School Number Three
School Number Three – Timon Tan
“It was time for the introduction. We were all gathered in the gym hall. The parents, the teachers, the first graders through to the last graders, even people whom we did not know, prospective parents who were to send their kids to this very school the next year forward, wanting to find out more about us, how we do things, and how we gained a name.”
“We, the last graders sat in the first few rows of the hall. The first graders were just behind us, than the other grades, and the parents…a few of us were to give speeches to the crowd, talking about our experiences within the school, what we hoped to achieve and what we had planned, as last graders for the school year ahead.”
“The principal came up first. He talked about many things, though I wasn’t listening. I was too busy worrying. I was to be up next, the first last grader to give her speech among the two selected. I counted down the seconds to which I was to be up there, being signaled by the applause of the audience and than the host coming up, announcing my name.”
“The audience let out a wave of claps as I shakily got up from my spot, my peers cheering me on. I resented that, as it just placed more pressure on my shoulders not to let them down. I had not been out front in such a situation before, not with thousands of people watching my every move. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alina, pointing at me, telling her new friends in excitement that the person out there was her older sister, my father, silently at the back of the crowd, cheering me with his mere sight. Sighing in reluctance, I stepped up onto the podium, and turned to face the massive crowd of people that nearly overwhelmed me with its shear sights…I began.”
“’Thank you. I’d like to first thank Ms Claud, whom unfortunately could not make it here today, for giving the opportunity to speak to you all. As a last grader, this is to be my last year studying here, and I wish to make the best chance of it. Not just to get into a good university and a good grade, but so as to be able to treasure the warm memories of this school and its radiance love that we as a school possess without the bitterness of regret and disappointment.’”
“’But that’s not my main reason. I do have a special reason for wanting to try my best this year. You see, amongst the crowd today is Alina, my sister whom I love and treasure with my heart. She will be studying at this school from tomorrow, and as her older sister, one whom she looks upon to, I do not want to let her down, but be a shining example to which she can work up to and be proud of. Thank you.’”
“The crowd applauded as loud as they could, drumming into my ears the sharp beat that would eventually drive me deaf on day. But still, amongst them, even more comparable than my father, was the claps of Alina the loudest, whom I knew really loved my speech the best of all. I sincerely smiled at her as she beamed back the same to me, really glad to be each others sister.”
“I took a seat back with my peers. There were pats on my back, encouraging, congratulating, maybe even envying. I could not help but smile secretly while burying my head in my arms. It looked like I was embarrassed. Well, I was, yet I was not, enjoying the added attention.”
“Marat slipped next to be, his fingers on my forehead raising it to meet his face. He saw the smile that I had not yet free from my face and instinctively knew why. He laughed at the irony of my feelings and I laughed with him as well, wanting yet not wanting, resenting yet enjoying, wanting to be modest, yet wanting to be pompous.”
“Our laughter stopped when the next student speaker came to the podium, and it was none other than Marat himself…”
“Life seemed perfect I reckoned. It could not get any better. But that I know now…Naïve.”
“It was time for the introduction. We were all gathered in the gym hall. The parents, the teachers, the first graders through to the last graders, even people whom we did not know, prospective parents who were to send their kids to this very school the next year forward, wanting to find out more about us, how we do things, and how we gained a name.”
“We, the last graders sat in the first few rows of the hall. The first graders were just behind us, than the other grades, and the parents…a few of us were to give speeches to the crowd, talking about our experiences within the school, what we hoped to achieve and what we had planned, as last graders for the school year ahead.”
“The principal came up first. He talked about many things, though I wasn’t listening. I was too busy worrying. I was to be up next, the first last grader to give her speech among the two selected. I counted down the seconds to which I was to be up there, being signaled by the applause of the audience and than the host coming up, announcing my name.”
“The audience let out a wave of claps as I shakily got up from my spot, my peers cheering me on. I resented that, as it just placed more pressure on my shoulders not to let them down. I had not been out front in such a situation before, not with thousands of people watching my every move. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alina, pointing at me, telling her new friends in excitement that the person out there was her older sister, my father, silently at the back of the crowd, cheering me with his mere sight. Sighing in reluctance, I stepped up onto the podium, and turned to face the massive crowd of people that nearly overwhelmed me with its shear sights…I began.”
“’Thank you. I’d like to first thank Ms Claud, whom unfortunately could not make it here today, for giving the opportunity to speak to you all. As a last grader, this is to be my last year studying here, and I wish to make the best chance of it. Not just to get into a good university and a good grade, but so as to be able to treasure the warm memories of this school and its radiance love that we as a school possess without the bitterness of regret and disappointment.’”
“’But that’s not my main reason. I do have a special reason for wanting to try my best this year. You see, amongst the crowd today is Alina, my sister whom I love and treasure with my heart. She will be studying at this school from tomorrow, and as her older sister, one whom she looks upon to, I do not want to let her down, but be a shining example to which she can work up to and be proud of. Thank you.’”
“The crowd applauded as loud as they could, drumming into my ears the sharp beat that would eventually drive me deaf on day. But still, amongst them, even more comparable than my father, was the claps of Alina the loudest, whom I knew really loved my speech the best of all. I sincerely smiled at her as she beamed back the same to me, really glad to be each others sister.”
“I took a seat back with my peers. There were pats on my back, encouraging, congratulating, maybe even envying. I could not help but smile secretly while burying my head in my arms. It looked like I was embarrassed. Well, I was, yet I was not, enjoying the added attention.”
“Marat slipped next to be, his fingers on my forehead raising it to meet his face. He saw the smile that I had not yet free from my face and instinctively knew why. He laughed at the irony of my feelings and I laughed with him as well, wanting yet not wanting, resenting yet enjoying, wanting to be modest, yet wanting to be pompous.”
“Our laughter stopped when the next student speaker came to the podium, and it was none other than Marat himself…”
“Life seemed perfect I reckoned. It could not get any better. But that I know now…Naïve.”
posted by Fishy at 1:06 AM
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