Dangerous Steps

Chapter 2

Beam is done teaching the first grade students and he have to prepare for the grade 2.

The school only have four teachers for six grades. So Beam and another teacher have to teach two grades even thou just one with twenty five children are more than handful.
But the small village is a poor one, with the parents can't afford their child's schooling. Because of that they don't required uniforms, they can wear what are available.

The government don't pay much attention to this small community for they are secluded from the rest. With farming as their means livelihood.

If Beam is greedy as the rest, he already left, but his heart can't let those little children be deprived of knowledge they deserved.

The other three teachers have been doing this as one of their charity works, the other three and the principal are all older woman and many are wondering why a young lad like Beam stayed on that village. But Beam prefer the silence of the countryside, the tweets of birds at the afternoon, chicken's cockling in the morning and the fresh air that void of pollution, no traffic, no tall buildings and the bast sky full of stars at night. Beam was glad the others choose to stay at the small town with unstable electricity and internet connection.

Their salary is okay, its not too small just right for the simple living in the provincial life. But Beam have a little brother he have to support in College that's why the teacher almost have nothing left for himself.

Sometimes his little brother wanted to tell his  brother that there are more opportunities in the city but the kind man never thought of that. He is contented with what he has, he don't asked more than he needed and the small children in this little village is like his own children.

Its already five in the afternoon when Beam finished his classes. Children are naturally naughty and restless making his day exhausting. But he love every minute of it.

He is renting a small cabin near the school.  It has small kitchen and living room and one bedroom. He loved the airy house that always makes him relax.

His small table are full of fruits and vegetables. The villager often give him anything they can, fruits, vegetables or even fish As a thank you for the good people who choose to stay and educate their children.

Choosing an easy dish for dinner, Beam worked on his small kitchen humming a tune he heard from one of his neighbor's radio.

His phone suddenly rang, putting it on speaker Wayo's voice filled the place.

"P', what are you doing?." Wayo asked his older brother.

"I'm cooking my dinner, how about you what will you have for supper?." Beam replied while stirring the dish on the pan.

"I bought a sweet and sour fish from the stall near my university."

"Eat healthy okay?, don't just eat some street foods that's unhealthy if consumed in daily basis." The older brother told his  little bro like a mother to his son.

"Yes mom." Wayo rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious!"

"I knowww, I don't eat those much..so when are you going to visit me here?." Beam turned of the stove.

"I'm not sure, we are short on people here so I can't just leave." Beam explained to his brother.
Wayo pouted upon hearing the all so familiar alibi of his P'.

"You've been saying that forever, you are turning to a hermit P'."

"Alright! Alright! I will find time to visit you there, jeez I told you to visit me here instead but you have so many reasons not to."

"Its not reasons, they are real situations, for instance the internet connection.. I need it for doing assignments and such but because its so unstable like women, it never allowed me to do anything, then sometimes there's no electricity, with all those giant insects electricity is a must..how can you live in there P'." Wayo really wanted his brother to live with him in Bangkok, where its much comfortable and accessible.

"I got it, you are exaggerated you Know that? I told you already I'm comfortable here, I'm not too keen on using the net and I'm used on the lifestyle here, I'll visit you there one of this days." Beam's head hurt on his brother's unending complaints about his choice of place of employment.

"Alright, just call me when..I'm going now, gotta do some review."

"Okay, study hard yes?." Beam miss his brother so much but he know that his brother is a responsible kid. He will not do things that will hurt him.

After the call, Beam eat his dinner in silence. Its dark outside, the crickets are singing the sing they only know and understand.

Beam admits, that sometimes he felt sadness, because he is alone in a faraway place? Or because maybe deep inside he wanted someone here with him?, he can't tell.

After dinner and tidying up the small kitchen. Beam proceed on making his lesson plan for tomorrow. Its pretty late when he notice the time. Massaging his stiff neck for looking down for the long period of time. Beam take off his glasses and call it a night.
Not too long after lying down on his single bed, the dreamless sleep dragged his tired consciousness.

The next day the principal called them for a meeting, they all wondered what's the meeting is for because this rarely happens. Only when some important people from the representative of department of local education visit them.

The four teachers are chattering among themselves when the principal arrived. The principal is on her 50s but the lady never thought of getting married. But she is devoted.

"I have a good news." Principal Siwat started, her smile is full of excitement passing it to the teachers.

"I'm sure our beloved students and parents would be static to heard this too, I'm planning to talked to them too and I'm sure you teachers can help me about that."  The principal smiled at the growing excitement of her co-teachers.

"Without further ado, I wanted to tell you that a philanthropist from Bangkok wanted to build more classrooms on this place, not only that, he wanted to add High school.. His team contacted me yesterday that he will be coming anytime tomorrow." The excited voice of Principal Siwat told them that this is real.

"How about teachers?." Beam asked.

"The person who called, they will handle all the things that involved in the project, they wanted to help and asked the local government to widen the road from other towns to here to make our place accessible and for our Parents to have more options on their livelihood, so I want you to prepare your pupils and their parents to welcome our visitors tomorrow and make a good first impression." The kind principal winked.

Beam cannot believe there's someone took interest on their small place. He is so glad for the people who lives their.

Tomorrow, they will make sure those people will continue what they initially planned.

Little did Beam know, he will meet the person that will change his life forever...