A Remembered Teacher

The day started out wonderful. It was those kind of days that made you want to curl up into your bed and blankets and not leave. It was raining, mist clouding over the precious mountains surrounding my home. It was cool and calm. It was perfect.

But in the afternoon, I saw something I never thought about, didn't really think about and never expected. An ex-teacher of mine from secondary school had passed away this morning.

I read that she had a disease since last year, possibly cancer. I didn't know that. Yet another soul snatched away by the cruel and harsh hands of cancer.

She used to teach me English when I was in Form 1. She was my first English teacher. I can still remember her always wearing her hair in a bun, always speaking in the most perfect English ever. She was a little strict, but fair. As I liked English, I didn't have much trouble with her classes, and even looked forward to them.

She was only my teacher for a year; when I moved up to Form 2 another teacher taught us English. But I still ran into her sometimes, mostly when I had moved up to Form 4 and 5. I remember she started letting her hair down, and I remember liking her new look; it made her look refreshed and somehow younger.

I only have vague and scarce memories about her. I don't and can not claim to have known her very well as I did other teachers. But she was my teacher, and I had always liked and respected her. You know, she was the first teacher to praise me when I started secondary school. It was nothing big; I had done very well on the mid-term test and she praised my results. It was such a little thing, but it made me so happy, and seeing her smile because of that, that smile of hers and that memory stayed with me till now.

I don't have any flowery phrases or poems to serenade her, nor any elaborate eulogies for her. But all I can say is thank you so, so much Pn Florence, for all that you have taught me. Thank you for putting the effort that you did into teaching us. Thank you for being part of my secondary school life. Thank you for blessing me with that wonderful memory and smile. And most of all, thank you for just being there. I know many of your students will miss you, as will the school. I will too. Rest in peace Pn Florence, you're with God now, and hopefully much more happier.