The Burden Of Love (Jonathan Toews)

Alike. 5

Emilia

If I told you I remember the last time I was on a real date I would be lying to you. Being a teacher takes a lot out of you and during the summers I usually travel on my own. My goal is to get as far away from the life I know here and see what this wonderful world has to offer. I'm talking leaving the country far away. Only then can I learn about different cultures and the world at its most natural before returning home and sharing what I learned with the youth of the city. Tell them the tales of people who walk like us but are unlike anything we know. But other than that I haven't really put myself out there. There was the occasional teacher from school who would try to flirt with me in the break room but I suck at. I'm not good at taking hints, and it's not that I'm clueless it's just that I don't care to pay that kind of attention to myself. But I would be stupid to turn down a date with Jonny. I'm not that crazy.

So I find a nice dress that I wouldn't wear to school and curl my hair. It's hard to match colors with strawberry blonde hair but I wouldn't change it for the world. I settle on a navy blue long sleeved dress and a long tan coat. I drop Kenny off with my friend and meet Jon at a cute little restaurant a little outside the city. It was nice not have to go into the city and go through traffic. The ride over was calm though my heart is beating a bit harder now that I'm actually here.

I walk out and find Jonathan standing by the door of the building. He looked extra sharp in black slacks and a deep grey sweatshirt on. His muscles still visible from the outside as his hands sit in his pockets. He smiles once he finds me walking over. I stop beside him while returning a kind smile.

"Emmy, you look absolutely beautiful. Just stunning" he starts as my face catches fire. He was quite the sweet talker.

"Thank you. You look mighty handsome yourself" I compliment.

He sticks his arm out and I wrap my arm around his. We walked into the restaurant but we don't get far before I had to stop. I let out a small gasp when I see a whole garden in the middle of the restaurant. Not just flowers but vines that reached the ceiling. The bottom area was filled with a little pond with fish and beautiful greenery. You can smell the fresh grass and the natural water from the door. I've never seen a place like this.

"Oh my" I gasp.

"You know, you and I are a lot alike. Not many people have the respect and admiration for what the world provides us, for what is natural. You appreciate the small things that most people don't think once about let alone twice. It's one of the many things I admire about you" he tells me.

"That's really sweet of you to say" I smile as he smiles back.

"Shall we" he asks as he nods his head into the restaurant.

"Let's go" I agree.

We sit down at the table and order some wine while looking over the menu. There was a lot of good food but I get a steak like Jon. We start a conversation and like always I listen intently.

"So why hockey? You seem like a really kind guy, I wouldn't have thought you played a sport so mean" I admit.

"I'm sorta two different people on and off the ice. I have a reputation for being very intense and very serious in a hockey setting. Most guys can cut lose and have fun around the rink but what I find fun is winning. I don't like losing and I don't like thinking that there's a guy out there working harder than me. Something I have always felt since I was a little kid. They said I was insane but really I just knew what I wanted and I knew how to get it. So I give it my all and sometimes it's too much, somethings it's not enough. But there's never a time where I could say I could have done more for my team. That's something I take pride in.

And off the ice not a lot of people understand me. Why I would go to the museum by myself on one of my few free weekends or learn everything there is to know about gardening from a book. But like you said this world is fragile and it's up to us to protect it. I can leave a big carbon footprint or I can help keep our world one worth living on. Not a lot of guys care, but I do. I always did" he explains.

"I think we need more people like you who take what is going on in this world more seriously. Even if it's something small like planting a tomato plant it still creates oxygen for us to breathe and food for us to eat. You should come to my class during earth week, we have a big celebration to talk about about why we should pick up trash if we see it laying around and even make a game of picking up the school. They all take it pretty seriously. Then kids get to choose a plant to garden and we spend a lot of the spring in the garden learning about why bees and butterflies are important, we watch the caterpillars change and food grow. They really like it" I admit.

"That sounds like a lot of fun. I would love to come" he smiles.

"Consider it done" I nod.

We spend the rest of the night getting to know each other more. He tells me what it was like growing up in Canada and how it feels to be a prodigy. He doesn't like to talk about himself a lot but I get it. I'm the same way. But he wasn't trying to seem like someone he's not. He was genuine and I find a lot of what he says comparable to the way I think and feel. You don't find that often.

After dinner we walk out of the restaurant and decide to just sit in his car. Neither of us wanting to leave each other quite yet so we turn the radio on, lay the seats back and open the sun roof so we can look up at the sky. It wasn't too cold in his car with the heat on full blast and you could actually see a few stars out here. It was nice to just relax and be ourselves.

"Have you ever thought about moving to a different school and teaching there? Maybe a bigger one where you would have more resources and would reach more kids" he asks me.

"Technically I could teach just about anything. I am fluent in Spanish and French and could get around Germany for a week without any problems. I have degrees in history and math and could easily teach calculus or anything from the dawn of the dinosaurs to what was in the news yesterday. I specialize in political science and agriculture. I could probably get paid more teaching middle school or high school in a nice neighborhood where I would never worry about having enough books for everyone.

But in order to make a difference I can't spend my time helping people who already have help. My impact goes further for the kids who believe that I am the only person in their life who gives a crap whether or not they make something out of their lives. I do care, more than I ever should.

And sometimes it bites me in the butt, this world is a cruel one. Sometimes people don't deserve kindness. But in my classroom at this run down school the kids can be themselves. It's a safe place. If a little boy wants to wear a dress to school I'll wear one with him. If a little girl wants to play baseball and not softball I find my glove and bat and I'll work with her. This age group, this place is where these kids either grow or are left to die. And I would rather they struggle to grow than suffocate all on their own" I admit.

"You're one of a kind Emilia. The world can use a lot more of you" he says causing me to look at him. He was already looking at me waiting to see my reaction.

"I don't think the world can handle another me" I insist.

"That's okay. As long as I can have you around" he claims.

"So there's gonna a second date" I ask.

"I sure hope there's many more after tonight" he admits.

"I don't see why not" I smile.