend to start one now.”

” But….you can help me, can’t you? Just for me. I’ll pay any amount.”

I moved away from her. ” If you’ll Excuse me, I’m busy.” And I left. I knew I acted a little too harsh but I didn’t want to get involved with another teenager in the name of private lesson. Plus, Liz is Violet’s friend. As it stands now, she’s mad at me for hanging out with Katelyn. I can’t risk being a Liz’s private tutor. Can’t serve two Masters at the same time. I’ve got to be careful.

The weekend ran quickly like a galloping horse. The rain was supposed to start this week but unfortunately the rain didn’t come so we were expecting next week. We all looked forward to the rain because the weather had been crazy with heat. Monday morning looked promising but it got spoilt because two things happened.

One, I waited for Violet outside her gates so that we could walk to school together. I even bought her a box of chocolate cookies to bribe her for her forgiveness. However, she wasn’t home when I came. Her mom told me she left ten minutes earlier before me.

How disappointing but I’m glad she was getting up earlier than usual. I needed her to take the chocolate so I brought it to school. We bumped into each other after assembly.

” Hey, Violet,” I called, showing her the chocolate. ” Look what I got for you. I was thinking maybe you should….”

She didn’t even let me finished, she brushed past me and went to her class. I stood there and gaped after her.

” Oh, come on, you don’t have to start ignoring me now do you?” I said in a whisper, glad that nobody was around to have seen what just happened. I took the chocolate box and kept it on my desk in the staffroom.

Even during maths lessons, she pretended not to be looking at me. Her entire concentration were outside the window and whenever I ask her a question, she’d sit on her seat and rolled her eyes.

” I don’t know.”

My students were surprised by her attitude and I gave up trying to get to her to avoid further embarrassment. After class, I announced.

” Meet me after maths class, Violet,” and I left.

I waited for her but she never showed up. I stared at the chocolate box I bought for her, wondering what I’m going to do with it now.

The second incident that spoilt my Monday was when during recess, I received a call from the principal.

Principal Moore.

I’ve only been to the principal’s office once and that was when I’d come to start my job. I hadn’t been to her office since my day one in this school.

She was waiting for me in her little office which consisted of wall portraits of the nation’s president, the vice principal and the principal herself, a big photocopying machine, a large book shelf crammed with books, an iron cabinet and her desk. There wasn’t much to it but it was as official as she wanted it to look.

” Have a seat,” Principal Moore showed me a seat.

I sat down before her and waited for her to begin.

She leaned back on her chair and stared at me. I could see the business–like express on her face but she was remote on me. ” Mr Adam Edwards. How are you doing today?”

” I’m doing alright, ma’am,” I answered. I learnt she hates side discussions so we’ll have to keep it brief and quick.

” And your students?” She asked.

” Well, they’re incredible kids. They’re really fun to work with.”

She nodded. ” So I heard. Now Mr Adam, I wouldn’t beat about the bush. I’m a business woman and I don’t joke with my time. Time is money and so I’m going to keep things simple and brief. When I ask you a question, I need a simple and honest answer. Hit the nail on the head so that we can proceed from there, do you understand?”

” Yes ma’am,” I answered with a nod.

She relaxed and began. ” Is it true you are getting familiar with your students? Especially the girls?”

I became numb. It was as if I’d just stepped on a naked wire. ” I’m sorry but I don’t get you, ma’am.”

She licked her lips and continued. ” I’ve gotten some reports from some of the teaching staff, your students and also from an angry parent that you’ve been going out with some of your students. It was even reported to me by an eye witness that you were seen holding hands with a school girl of ours at the beach during the weekend. A student came to complain these girls sometimes frequent your apartment at night hours for private lessons. How do you account for that?”

I gaped at her, my mouth hanging loosely. My brain refused to work and the blood on my face vanished. Principal Moore watched me closely, waiting for an answer.

” Mr Adam?”

I woke up from my shock. ” These are all lies. I’ve had not been intimate with my students ever since I began teaching here. Of course I do offer a private lesson for a student of mine. That weekend we’d…”

” I don’t mean to cut you short but I want us to get to the root of this matter,” she interrupted. ” I’m not saying you shouldn’t give private lessons to your students. A lot of our teachers do that here and I mind my own business. What I’m really against is when a teacher, be it male or female and Working under me starts holding hands with his students or inviting them over to his house.”

” But I’ve never invited anyone to my house,” I spoke sharply, then I remembered Violet.

She frowned at me. ” Do not interrupt me again, Mr Adam.”

” I’m sorry ma’am.”

She continued after a long pause. ” Look, I’m going to put it out to you straight. You’re a handsome young man. I’ll admit it and believe me, I’m a woman and I have a weakness for men like you but then again, I’m an adult and I’m married with kids. I’ve met men who are ten times more good-looking and sexier than you. My husband as you are aware cheated on me with one of my teachers. It doesn’t take me anything to go about looking for men like you to take up his place in my bed. I’m not that stupid, I can handle myself and my kids and why, because I’m an adult. I won’t blame you entirely for what’s going on with you. You’re a handsome man and any woman including me would be irresistible to you but as an adult and a mom, I have self control and I can take care of myself,” she paused and her tone became more hard. ” But what about those little girls your teaching? They no nothing about life. They are stupid and naive about relationships and sex. You might’ve not heard but I’ve been hearing things. There’s nothing that goes around in this school without me knowing. Those girls are talking about you, fantasizing about being your girlfriend, how good you might be in bed, if you had a large manhood or not, you know all those crazy stuffs teenagers talk about. It puts a magot in your mind and when these words began getting under your skin, anything could happen.”

I wanted to say something but I kept quiet. She was speaking a lot of sense. I never knew my students were falling for me. Like seriously, this was news to me.

” When I first saw you, I knew hiring you might bring distraction to my students but I hired you anyway because of your amazing maths stat. It’s the first time I’ve ever hired a young teacher in this school. Many of the older staff were against this but I did it because I wanted to see the sort of man you are. I’ve been watching you. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you. Of the three maths teacher I hired this term, you proved to be the best and the results shows you know your onion. I’ve been impressed and I’m still impressed but this issue of getting familiar with your students must stop. I’m not saying you shouldn’t talk to them or offer private lessons but we take a dim view of teachers holding hands and inviting students to their rooms. We have a teacher, students policy and we abide by it. Relationships between teachers and students are criminal offenses. These kids are minors. Like I said, they are foolish youths. They no nothing. You’ve impressed me Soo far since you began teaching. Do not disappoint me.”

And that was the second thing that spoilt my Monday. I couldn’t believe it. My students, my fellow teachers were ganging up against me? This was too much to take but as principal Moore had said, I have to be careful. I’ve been careful but she just doesn’t know it.

Sitting down behind my desk, I tried to focus on what to do. My brain worked fast but there was still nothing. I realized I’d have to become a strict teacher. I was too free with my students and that’s why they go around, spreading rumors. If only I’d known some of them were only jealous of me.

The bell rang for dismissal and I left with my chocolate box. I was Soo carried away in my thoughts that I didn’t even noticed when Violet walked passed me. Just then, someone stopped infront of me.

Glancing up, I saw it was Katelyn.

” Good afternoon, sir,” she beamed.

” Oh, how are you?” I asked, unaware that Violet was standing under a tree watching me.

” I’m great. Should we walk home together or do I stop a taxi?” She asked.

I stared at her for a long time which suddenly made her uncomfortable that she blushed and looked away. This girl was the reason why rumours about me were spreading around the school.

” No,” I said firmly. ” Go home, I’ll catch up with you.”

She nodded. ” Well if you say so, still I’d have wanted us to walk together.”

” I have a lot of things to do before our private lesson starts so you’ve got to be patient, okay?” I insisted.

” Alright sir,” she bobbed her head. ” I understand,” her eyes travelled to the chocolate box in my hand and she pointed at it. ” Wow, did you get that for me?”

I stared at the box. I’d bought these cookies for Violet but she was too mad at me to accept them. I don’t take chocolate and dumping it in a trash isn’t an option because I bought it with my money.

” Well, you can have it,” I said, giving it to her. ” I don’t take chocolates.”

She collected it with that girlish attitude I’ve seen from many girls whenever they received a gift from their boyfriends. She was happy and I was glad. It made me sad though that I had intended for Violet to be happy like this but who knows, maybe this gift was meant for Katelyn, not Violet.

Unknown to me, Violet marched out of her hiding place towards home, her back stiff with rage and boiling anger.

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TBC