Being an only
child, I am very mischievous. I love to tease people and play tricks on others.
Their cries and embarrassment are my entertainment. My parents tried sending me
to a juvenile school but the school didn’t wanted me there. I was
uncontrollable. They gave up and just put me in the same school. Despite my
behavior, the principle couldn’t do anything but to agree.
Just like any
usual day, I would set up my traps for the teachers for the upcoming period.
This time, I slipped a mouse inside the teacher’s desk. The teacher wouldn’t
notice it until she sits. When the door opened, it wasn’t my usual teacher.
Instead, it was a new face. I never see her before, so I guess she must be new
here. She came in and sat on the desk. I thought she didn’t notice the mouse so
I waited a little longer. However until the end of the period, she just left
the class. My classmates laughed at me, as that was the first time my trick
didn’t work.
That night,
I was furious and embarrassed. I will get her to payback for the embarrassment
I’ve gone through. The whole night, I kept on thinking of a perfect plan to
make her scream at the top of her lungs. When I finally figured it out, I put
the plan into my bag and climbed onto my bed. “Tomorrow will be fun.” I
muttered to myself. The whole time, I slept with a wide smile on my face.
That teacher
came in again, but this time, she had a smile on her face, unlike yesterday.
She actually looked quite pretty. Her brunette hair flowed around her oval face
and formed a big curl at the end. Her dress was black and knee-length. To be
truthful, she looks more like a model instead of a teacher. She introduced
herself as Miss Lum. When she sat on the teacher’s chair, this time, she
instantly fell on the ground and everybody burst out laughing. I laughed the
hardest and she had her eyes on me. She glared at me and instantly stood up and
walked out the door. I stopped laughing when she looked at my direction. Her
expression somehow gave me the chill down my spine.
The vision of
her face expression was still vivid in my mind as I was walking back home.
Walking passed the trees near a cemetery, the wind suddenly blow furiously. The
branches of the trees were swaying vigorously and the leaves were blown all
around. The bright sky starts to darken. I thought it was going to rain when I
heard a loud crash of thunder. BOOM! I picked up my pace, as I hated getting
wet in the rain. My jog soon became a run when a second thunder came crashing.
Then, in a
distance, I saw a women’s silhouette. I never thought anyone would be out here
at this time of the day, especially when it’s about to rain. Everyone should be
home by now, sheltering from the rain. Soon, the figure came into a clear view.
It looked like Miss Lum but I wasn’t sure until I got closer. She looked
different than before. Her hair blowing vigorously under the wind and her
glaring eyes were still locked on her face. Her sweet smile from this morning
turned into a snarl. Her overall was torn and covered with red stains. I could
say that she looked like a psychotic serial killer. Suddenly she flashed near
me and in a second, we are facing each other. As I was still frightened of what
had just happened, I felt a sharp pain on my stomach. I looked down and saw her
nails dug into my flesh. I screamed.
“Edmund, wake
up!” My history teacher was staring down at me. I looked at him blankly and
realized that I am still at school. I was covered in cold sweats and I felt so
sick. The girl besides me looked at me, knowing that something is wrong about
me. Yes, I was quite and I didn’t talked back to the teacher. The teacher just
walked away from my desk, not knowing what else to do, as he was hoping for my
back talk. After class, I went straight back home without any stops. Once I
reached my bedroom, I quickly lay onto my bed lazily. I felt so weak and tired.
I could feel my temperature raising as the time goes. My mother came to check
on me, as she felt something is not right. She took my temperature and true enough;
I was running a high fever. She gave me some medicine and tucked me in for the
first time in ages. Although I’ve been a rotten egg, she really looked very
worried. I forced my hand to move and placed it onto hers. She stared at me for
a minute then kissed me on my forehead. “I’m sorry for troubling you all this
time.” I whispered softly. Without waiting for my mother to leave the room, my
eyes seem to be heavy so I shut it.
Days gone by,
I was still feeling ill. My parents decided to bring me to the doctor for extra
checkups. Feeling weak, I have no choice but to agree. On the way to the
clinic, our car passed the cemetery. I looked out the window and I saw her,
Miss Lum. She was crying as she was looking down onto something she was holding
on. I focused my eyes on her until she disappeared from my view. At the clinic,
the doctor told my parents that it was just a normal fever. Though my parents
were relived, I doubt that. Ever since that time when I was dreaming about Miss
Lum, this fever came. For the following days, I was still not well enough to go
school but I was recovering slowly.
One night, I
dreamt the same dream. However, when I woke up this time, my fever went down. I
knew it was weird but that was what really happened to me. I got up and get
dressed for a walk. At first, my mother was concerned but I assured her that
I’m well enough. So, she let me. Walking the usual way by the cemetery, I saw
her again. Same place, she just stood there. I gathered my courage and walked
towards her. She turned her head towards me as soon as I was near. Her eyes
were so red that she looked as if she’s been crying all night. I stood beside
her and apologized. Instantly, she smiled the same smile from the second time
we met. Out of curiosity, I asked her why was she crying. She quickly wiped her
tears and looked at me for a while, trying of a reply.
“I’m sorry...”
she begun. She told me that she once had a son around my age and he looked
exactly like me. She loved him so much but he suddenly left her. It all
happened so fast. The only memory she had was the pocket watch she gave to him
when he was 8. The watch was the thing she has been holding and it looked
broken and falling apart. She told me that she had this watch in her pocket
when she fell from the chair the other day. Realizing that it was my fault that
the watch is in that condition, I apologized again. She smiled at me and told
me that she has forgiven me. As I felt time has passed quite some time, I
realized I should be home by now. I bid her goodbye and ran back home without
looking back. “I will cheer her up.” I thought. My mother came by my room to
check on my temperature and she was really shocked as I recovered completely.
That evening,
I was wrapping an item I bought on the way back for Miss Lum in a box with a
pink ribbon. The doorbell suddenly rang. We weren’t expecting anyone and my
parents went out for groceries shopping. Putting those items aside, I got up
and answered the door. As I opened the door, a soft wind rustled by and there
was no one there. Thinking it is a prank, I was readily to shut the door but my
eyes caught on something on the ground. Curiously, I picked it up and I
instantly knew that was Miss Lum’s pocket watch. I looked around but there was
no sight of her. Besides the watch, there was a note saying “Thank You”. I
didn’t know why would she put it there. I didn’t even tell her where I live.
Next morning,
as I was getting ready for school, the clouds looked like it is going to rain.
I wrapped the gift in a plastic bag and hurried walked to school. As the bell
rang, I could hardly wait for Miss Lum to enter the class but instead a
different person showed up. “Why isn’t it Miss Lum?” I blurted out as soon as I
saw the teacher came in. The lady and the whole class looked at me and she told
me that she was no longer available. Unsatisfied, I rushed out of the classroom
and head for the principle’s office. Without knocking on the door, I just walked
in and asked him straightly. He was surprised at first but he calm down and
told me that she has passed away a few days ago. “I was sick during this few
days, well of course I wouldn’t get the news.” I thought to myself. The principle
continued, apparently the fall the other day gave her an impact and she fall
sick and passed away. I was tongue-tied. “How can that be? She was with me just
about yesterday!” I shouted at the principle and ran back home without packing
my stuff in the classroom.
Sitting by
the window of my bedroom, I kept thinking about the news again and again.
Blaming myself for her death, however, she kept it a secret from me. I finally
realized how childish I was when I was preparing that trick. That foolish act
of mine taught me to think carefully before doing anything. From that day on, I
stop playing tricks on people and making fun of others. I have turned in a new
leaf.
