51 Enforcing the Rules (1/2)

It was a cold morning. I had just got off the bus, about a kilometer and a half from the school building. It was the best public transportation I could find from my home that passes by the area.

My body was walking towards the school, but my mind was walking backwards. After the awkward events that happened yesterday, I wasn't willing to go back to the school.

”Get yourself together.” I told myself. I have only met most of the people in the school yesterday, and I just had to give it some time to get used to the 'different' atmosphere of the school. ”You can't be suffering monday syndromes already.” my internal voice tried to motivate me. It didn't matter how I felt about it, I had to go the school. If it was going to happen in the end, I could as well try to enjoy it.

”You like being a teacher. You've always loved teaching.” I repeated as I got past the woods and walked inside the school building once again. This time, I wasn't late. In fact, I had arrived very early. The building was silent. I tried to remember where the teachers' room was, and kept walking. When I found the room, I opened the door and entered.

Mr. Kenan and Okan were the only people in the teachers' room. It seemed like they were discussing something. They noticed and greeted me.

”Oh, welcome back!” said Mr. Kenan, cheerfully. ”You are pretty early today.”

”Yeah, I couldn't risk being late again. It is like all the bus routes are avoiding coming here on purpose. It is frusturating.” I said.

”Yeah, yeah, I know.” said Okan.

”How are you all dealing with this?” I asked.

”You just get used to it.” he replied.

”Well, that's good to know.” I said.

The door opened and someone else entered the room. It was Sinem, a literature teacher. She put her bag on a table and yawned.

”Good morning.” she said as she collapsed on a chair and closed her eyes.

”Good morning, ma'am.” said Mr. Kenan, and turned to me. ”She is always like that. She travels here every day from almost the other end of the city.”

People were arriving at the school one by one as the time for the first lesson of the day was approaching. As I was preparing for the first lesson, Mr. Kenan approached me and whispered.

”Try to remember what I told you yesterday.”

He patted me on the back and left. Soon afterwards, I left the teachers' room, trying to guess which way I had to go in the building. I could finally remember where the classroom I was supposed to go was located.

I came to a stop in front of the classroom's door and grabbed the doorknob. I turned the knob and pushed the door to open it, yet... It didn't open. It felt like the door was stuck. In frusturation, I started shaking the door violently.

I almost had a heart attack when I heard someone chuckle just behind me. I turned around in horror.

It was a girl.

”Is it you again?” I said.

”Sorry, sorry.” she said and kept smiling. ”It seems like you might be having some problems with-”

”I was just... Eh... You know...” I interrupted her, but I couldn't manage to say anything.

”No worries, it just does that sometimes.” she said and smiled. She got in front of me and opened the door at the first try.

”Well, now that we opened it, you can go to your desk.” I said.

”You are welcome.” she replied and walked to her desk.

- - -

After the lesson, I got back to the teachers' room. In an instant, all the movement inside has stopped and everyone looked at me like I just did something terrible. I wanted to ask if I really did something wrong, but I was frozen for the moment. That short but difficult moment ended when Mr. Kenan softly pushed me inside.

”Please come in.” he said. ”Sit down.”

”What is happening?” I asked. No one answered, but everyone gathered around me in a circle.

”We have something important to talk about.” Ege said.

I looked at Mr. Kenan. He looked away from me, all around the room, and later he winked at me. It must have been the 'weird behaviour' he was talking about yesterday. Invluntarily, I decided to continue the uncomfortable conversation.

”I'm listening.” I said.