With Him I'm Okay

-10- It's 'Me' Time

So, I had my job back and Mister Too Nice was back. It was as though I killed two birds with one stone. Ha!
The following day after my apologies to Mark, I found out it was all planned. He planned the whole thing with Mrs Kinkpa just to teach me to be nice. I knew something wasn't right!
Anyway, I was glad I was friends with Mark now. Yes, friends. He helped me with almost everything and I felt I could tell him everything , but I didn't. I didn't want him to know the story of Nate and I. Well, until his grandma couldn't hold her tongue but just had to spill the beans to him.

"Grandma told me about you and Nate" he confessed, as we sat at the table in my room; he usually came to pay us a visit.

"Ugh! Mrs Kinkpa" I buried my face in my palm.

"C'mon, when were you going to tell me?" He asked.

"You needed not to know" I said.

"Christine, you have such a bright future and you're waiting it on a guy? Okay, where is he now"

"In London" I smiled.

"Okay, and have you heard from him since he went?"

I needed not to answer. My silence told him everything.

"No? You haven't? And you're still waiting on him I suppose" he rolled his eyes.

"Mark, you don't understand" I shot back.

"Then make me. Make me understand this Christine. Because all I know is, you're waiting on someone who has probably forgotten about you. He is somewhere now, with ladies, kissing and grabbing"

"Hey! Language" I covered Gifty's eyes, so as to prevent her from hearing the profanity.

"C'mon Christine, move on" he suggested.

"But I love him" I said.

"Goodness," Mark stood up from his seat in disappointment, "How can you love so hard?"

"I don't know" I lowered my head.

" Just move on. That's my advice. If you take it, it'll help you".

After pondering over what Mark said, I think moving on way the right choice. Now I would focus on my life and that of Gifty's.
I could be more than a janitor in Bright Kids International School. I knew my ABCs, I knew my Plane Geometries and Number Bases, I could teach!

"I want to teach Sir." I bumped into Mr. Steve's office.

"Huh?" He removed his funny looking glasses.

"Oh, sorry," I exited the room, knocked, walked back, greeted and said what I said again.

"I want to be a teacher" I grinned.

" A teacher?" He laughed.

"Yes Sir"

"And what makes you think you can be a teacher?" He questioned.

"Sir, I know my number bases, i-i know my grammar, I can spell, I had all As in all my tests back in school. I can do this" I rattled.

"Ha! From a janitor to a teacher? What a vision!" He teased.

I wasn't heartbroken. I still insisted then, he gave me a chance.

"Write this test" he handed me a paper, "if you're able to solve everything correctly , and I repeat, everything, within an hout, you get to be a teacher"

"R-Really Sir?" I gaped.

"If and if only, you get everything right within an hour" he hammered.

"I won't let you down Sir"

"Ha! Me? It's yourself you shouldn't let down. Walking over here with that much enthusiasm? Ha! Oh Christine, you keep baffling me" he shakes his head and attends to his work.

I sat behind a desk in the janitors' room and I solved. I counted my hands, toes, made marking on the tables. I wiped sweat with the back of my palm, whispered formulas to myself until finally,

"Viola!" I shouted.
Thank goodness I was alone, everyone would think I was going bananas.

"You're done already?" He asked when he took a look at the paper, in his office.

"Yes Sir, I came here, right as soon as I was done" I said.

His eyes widened, he smiled, he paused, and made weird faces as he took a look at my work. I couldn't tell if he was happy or disappointed since his facial expressions weren't stable. When he was done, he smiled and asked me to resume my work.
I walked out feeling disappointed at myself.

"I knew I had gotten the linear graph wrong" I whispered to myself when I got out of his office.

Back at home, I resumed to writing of books. Mark was actually of help to me since he had a good imagination. He spoke about love as though he was in love and described murder scenes like a detective. Watching him dance around the room with Gifty, was fascinating.

    _____________________________

I entered the school grounds still feeling embarrassed at what I did the day before. How on Earth did I think I could be a teacher and gain higher salary?

"Christine" Emmanuel, one of the janitors, called.

I turned to him and saw him holding a uniform.

"Here, Mr. Steve put this on and come to his office" he said with an annoying face.
I don't know but his face just looked annoying to me.

"This?" I collected the uniform.
It was the teachers uniform.
OMG! Was it what I was thinking?

"Hold up, why are you with the teachers uniform?" Phati squinted.

"I-I I don't even know. Mr Steve said I should wear it and come to his office" I said.

" Are you doing some sort of photoshoot? Because, if you are, tell me quickly. I have to get my hair done" Dorinda pouted.

"Ah! And you think if it's a photoshoot, you'll be choosen? You're funny" Phati clapped dramatically.

I had no time for their drama. I quickly put on the uniform in the washroom and headed for Mr Steve's office.
Damn, I looked good.
I knocked and entered.

"So, it is what is it." He begun.

"I don't get it Sir"

" You're a teacher. You passed my test" he smiled.

"Really? Oh thank Jesus" I lifted my arms.

"Haha! Yeah thank your lucky stars. Now let me introduce you to the children as Miss Christine"

He smiled back at me and then we headed outside.

END OF PART 10

BY: PRISCILLA ABOAGYEWAA ABOAGYE

THANKS FOR READING.