“I told you not to run in the hallway, Xavier. Now look, you’ve sprained your ankle,” the teacher sighed, standing beside her student, who lay on the bed in the sickbay.
“Don’t worry, Miss Grace. I promise it won’t happen again,” Xavier said, trying to reassure his petite teacher.
Miss Grace shook her head, frustrated.
“I’ve had enough of your promises.”
Just then, the door to the sickbay swung open. Miss Grace turned and, with a polite smile, greeted Puan Izzah, who walked in with Emma trailing behind her. The girl looked pale and withdrawn, her hair as messy as ever. Miss Grace offered a warm greeting, but Puan Izzah only shot her a fleeting smile before walking past.
Puan Izzah grabbed the first aid kit and took out the minyak angin. Miss Grace approached Emma, concerned. “Are you okay, Emma?” she asked gently.
But before Emma could respond, Puan Izzah stepped in between them. Her expression darkened, and she shot Miss Grace a sharp glare. “What a stupid question! If she’s okay, would she be here? Anyway, Emma is my student. This is none of your concern,” she said firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument.
Miss Grace froze, startled by Puan Izzah’s tone. She stepped back, her confusion giving way to suspicion. Something about Puan Izzah’s possessiveness over Emma didn’t sit right with her.
That afternoon, Emma walked home with a headache. She ignored her mum’s warm hello and went straight to her room without saying anything. Her mum worriedly watched her go.
Later that evening, Emma’s mother shared her concerns with her husband, explaining how their daughter’s odd behaviour had worsened over the past few weeks. She wondered if it was Puan Izzah, whom Emma had complained about at the start of the year. They decided to meet with the school counsellor to discuss the situation, without telling Emma. Something was clearly wrong, and they couldn’t ignore it any longer.
The next day, Emma’s parents expressed their concerns about her worsening behaviour, blaming Puan Izzah. However, the school counsellor defended Puan Izzah, no matter what the parents said.
The discussion grew heated until Puan Izzah herself entered the office. She calmly asked why they were arguing. Before the counsellor could respond, Emma’s mother pointed directly at Puan Izzah, accusing her of being the cause of their daughter’s problems.
Puan Izzah remained composed, a slight smile on her face. Then, she replied sharply, “If you truly believed something was wrong, you should have reported it to the counsellor immediately. I’ve been teaching Emma for half a year now. Bringing it up this late is hardly helpful. Besides, if it weren’t for me, your daughter wouldn’t have improved her scores as much as she has.”
Upon hearing this, Emma’s mother’s heartbeat quickened. She realised, with a pang of guilt, that she had noticed the signs but never did anything about them.
Puan Izzah left the office smirking, clearly satisfied after silencing Emma’s mother with just a few cutting words.
However, as she stepped into the hallway, she was surprised to see Miss Grace standing near the door, as if she had been eavesdropping. Miss Grace smiled awkwardly, quickly muttering something about heading to a higher-grade classroom before turning to leave.
Puan Izzah’s eyes narrowed, suspicion etched on her face.
She firmly warned Miss Grace, “Stay out of things that don’t concern you.” Without waiting for a response, Puan Izzah turned and walked towards her class. Miss Grace froze for a moment, Puan Izzah’s words lingering in her mind before she finally went on her way.
That day, Emma felt a rare sense of calm. Puan Izzah, the teacher who usually humiliated and hurt her, was surprisingly kind. For once, there were no harsh words or punishments.
Puan Izzah even praised her during class. Emma felt a small sense of relief, her heart daring to feel hope. Maybe she had finally earned Puan Izzah’s approval.
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from ‘Teacher’ by Sofeyah Rostam. It is part of a series of short stories by young Malaysians – Caught In Culture. The book is available at BookXcess and Gerakbudaya for RM33.90.
To give the younger generation an avenue to express themselves, Twentytwo13 has a dedicated space called Young Voices. If you are a young writer (aged 17 and below) and would like your article published on our news website, send your contribution to editor@optimized.twentytwo13.my.
