There's a teacher at my school who I've wanted to make friends with since the very first day last April. Her name is 毎. She's about the same age as me I'd guess, but I could be way off. I'm not the best at guessing games. I'm also not the best at making friends with people who impress me. I never seem to know quite what to say.
Through some strange twist of fate after I'd left the school, I went back for a week last May and spent the entire time with her homeroom. We didn't talk much. She was busy doing teacher stuff & I was running around killing time with the kids since there were no classes. The kids, being kids, got attached really quickly and when I left again a couple of them kept in touch.
I spent the following 7 months in a dreamlike whirlwind of little kids and faceless teachers. I nearly forgot she existed. On my first day back last week I gave chocolate to all the teachers. A goodwill present. A "Please put up with me for three more months present". A "Sorry I never visited you" present. A few of those who were sitting at their desks when I took it around said thanks, & of course the English teachers all mentioned it that afternoon, but that was it. Nothing special. Not like I was expecting it.
Three days later 毎, who I'd since remembered has the same indoor shoes as me, came over to my desk when nobody else was around & thanked me & said she loved dark chocolate. I gave her a few more.
I taught her class yesterday and on the way out we passed in the hall. I could have gone on, but, feeling brave, I stopped to tell her that they were always a lot of fun and maybe it was because we became close during that week in May. She smiled & thanked me and went on about her business.
I thought that was it.
Today she stopped me in the hall just as I was getting my coat to go home. She said one of her students wrote about my class in her journal this morning. She said the class was fun, but she was afraid she wouldn't remember the English we covered. But, low and behold, she got home, tried it & remembered!
I think we might be friends now.
