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Summary:
A woman moved to a different place from her family for work. She has been so caught up with work and hasn't gone back to visit her family while feeling pressured and discontent with her day job. She gets the summer off. This summer, she had to make herself happy. Would she stay in the town or move back?
Story:
In the high places of Austin, Texas, with heavy traffic buzzing through my ears, I stood up, looking down upon the heavy streets packed with cars honking and people walking down the city. I opened my laptop and started the last few documents, while my typing gained anger and force with each word. Keys clicked and a million seconds went by, but not a single second was spent correctly. A clock ticks its time, but decisions go by quicker.
I looked in the mirror. I began to break down crying as tear drops ran over my phone, making my vision blurry. I did not know how I felt. I took my glasses off and started wiping my tears with my sleeve, missing some that flooded down my cheek, and to my chin. Just then I heard a notification on my phone which appeared: my sister sent me a photo of us when we were younger. Tears grew more and more each second, I looked at it. I missed everything.
I called my sister, who is on the other side of the world, far away from me. She answered in seconds. We talked for hours and hours ‘till the sun was high in Austin, Texas. I told her how I felt; she knew from childhood that I always wanted to become a teacher but was scared I would regret being one.
Before she cut the phone, my sister said, “Loukyaa, be what you want to be, you want to be like mom, then be it. No one is going to stop you. If you feel stressed, then stop crying and do something about it. I have faith in you and all of us miss you. Come home soon.”
I cut the phone and lay down on my bed, thinking. I closed my eyes and remembered my mom teaching me in school and how I was in her class. I heard the school bell and the kids talking. I missed everything. At that moment, I knew what I had to do for myself. I needed to clear my mind of what has happened these past couple of days of busy work.
I went outside and started walking towards the nearby shore. Even though the sun smiled down on me with its light, dancing on the surface of the water, deep inside I felt hurt. As hours passed by and the stars were up high in the sky, I heard the wind howling at night.
I went to my boss the next morning, handing in my leave for the summer. His reaction left me with no words.
I was expecting a respectful goodbye, but in return, he chided, “You don’t work hard enough and don’t show any effort!”
All I asked for was a leave of absence. His words cut deeper than a knife. Tears flew down my cheek. I felt as light as a feather. Inside my heart, I knew I put significant effort into all tasks given. The story jumped off the page when I, apparently, don’t put much effort into anything I do. He confirmed my leave of absence. As I was doing my last bit of paperwork before leaving, I only heard my papers in my hand rumbling, pencil moving, eraser being rubbed, and nothing else. I did not hear the chaos in the office.
This summer had to be different and deep inside, I know that regardless of what comes my way, I have to make myself happy. I opened the curtains and stared down the window, still seeing the heavy traffic in Austin, Texas. I thought for a couple of seconds, and immediately after, I opened my laptop and booked my plane ticket.
I did not tell my parents or my sister that I was coming home. The next thing I knew, I was fastening my seat belt as the air hostess demonstrated the plane’s safety procedures. During the flight, I felt my nerves tensing up, like never before. My stomach felt hollow, and I knew this feeling was good. After a long 17-hour flight, I reached Chennai, India.
As soon as I got my luggage, I rushed outside. The air seemed cool and the roads I saw in front of the airport were busy: I knew I missed it here. It felt so nice to be back home.
As I reached home at 7 a.m., I saw my mom in the distance, and when I walked closer, I saw my dad and my sister talking. I ran up to them and dropped my bags. I hugged my parents as tears rolled down my eyes. My sister hugged me tightly as her tears fell and touched my shoulder. All of us talked for hours and hours.
As my mom hugged me for the tenth time, she whispered in my ear, “Go get some rest”. I smiled back as she did.
I woke up after a couple of hours to my mom making homemade food; it’s been years since I ate homemade food. As everyone went on with their day, I sat on the stairs where the balcony faced me. I sighed, thinking about what to do with my profession. My sister sat beside me and looked at my downhearted face. My sister told me that she wanted to show me around the city.
I got in the car while my sister drove. She turned on music as I rolled down my window and stuck my head out. The breeze touching my skin, making my hair come across my face, felt good. As the car drive went along, I noticed the busy roads of Chennai. The car parked, and my sister took me to a field of dandelions, walking me along.
My eyes opened wide. I heard me and my sister's voices playing around when we were young. My ears flashbacked to hearing us running and our parents calling us. Each step I took opened my eyes even more as I stepped forward. I saw and remembered everything in front of me. As the wind blew, my dark brown hair came across my face once again.
I fell to the ground while the dandelions surrounded me. I cried out loud, screaming. My sister took my hand and hugged me while we were still on the ground.
We didn't talk the whole ride, but we weren't heading home, as I thought. Instead, she took me to a school.
As I saw it, I heard flashbacks of the bell ringing as my sister guided me to a classroom. My eyes flashbacked to my mom teaching our class with a stick in her hand and chalk in her other. My eyes grew wetter and wetter as each second went by.
I told my sister, "I miss this", as I smiled. She told me she had one last surprise. My face glowed like the sun, which was high in the sky.
I got in the car, and as we went across the busy roads of Chennai, I smiled the whole ride. I saw the busy bazaars and the shops around the city. Although I thought that she would be taking me to that last surprise now, she told me it was tomorrow. I grinned at her as she started tickling me.
I laughed hard and I told her "I missed this as well". She winked.
The following day, my sister took me to the school we went to yesterday. I was confused. My sister took me to the principal and talked about me teaching a class.
I thought to myself, "What was she even thinking about? Me, a teacher?" I tried interrupting her while she was talking, but she kept on going. As we drove back home, I asked her why she did that.
She told me, "You have the whole summer, try to see if being a teacher is going to work out for you.”
Before I was going to reply she continued talking, “Tonight, you are going to start the crash course program to become a teacher. It's 3 weeks, so work hard.”
I was completely shocked. As we reached home and got out of the car, I hugged my sister as tightly as I could.
My sister chuckled and said, “I got you, forever.”
As days went by and as I got more time, I had the chance to do what I love. I got to read, bake, dance, play piano, but most importantly, spend time with my loved ones. Three weeks went by quickly as the wind blew every day, and today was my first-day teaching.
I walked up to my class and started introducing myself. I felt my nerves tensing and my tummy feeling hollow, like when I was on the plane. I was teaching the 2nd grade. It made me remember when I was in the 2nd grade, and when I was sitting on the bench, looking at the teacher. I was nervous, but happy at the same time. I felt a mix of emotions circulating in me.
As I reached home, my sister asked me how my first day was. I replied with a big smile on my face, "It went very well.”
As the summer was coming to an end, including my leave of absence, I felt the pressure and stress of going back to the profession which I loathe.
I stood by and asked my sister, "What should I do?"
She sighed and replied "If you want to be happy, then be honest with the decisions you make. Life offers you multiple choices, some can lead to big dreams in life. Loukyaa, make the best of what you choose happiness."
I thought about this heavy thought, which weighed heavier than a rock in my mind. My nerves started tensing and I knew in my head that I needed to make myself happy.
As I thought about every second of what I experienced, I decided to stay back home and do what I love.
I told my mom my decision as my sister was beside me. She asked me how I came to this decision.
I replied with a smile, "As a wise person once told me: be honest with myself about what I love, so, I choose to become a teacher." My sister winked. I emailed my resignation, which was eventually confirmed.
As the day went by, I went to the field of dandelions alone. I went on my back and laid down as I saw the stars and moon high up in the sky. I liked every second of this. How would I ever know that my summer would be this?
About The Author:
A person who enjoys various hobbies including drawing, dancing, writing, piano, books, and more. A cheerful and self-motivated person with passion-filled around. A sincere person as well.
Cover page by Yifei Wang
Editing by Jacob Escobar
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