French Teacher

Chapter 25

It took me about ten seconds before I recovered from this unlikely turn of events. I let my palm fall slowly and soon found eye contact with Kalvin.

"I can see you find this hard to take it in," he said out of observation.

"Good eye," I sarcastically said with a sigh. It's not like I didn't want this, it just surprised me that I couldn't eleborate my feelings very well. I mean, he could've informed me first before arriving at my front door out of nowhere. And now, I don't know what to do.

"I'm guessing you're trying to figure out what to do next?" He guessed correctly.

I nodded, taking a breath and created a straight line with my lips.

"Well you could start with letting me in," he said.

My hand fell to my thigh, making a clap sound while the other remained at my hip. I gestured inside and made a way. "Go ahead,"

Kalvin didn't hesitate, he went inside and quickly scanned the place. He looked at our living room at the left side and the kitchen at the right. He looked at our stairs up til the second floor.

"Clean house." He commented, still scanning.

"Thanks, we're all kind of clean freaks here." I said, scratching my scalp, still wondering what to do next.

"Where's your mom?" He asked as he turned to me.

"At work," I answered. And in that instant, I realized I'm actually upset that it wasn't my mom here but rather, Kalvin. And I was pretty excited too, thinking she came home earlier than usual. But of course, how stupid of me to think that.

"You alone?" He asked again.

"No," I shook my head. "My brother is upstairs, reading."

Kalvin nodded in understanding. "Skyler?"

I pulled my head back, trying to remember a time when I ever mentioned Skyler to him. "You know my brother?"

"I'm a teacher at Building A, Penny, of course I know Skyler Ray."

"I see." I replied, couldn't think of anything else to say other than that. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Do you have any beer?"

I made a look. "Seriously, Kalvin? Seriously?"

Kalvin laughed as he took off his coat. "I was kidding. A glass of water would be fine."

I faced the other way, and I wasn't sure if I made another look when I let myself inside the kitchen to fetch him that water. At one moment, I leaned at a corner and brushed my hair up while trying to think of anything else to say once I hand this water over to him. I took a breath and gathered something inside of me just to head out and meet him.

When I did, I saw Kalvin looking at my mother's shelf of trophies, and any other reminders of golf during her younger years.

"Your mom's a companion?" He sounded impressed.

"Yeah," I nodded, found myself already next to him and looking at mom's shelf.

"She still golfs?" He asked.

Something inside of me turned, and I know answering that would be something uncomfortable for me. It made my eyesballs hot, and heart beat bitterly.

"No, not really." I said.

"Why so?"

"She just stopped," I shrugged, crossed my arms and looked at the ground. "She met my dad because of golf. When he left us, it just wasn't the same anymore."