‘I was more of a school dropout than an elementary pupil.’ - Jade

A work of fiction.

Not to brag but during elementary, even though I was more of a dropout than a pupil, I would beat my classmates to read the textbook once I decide to enter the classroom. I read more fluently than them and I understood what I read. But I was even better at absenting and making reasons to be absent. I befriended children who gets absent from time to time. We would go to the nearby road, looking for roots to be eat. It was always an adventure. A serene kind of adventure. I was almost always with myself even though I had companions. I rarely shared my exact thoughts.

I volunteered to take care of my younger siblings just so I could be absent from school. Mom then was an elementary teacher. We were six children in the house then. I would travel to school with my youngest sibling, whom I was taking care of, and let mom take care of the child while I sneak under the classroom’s table. I didn’t know what had been happening next since I was under the table. Mom would repeat the story over and over. But smiling at me. Even so, she still hoped I would do better next time because I would always be the most available kid, willing in volunteering to take care of the younger children in the house. True enough, I was compliant. I sit my sibling until mom and the others came home.

What I remember doing with my sibling then was putting lipstick on her lips and eyelids and chicks. Only my eldest sibling would notice that I put something on on the child. I forgot whether I was scolded or not. Lipstick was more than money for me back then.

I was good in grade 1 but I lost it starting midyear in grade 2 until grade 5. Then back again when I was in grade 6. I was slow but I was quick. Depends on my willingness to learn. My teachers would always shout at me. “Jade!!! If only your mother were nearer our room so she would hear your name every time you were shouted at.” My classmates would laugh. I have forgotten what I’ve felt. I may have been embarrassed but I would again do the same thing over and over. Whatever bizarre things those were. Something I could remember was when I was teaching my classmate to mimic the bottom of the chicken with our lips. Our teacher declared for the class to laugh that my classmate and I were kissing. I think I didn’t deserve such treatment from teachers. Shame on them.

Whenever I didn’t make it to honor roll at the end of the school year, my father would feel heartbroken. He blamed the television for disturbing our concentration. He didn’t know I was always absent from school and always embarrassed when I attended. But I never attempted to tell them what has been happening to me. I was somewhat glad that teachers then weren’t adamant in reporting unusual behaviors of pupils to parents. Maybe because we were in the province. But that would be too weak an argument not to report to parents. Of course, it is very different nowadays.

If I were back in elementary, I would do the same over again. The last year of elementary, I attempted again to make it to honor roll and I was successful. Though only ranking fifth. I made way for aspiring other pupils. But I was sure I was better than them. In all, I placed first when I was in grade 1, but had to be demoted to number 2 because of my unexcused absences, number 4 in Grade 2 and number 5 in grade 6. During Grades 3 to 5, I was drawing more and absenting more than studying for honor roll. But my elementary was to be remembered. Those were my days…

Looking back, what I lacked back then was the variety of reading materials. But I was glad that my father was a reader. I read his pocket books. Western pocketbooks. Those of Louis L’Amour and many others. Mostly cowboys. I tried beating my father to crossword puzzle. I never did beat him. Even until now, I wouldn’t be able to. What I am now, I would attribute mostly to him who have been my greatest inspiration. Every work I made, I thought of him. Would he be proud? Would he be happy because of me? I plan on divulging to him what really happened during my elementary. I will be naming those teachers who treated me badly. Just so they know, it was their close friends who did me bad.

Bow!

Again just a work of fiction.