My maths teacher episode 10

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#Ten

Violet's POV:

We were in mom's garden, Liz and I. Mom had gone to the shop to sell her flowers while I was left in charge of the flowers.
" Say, Violet?" Liz called out to me as she watered the roses.
" What?" I answered over the other side of the roses.
" Is there someone you like?" She asked all of a sudden.
I raised my head above the flowers and gazed at her. That question just came out of the blue. I wasn't expecting it.
" No, there isn't. Why the sudden question?"
Liz glanced up and met my gaze. " Nothing serious. You just look down. It's as if someone dumped you."
Dump me?
" Don't start with that. I'm perfectly fine. I hate boys, you know I do so there's no one I like, okay."
Liz studied me, her eyes questioning me. " Is that so, how about Mr Adam?"
I rolled my eyes and returned back to my weeding. " Give me a break. We're just childhood friends. I can never imagine myself with such a guy."
Liz wasn't satisfied with that answer. " But you do like him, right? You've got feeling for..."
" Like I said, why are we having this conversation?" I interrupted her, sharply. " We're just childhood friends. Nothing more, nothing less. You can ask him yourself. He'll tell you the same thing."
Liz relaxed a little now and she smiled. " I understand now."
I still don't get where she was going at. I have a feeling she was up to something but I just couldn't figure it out.
Just then, we saw Adam and Katelyn walking passed my gate. They were talking and laughing as they went. Liz and I watched them.
" Those two have been hanging out together for sometime now," Liz said.
I frowned. " Whatever, like I care."
" What is she doing around him all the time?" Liz pondered to herself. " Are they going out?"
" Are you going to help me with the flowers or you're just gonna stand there and ask questions all day long?"
Liz turned to me. " Tell me Violet, am I beautiful?"
Raising my head I gaped at her. What in Gods name is wrong with this girl? First she asked if I liked Adam, I said no. Now she's asking if she looks beautiful. For Christ sake what is her problem?
" I don't know your reasons for all these questions but I think you should drop it. You're freaking me out, right now," I said, meaning it in my tone.
She glanced down at her feet and made a girlish giggle. " Don't mind me. I'm curious, that's all. I'm still looking out for a boyfriend."
" Liz, you don't need a boyfriend. What you need is your books. We've got senior WAEC, remember?"
" Hello, I'm the brightest student in class," Liz reminded. " I don't need to worry about exams. I've been studying for as long as I remember. I need a break from books. This is my last year in high school, I got to make the most of it."
" And what about maths?" I asked, folding my arms. " You've still got trouble with maths. Getting into a relationship this early would cause you a hell of distraction. You can do better than this. Take a look at me, I'm single and I'm happy."
Liz patted me on the shoulder with a big smile on her face. " That's why your name is Violet and mine is Liz. I'm getting a boyfriend and definitely, I will."
" Hey Violet," someone called over the gate. We both looked around and saw Adam walking alone into mom's garden.
I held the garden fork in my hand Soo tight, tempted to hurl it at him. He stopped before us and waved at me. " Where's your mom, Violet?"
" She's off to her flower stall," I said, restraining myself from ignoring him. If it weren't for the presence of Liz, I would've left the garden without saying a word to him. I don't want to disrespect him infront of her.
He turned his eyes to Liz. " You must be Lizzy, right?"
I saw Liz stiffened with her cheeks growing red. " Why yes, that's my name. How do you...."
" I'm your teacher," Adam laughed. " I know all my students name. Umm...are you free now?"
Liz bobbed her head quickly and I could see her eyes sparkle with excitement. " Yes, I am."
" Can you excuse us? I want to talk to your friend."
I saw the excitement vanish from her eyes and she became bitter with disappointment. She walked silently away without looking back.
Once she'd gone past the gate, Adam returned his attention back to me. " Sorry about that but I really need to talk to you privately."


Folding my arms, I glared at him. " What do you want?"
He scratched the back of his head. " Umm... about last night, I came to apologise. I honestly wasn't in a good mood that's why I acted the way I did."
" What about your girlfriend?" I asked still holding myself from yelling at him.
His expression changed. " What girlfriend?"
" Katelyn, big head," I said. " Or don't tell me you two aren't going out. It's obvious isn't it?"
He burst out laughing with one of his hands to his stomach. I glared at him, taken aback by this reaction.
" What's Soo funny?"
He got a hold of himself and wiped an imaginary tear off his eyes. " Women, you guys are always the same. Where did you hear that cock and bull story from or did you made that up?"
I didn't say anything.
" Listen, Violet," he stiffled a laugh. " Katelyn's a minor and so are you. Do you want me put behind bars? I'm not that stupid, you know."
" Tell me, were you two together yesterday afternoon till dusk?"
He licked his lips. " Well yeah, we were."
" And you're trying to tell me nothing happened between you two you had to stay seven long hours with her yesterday?" I asked.
He frowned, suddenly becoming serious. " Is that what you and your friend, Liz were discussing about a while ago?"
" Stay away from me," I moved away from him. " I don't want you anywhere near me."
He raised his hands in the air. " Oh for crying out loud, didn't I tell you already that nothing happened between us?"
" You don't expect me to believe that," I yelled at him. " A pervert hanging around a Jezebel, what else is there to be expected? A sexual illicit relationship. It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"
He raised his hand to his forehead and sighed. " I can't believe you're this cheap, Violet."


This got me madder with rage. " Who are you calling cheap?"
He pocketed his hands and met my eyes with a glint look. " You are. I called you cheap because you have no idea what you're saying. You don't just go about, saying mean things about people without first checking out your findings. I ain't gonna lie but I'll say that I'm grossly disappointed in you."
My heart skipped a bit. I opened my mouth then closed it.

Adam continued in an angry note. " I'll let the cat out of the bag. Katelyn and I aren't dating. I'm her private lesson teacher and just so you know, she's not a Jezebel. She's a sweet girl trapped in the body of depression. She's my student and she's also my new best friend," he paused, then continued in more gentle but firm voice. "And for me being called a pervert, you should know by now that little girls don't attract me. Not Katelyn, not the other girls at school, not even you. If I need sex right away, I know whom to call and where to go to. I'm not your regular guy who whistles after little girls. I'm an adult. Show me some respect!"

My mouth opened as I gaped at him. For the first time in years I felt hurt and devastated. He'd never talked to me in this manner before. What happened to the Adam I knew? What gave him the balls to speak to me that way? Then it occurred to me that I was nothing more to him than the little girl he knew six years ago. He was the adult and I was the kid.
Emotion began welling inside me and just when I couldn't take it anymore, I yelled out my thoughts at him. " I respect you, Adam. I really do. The fact is that you don't respect me. Six years ago, you abandoned me and left me without telling me anything. Would you call that respect? You didn't tell me anything about your future or what's going to happen to our friendship when you are gone. You just kept quiet hoping I'd get over you when you eventually travel outside for your studies. For your information, because I respect you, I didn't move on. I kept thinking about you everyday, hoping you'd return back even though I was mad with you. Then you turned out of the blue uninvited and asked for forgiveness. I respected you and forgave you. I still respected you whenever I tried to play with you, thinking we'd still remain the best of friends we were when we were kids but you're not the Adam I knew any longer," I tightened my fist. " You've changed. You don't treat me like a friend anymore, instead you treat me like a child. Still I respect you. I respect you enough that it broke my heart when you saw me as a bother and a distraction to you. I've known you for years. These other girls don't know a single thing about you but I do. I was there for you when you needed help just as you were there for me when I felt lonely and in need of a big brother. I may call you big head, I might call you a pervert but that's just my own way of teasing you, of reminding you of the good old days when we were Young but instead of getting a clue, you just run around in your own little world, talking and making new friends and forgetting your real friend. You said I should show you some respect? I respect the adult frontier you carry around with you but I respect the Adam I knew more. So cut out that crap about respect!"

We stood there, alone in the garden, our heads hanging down, ashamed of meeting the other person's eyes. It was then I realized, I'd said more than I hoped to. This was awkward.
Adam tried to say something but it ended up in a stutter. " Violet, I... I..."
Not wanting to hear anything else from him, I left him and marched out of the garden. He tried to follow me but I shut the front door in his face and leaned on it with my back.
He stood outside, staring at the door for a long time then with a dejected frown on his face, he walked up to the door and knocked gently on it. " Violet, I know you are still there. If you're listening, please hear me out. I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to turn out this way. Sorry that I said you didn't respect me. You're right, I'm not the same Adam you knew before. You said I've changed but I remained the same, there's just a lot on my mind that I'm not innocent of. Things that gives me sleepless nights. I'm guilty of a lot of sins. I'm not a righteous man like you think I am. I've got secrets too, secrets I'm scared of letting anyone know so it's not that I forgot about you. I respect you, Violet. You and no other person could replace you in my life. You're the best friend I could ever had and I'm proud of you. I always do."

Hearing those words from his mouth made me want to burst to tears. I left the door and headed for my bedroom.
He remained outside the door, waiting for me to open the door. He was going to wait for a long time. Leaning out of my window, I search for him and saw him. I stared at him for a long time and pondered on what he said. He was sorry but I'm not the type who forgives that easily. He was going to serve his punishment first before I accept his apology.

Turning my eyes away from him, I caught Liz outside my gate, peeking at Adam.
My face turned stony and hard all of a sudden. Adam had told her to excuse us. I thought she'd gone home, instead, she was outside overhearing all our discussion.

???

Adam's POV:

Leaving Violet's gates, I proceeded to my apartment. Her outburst ten minutes ago hit me like a bomb. I still hadn't recoverd from it yet. I began to realize my flaws and mistakes in a more different light. Violet was right, I don't respect her the same way she'd respect me.
" Mr Adam!" Someone called, running up to me. I turned around and watched her. It was Violet's best friend, Liz.
" Good morning sir," she stood before me, catching her breath.
" Morning," I said. " I thought you'd headed home by now."
She hid her hands behind her back and drew lines on the ground with her feet. " Actually, I wanted to talk to you."
I regarded her wondering what she wanted to talk to me about. " I'm listening. Go on."
" Do you, offer private lessons?" She asked.
" Private lessons?"
She bite her lips timidly. " I'm in need of a private lesson teacher so I thought perhaps you offer one."
I rubbed my face with my palms. " I thought you already have a private lesson teacher and besides, you have good grades. You don't need me to tutor you. If you keep your grades like this there's no way you wouldn't pass your exams."

She drew more lines on the ground and I wondered what was going on in her mind. She adjusted her spectacles and returned back to herself. " But I'm having trouble with maths. My private tutor isn't as outstanding in maths as you are."
" I'm sorry," I said, cautious not to make the same mistake I made with Katelyn. " I don't offer private lessons and I don't intend to start one now."
" But....you can help me, can't you? Just for me. I'll pay any amount."
I moved away from her. " If you'll Excuse me, I'm busy." And I left. I knew I acted a little too harsh but I didn't want to get involved with another teenager in the name of private lesson. Plus, Liz is Violet's friend. As it stands now, she's mad at me for hanging out with Katelyn. I can't risk being a Liz's private tutor. Can't serve two Masters at the same time. I've got to be careful.

The weekend ran quickly like a galloping horse. The rain was supposed to start this week but unfortunately the rain didn't come so we were expecting next week. We all looked forward to the rain because the weather had been crazy with heat. Monday morning looked promising but it got spoilt because two things happened.

One, I waited for Violet outside her gates so that we could walk to school together. I even bought her a box of chocolate cookies to bribe her for her forgiveness. However, she wasn't home when I came. Her mom told me she left ten minutes earlier before me.
How disappointing but I'm glad she was getting up earlier than usual. I needed her to take the chocolate so I brought it to school. We bumped into each other after assembly.

" Hey, Violet," I called, showing her the chocolate. " Look what I got for you. I was thinking maybe you should...."
She didn't even let me finished, she brushed past me and went to her class. I stood there and gaped after her.
" Oh, come on, you don't have to start ignoring me now do you?" I said in a whisper, glad that nobody was around to have seen what just happened. I took the chocolate box and kept it on my desk in the staffroom.
Even during maths lessons, she pretended not to be looking at me. Her entire concentration were outside the window and whenever I ask her a question, she'd sit on her seat and rolled her eyes.
" I don't know."
My students were surprised by her attitude and I gave up trying to get to her to avoid further embarrassment. After class, I announced.
" Meet me after maths class, Violet," and I left.
I waited for her but she never showed up. I stared at the chocolate box I bought for her, wondering what I'm going to do with it now.
The second incident that spoilt my Monday was when during recess, I received a call from the principal.
Principal Moore.
I've only been to the principal's office once and that was when I'd come to start my job. I hadn't been to her office since my day one in this school.
She was waiting for me in her little office which consisted of wall portraits of the nation's president, the vice principal and the principal herself, a big photocopying machine, a large book shelf crammed with books, an iron cabinet and her desk. There wasn't much to it but it was as official as she wanted it to look.
" Have a seat," Principal Moore showed me a seat.
I sat down before her and waited for her to begin.
She leaned back on her chair and stared at me. I could see the business–like express on her face but she was remote on me. " Mr Adam Edwards. How are you doing today?"
" I'm doing alright, ma'am," I answered. I learnt she hates side discussions so we'll have to keep it brief and quick.
" And your students?" She asked.
" Well, they're incredible kids. They're really fun to work with."
She nodded. " So I heard. Now Mr Adam, I wouldn't beat about the bush. I'm a business woman and I don't joke with my time. Time is money and so I'm going to keep things simple and brief. When I ask you a question, I need a simple and honest answer. Hit the nail on the head so that we can proceed from there, do you understand?"
" Yes ma'am," I answered with a nod.
She relaxed and began. " Is it true you are getting familiar with your students? Especially the girls?"
I became numb. It was as if I'd just stepped on a naked wire. " I'm sorry but I don't get you, ma'am."
She licked her lips and continued. " I've gotten some reports from some of the teaching staff, your students and also from an angry parent that you've been going out with some of your students. It was even reported to me by an eye witness that you were seen holding hands with a school girl of ours at the beach during the weekend. A student came to complain these girls sometimes frequent your apartment at night hours for private lessons. How do you account for that?"
I gaped at her, my mouth hanging loosely. My brain refused to work and the blood on my face vanished. Principal Moore watched me closely, waiting for an answer.
" Mr Adam?"
I woke up from my shock. " These are all lies. I've had not been intimate with my students ever since I began teaching here. Of course I do offer a private lesson for a student of mine. That weekend we'd..."
" I don't mean to cut you short but I want us to get to the root of this matter," she interrupted. " I'm not saying you shouldn't give private lessons to your students. A lot of our teachers do that here and I mind my own business. What I'm really against is when a teacher, be it male or female and Working under me starts holding hands with his students or inviting them over to his house."
" But I've never invited anyone to my house," I spoke sharply, then I remembered Violet.
She frowned at me. " Do not interrupt me again, Mr Adam."
" I'm sorry ma'am."

She continued after a long pause. " Look, I'm going to put it out to you straight. You're a handsome young man. I'll admit it and believe me, I'm a woman and I have a weakness for men like you but then again, I'm an adult and I'm married with kids. I've met men who are ten times more good-looking and sexier than you. My husband as you are aware cheated on me with one of my teachers. It doesn't take me anything to go about looking for men like you to take up his place in my bed. I'm not that stupid, I can handle myself and my kids and why, because I'm an adult. I won't blame you entirely for what's going on with you. You're a handsome man and any woman including me would be irresistible to you but as an adult and a mom, I have self control and I can take care of myself," she paused and her tone became more hard. " But what about those little girls your teaching? They no nothing about life. They are stupid and naive about relationships and sex. You might've not heard but I've been hearing things. There's nothing that goes around in this school without me knowing. Those girls are talking about you, fantasizing about being your girlfriend, how good you might be in bed, if you had a large manhood or not, you know all those crazy stuffs teenagers talk about. It puts a magot in your mind and when these words began getting under your skin, anything could happen."

I wanted to say something but I kept quiet. She was speaking a lot of sense. I never knew my students were falling for me. Like seriously, this was news to me.
" When I first saw you, I knew hiring you might bring distraction to my students but I hired you anyway because of your amazing maths stat. It's the first time I've ever hired a young teacher in this school. Many of the older staff were against this but I did it because I wanted to see the sort of man you are. I've been watching you. Don't think I've forgotten about you. Of the three maths teacher I hired this term, you proved to be the best and the results shows you know your onion. I've been impressed and I'm still impressed but this issue of getting familiar with your students must stop. I'm not saying you shouldn't talk to them or offer private lessons but we take a dim view of teachers holding hands and inviting students to their rooms. We have a teacher, students policy and we abide by it. Relationships between teachers and students are criminal offenses. These kids are minors. Like I said, they are foolish youths. They no nothing. You've impressed me Soo far since you began teaching. Do not disappoint me."
And that was the second thing that spoilt my Monday. I couldn't believe it. My students, my fellow teachers were ganging up against me? This was too much to take but as principal Moore had said, I have to be careful. I've been careful but she just doesn't know it.
Sitting down behind my desk, I tried to focus on what to do. My brain worked fast but there was still nothing. I realized I'd have to become a strict teacher. I was too free with my students and that's why they go around, spreading rumors. If only I'd known some of them were only jealous of me.

The bell rang for dismissal and I left with my chocolate box. I was Soo carried away in my thoughts that I didn't even noticed when Violet walked passed me. Just then, someone stopped infront of me.
Glancing up, I saw it was Katelyn.
" Good afternoon, sir," she beamed.
" Oh, how are you?" I asked, unaware that Violet was standing under a tree watching me.
" I'm great. Should we walk home together or do I stop a taxi?" She asked.
I stared at her for a long time which suddenly made her uncomfortable that she blushed and looked away. This girl was the reason why rumours about me were spreading around the school.
" No," I said firmly. " Go home, I'll catch up with you."
She nodded. " Well if you say so, still I'd have wanted us to walk together."
" I have a lot of things to do before our private lesson starts so you've got to be patient, okay?" I insisted.
" Alright sir," she bobbed her head. " I understand," her eyes travelled to the chocolate box in my hand and she pointed at it. " Wow, did you get that for me?"

I stared at the box. I'd bought these cookies for Violet but she was too mad at me to accept them. I don't take chocolate and dumping it in a trash isn't an option because I bought it with my money.
" Well, you can have it," I said, giving it to her. " I don't take chocolates."
She collected it with that girlish attitude I've seen from many girls whenever they received a gift from their boyfriends. She was happy and I was glad. It made me sad though that I had intended for Violet to be happy like this but who knows, maybe this gift was meant for Katelyn, not Violet.
Unknown to me, Violet marched out of her hiding place towards home, her back stiff with rage and boiling anger.

???
TBC