คืนค่าการตั้งค่าทั้งหมด
คุณแน่ใจว่าต้องการคืนค่าการตั้งค่าทั้งหมด ?
ลำดับตอนที่ #3 : 3rd Hit: "We were far away before."
♡
Sunday is the only one day I'm free. No class, no session to teach, no homework (especially this week), no presentation rehearsal, no anything. Super available. Yet, I love a Sunday like this. I could get up very late, took a shower, cleaned my apartment, or do whatever I wanted. I used to be able to clean my apartment once a week, then it became once in two weeks, and three, or maybe lately only once a month. That was how busy I was.
I wiped my sweats after taking a big garbage bag downstairs. I took a deep breath after everything was done. Finally, my room was clean. Before I knew it, it was almost noon. I sat quietly at a chair inside my nice apartment looking around for 10 minutes and had nothing to do. So, I got up, watched my hands, and walked downstairs again to buy something to eat for lunch. With the fact that we don't have many restaurants or food stalls around my apartment, so I had not many choices left. Mostly, I would buy something back from campus. It was easier that way.
"One cut dragon fruit and two for watermelon please."
I bought fruits for lunch today. It's a good relaxing day for me today, so I thought I would sit back, relaxingly watch some programs on the TV, and eat my fruits. So I came back to my room, put down the bags, opened my laptop, and searched for some movies until my phone rang. I got a call from a strange phone number.
"Sawadee krub... "
[Is that Tiwa?"]
The voice of a mature lady replied to my greeting. But who could this be? Maybe a wrong call.
"Yes, that's me."
[I heard that Tiwa is a part-time tutor. How much do you charge? 200 per hour?]
"That's correct. 200 baht per hour. And we can talk about the number of hours per day. Totally up to you. I teach Maths, Physics, and English."
[Do you also accept a private lesson for my son?]
"A private session? Sure, why not. You can tell me when to start and where to meet since it's gonna be a private lesson. This can be quite flexible. It's up to his and my schedule. Which grade is he now?"
[Grade 10 and about to move to Grade 11]
I nodded and replied. He's gonna be my first Grade 10 student since mostly I taught only Grade 11 and 12.
[Very nice. I'll ask my son and let you know. Tiwa, please feel free to charge more. I don't mind paying more if you can help him to improve academically. At this moment, he's a little bit too much to handle for me.]
"It's fine. Also please let me know when and where. Or you can give him my phone number to talk to. It is ok too."
Hah! Lucky me. Got a new customer out of the blue. Still wondering how she got my phone number though. Mostly students called me directly. But in this case, the parent called. Anyhow, it made me excited a little to prepare the lesson for this kid. But I needed to know his basic background first. Then I could prepare suitable lessons for him. I found out later that not only she called me, but she also transferred the money into my bank account immediately as well. A bit strange. Right?
Anyhow, since she trusted me to help her son, I would do my best to teach him to get better grades.
♡
It was the first day we made an appointment to meet. His mother prepared everything. The time and location. Oddly, she asked me to meet her son at her restaurant. It was the one I went to have lunch with my friends before. The one that's owned by Aunt Tim. I felt strange to teach her son but to be honest, I was quite nervous and excited at the same time.
It was almost time for the appointment and I came a bit early to the restaurant. Of course, customers were packed as usual. People inside or even the car parking outside. I strengthened my backpack and told myself that I could train him well as the others I did to before. Then I walked inside. I looked around a little for Aunt Tim and asked one of the staff. They told me to get inside the house, which is connected to the restaurant. So I walked into Tim's residential area as they told me. As soon as I left the restaurant area I saw a long table with benches in an open area, so I sat there waiting. Looking around a little to see the birds and trees before hearing some shouting from the house. I looked a little to see what's going on, but then I saw the guy who shouted and I was shocked.
WTF!!!
"Here you are, Tiwa. Be polite and greet your tutor now."
That was so fxck up. That was a nightmare for me. Why this boy? Why this person? Why this guy? WHY?
"This is my son. His name is NOEI studying in grade 10. And if he doesn't listen to you or doesn't do as you said. I give you full authority to punish him as a teacher."
Mmm... Aunt Tim. I didn't think I would be the one to punish him. He would be the one who hit or kicked me first. Just looked at him now. He could have killed me. Please stop staring at me. I would rather return all the money to her and not teaching this guy. But seemed like professionally I did not have a choice but tried to teach him first, at least. So I gave them a dry smile. Aunt Time pushed Noei to walk toward me a little, but Noei didn't seem to collaborate at all. He looked at me like he wanted to kill me.
"Please, Tutor Tiwa, make yourself at home. And you. Focus and concentrate. Understood? I've already paid for your private session. Study well. Got it?"
"(Tch!)"
"(Sigh) Such a pain."
She looked mad at Noei but smiled brightly at me when she talked to me. Then she left me and went back to her super busy restaurant. At that moment, I was standing there alone with Noei. I sat down quietly and no idea what to do. Noei put both hands inside his pant's pocket and stared at me without saying a word. That was so uncomfortable.
"Er...r... ... r... My name... is Ti. Your mom called and hired me to tutor you... (so don't kill me please... #DeepSigh)"
I tried to smile as wide as possible. But in my opinion, it looked so fake.
"Seems like you don't understand what I told you that day, do you?"
He talked to me and waited for my answer. I was stunned...
(THUD!!!)
I almost jumped up when he threw his student backpack on the table right in front of me... I took a deep breath and tried to pull myself together. I shouldn't let him scare me or made me jump like that again.
"You are quite stubborn..."
"Anyhow... Your mom contacted me. So, we better get started."
I tried to concentrate on the tutoring session. But he acted like he didn't care. He just stood there using his mobile phone right in front of me. I was being ignored. Damn! Truly a pain as his mom said. How to talk him in to engage with my tutoring session... Or should I give up and quit?
"Anything, in particular, you want me to focus on for you? Maths? or Physics? or anything else?"
"..."
"I briefly prepared for everything, so we can start with anything you want. Then I'll go back and prepare for the next session in detail. Today... I was..."
"(Yawn loudly!!!)"
Noei stopped me with his loud yawning voice. This became the toughest job I ever took. I could feel a headache ahead if I kept going with this job. I really didn't get him. Couldn't he just reply to me a little? The way he ignored me was so disrespectful. As a matter of fact, this family should talk to each other and came up with a conclusion, then talked to me. Not leaving me with him like that.
"Seriously, do you want to take this tutoring session with me?"
"Hmm? What?"
"If you do not want me to do this, I believe you should talk to your mother. I'll return every single baht back to your mother. Please don't worry about it."
I was frankly speaking and being so serious about this. I only want to teach students who want to work with me. Otherwise, I rather give up. I would be happier to teach a smaller group than a tutoring session with this A-hole young man like him. I felt I was not a prison warden. And he was the most terrible student ever. This session wouldn't last that long I could feel that.
"You."
"Yes?"
"Pam used to study with you, right?"
"Could you please at least call my name or P'? I'm older than you for several years."
I didn't mean to say that but it was too late. My mouth was running away. Noei looked at me like he would kill me before walking toward me. My whole body was so tense. I didn't know whether he would punch me or kick me. So I was sitting still on the bench and being quiet. He stopped right in front of me. He put his hand on the table and tap on the table with his fingers. That noise was so irritating. It was haunting, kind of. I was so anxious about his move. What would he do to me next? Please just don't hurt me.
"I asked. Answer me... Did Pam study with you before?"
"I... I don't know Pam."
"Why don't you know Pam? She's one of your students."
Which one was he talking about? I really didn't remember a student name, Pam. Or... Was she the one Nong O mentioned before? Pam... Was she the one Noei asked her out? Please not saying that you agreed to study with me because of that misunderstanding!
"I never teach Pam."
"What did you say?"
I was absolutely shocked when Noei used his hand to lock my chin and turned my face to look at him. At that moment, I felt like I was shrinking into a one-centimeter guy and Noei was extremely scary. I felt like he was about to hit me. Please don't. I never had a fight with anyone and I didn't want to get hurt.
No way!!! I would return the money to Tim. I couldn't handle that situation any more!!!
I shut my eyes completely when Noei rose up another hand. I thought he would punch me or beat me up.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"?!?!..."
"Closing your eyes? Are you thinking that I'm kissing you like a girl in a Korean series? You've got to be kidding me..."
!?!?...
Who? Me? A girl in a Korean Series?!?!
"Quite confidential, are you?"
Wha... What was he talking about!?!?!
Noei took his hand out of my face and sat right next to me. I was completely confused and had no idea what just happened. He was about to punch me but then he sat right next to me and took his pen, lecture note, and books out from his backpack. I was utterly shocked. He slapped on the table to wake me up. I was almost jumping up.
"Go ahead. Teach me."
"A... Are you really gonna study with me? If you don't want to, I think you should talk to your mother about this."
"She paid you, so... just do your job. What have you got?"
He seemed annoyed by my doubt, so I kept quiet and started running the tutor session. I had no choice. I took a glance at him and it was the first time I saw him clearly. Every time we met they were more like coincidences. Noei is a very tall guy with board shoulders and a fierce-looking face. His way of speaking is quite dry and loud. I secretly looked at him, while Noei took out his old paper notebook and spun his pen waiting for me. I took out my iPad with my shaking hands.
"Let's do the mathematics today, then."
Gosh... Please let me get pass through today smoothly.
"Take a look at this picture. What do you think? Is it an Intersection or a Union?"
"..."
"Noei."
"Circles"
(Crying) What am I doing here? (Crying continuously in my imagination)
We had been sitting there for more than one hour. Noei's mother hired me to teach him for 3 hours, but at that moment I felt like I was uncomfortably sitting there for 5 or 6 hours. It seemed like Noei studying with me, but actually, he wasn't. Noei kept spinning his pen, or sometimes used his phone, or tabbed on the table just to play with my mind, I believed. When I asked him a question, he ignored me or gave me a strange answer which wasn't related to the lesson I was teaching him.
"Noei. Seriously. If you don't want to learn, please talk to your mother."
I put down my apple pen and finally spoke out my thought straightforwardly. He stopped touching his hair, which I thought was the weirdest hairstyle I had ever seen. It was like a hairstyle in the 60s or 70s. It made him look like a gangster from a street. Also, it didn't match with the old jean jacket he always wore.
"Keep on teaching."
"I cannot because you are not learning anything."
"True."
"See? And, that's why I was saying..."
"Tell me the truth... Do you really like me that much?"
"What!?!?!"
"Smart move. Approaching my mom first, then me. Nice plan."
He had to be kidding me. Again? He accused me of liking him. I was scared of him to death, what's on earth making him think that I was falling for him? There was no reason to like him at all.
"Noei. I'm here today because your mother called me."
"But you know that I lived here. So you agreed to come as soon as my mom called, right? I can tell."
O... M... G... Somebody, please give me some pain killer pills. This wasn't funny at all. Noei became more than just a 'challenge'.
"Listen to me again carefully. I DO NOT LIKE YOU. Clear?"
I repeated to him slowly and a little loudly. Noei stopped spinning the pen. He stood up and moved his face toward me slowly. My eyes opened wider because Noei moved his face toward my face. I had to move back a little. What was that staring for?
"Look at me."
He ordered me, which I had no idea what he meant. He had to order me again but with a colder voice. So I changed from staring at my feet to look at his face. I couldn't believe a 10-grade kid was ordering me and scaring me.
"Why do you have to refuse your heart? I know deep down inside you want me and never look at me as a kid, but a young man."
"Hey..."
"Ok. I respect your perseverance."
"?"
"If you like me that much and want to ask me out. Then, go ahead."
"What?"
"Here. I'm sitting right here for you."
Take a deep breath, Tiwa, I told myself repeatedly. This kid was so full of himself or he just misunderstood. Don't take this seriously. I was there just to teach. Be responsive. You had the payment. Do your job.
"Don't be shy. Just relax."
That was it. The last thread. Just called it a day. I couldn't handle him anymore.
"I think we should stop for today. I'll return the rest of the money back to your mother. So... I'm leaving. Good luck."
"Really shy, ain't you?"
"Noei. I'm serious. I'll return the money to your mother. Please forget we meet today."
I wished we never met and never ever again in this life.
"Why are you being sad? I'm giving you a chance here."
"Err...rr..."
"At first, you are just ok. But today, I think you are quite interesting. A bit persistence, but interesting."
"Have a good day."
I grabbed my iPad and stood up. It was too much. I couldn't let him go further than what he had in his imagination. He seemed totally believe I liked him and came to his house just to be close to him or asked him out.
"Hey... You..."
"What?"
"Even I feel lonely sometimes, but that doesn't mean I'm easy. So, when I give you a chance, please don't think that you can do anything you want with my heart."
No... Way... What was happening there? I couldn't believe I listened to him. I couldn't believe I had to meet him again. This was so opposite to destiny. It was completely a curse by a demon.
*** TBC
ความคิดเห็น