I caught the last train. It was the end of my journey in this small town—a single summer spent away from the city.
Little things happened, and big things happened, too.
I helped the children learn how to fish at the lake. We walked around the forest and collected leaves to save in our new journals.
I lent them my colored pencils so we could sketch and remember our ways... walking down the sandy beach.
Then there was Haiku. He was tall and slender; he said he was there to pick up his little sister. He looked about nineteen. He had a sweatshirt on and a pair of dusty sandals. He looked a little embarrassed... I wondered if he felt that he was underdressed.
But it didn't matter to me. I told him I was glad that Onnie had a responsible older brother like him.
He scratched his head and gave me a sheepish smile. "Not really... I'm still preparing for my college exam. I didn't do so well last year, so I have to retake it."
"Good luck... it's a lot of hard work, to study for the exam." I smiled, trying to be encouraging.
He looked down and nodded. "It is... I wish I could be smarter... and help out my family."
I later realized Onnie grew up in a single-parent household, and they were tight on money for a couple of years. Onnie's grandmother was also ill, and the hospital bills were weighing heavily on her mother's shoulders.
They owned a small diner down the street, and Haiku often stayed up late to help with his mother's business.
He said he wanted to work there full-time after he graduated from high school, but his mother had forbidden him to do so. She wanted a better future for him. She wanted him to get a college degree.
"What do you want to do?" I asked Haiku one afternoon when he came by to pick up Onnie.
He was wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans this time. It looked like he had also combed his hair.
"I want to be a teacher..." he smiled. Something lit up in his eyes.
"That's perfect. I think you would be a fine teacher."
"Really?" he blushed.
"What subject do you want to teach?"
"I think writing," he answered without hesitation.
"Why?"
"I just know... there's something powerful about writing. It is a way for us... people like me... to communicate our minds in our own unique ways. And those ideas of ours... they could be carried from one place... to many and many others..." He reached out his arms and drew a big circle. The more he talked about his dreams, the brighter his eyes became. And his voice... I could hear the warmth in his deep, resonating voice.
For some reason, I enjoyed the afternoons talking to Haiku. He would often stay behind and help me clean up. One time, he showed me the best place to watch the sunset on the beach.
"Are you going to stay here?" he asked carefully.
"Well, I'm not sure... I do have to finish my schooling. I need to get my degree first before deciding where to teach for my first job."
I have one more year to go to get my master's degree. If I complete an internship, then I would be looking for my new job two years later. But I knew I always had a dream to teach abroad. So I know I probably won't be returning to this town anytime soon. It would simply be a fun summer job for me.
"If I get into college next year, it would take me at least four years to get my degree... maybe I will meet you somewhere..." his voice trembled slightly towards the end.
I noticed. I noticed the look on his face. And the cheeks that turned red.
But I was only there for a summer. And for whatever reason, although his eyes were bright as the stars and his look as genuine as it could be, I could not see him other than my student's brother. I felt that there was a boundary, which I did not want to cross.
I placed my hand lightly on his shoulder and told him, "I look forward to the day you become a great teacher."
On the last day of my journey, I caught the last train. It was an old train, so it traveled quite slowly. The railroad went along the coast, so I could see the ocean as the train took off. I rolled down the window, wanting to enjoy the last bit of summer breeze.
Then I heard it in the distance.
It was a young man running. He was wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. His hair was messy. He was running. Or rather sprinting. And at the top of his lungs, he was calling out someone's name.
He was calling out my name.
"Suki—I really like you.
I was going to wait until the day we meet again. But I can't wait that long.
I really like you.
From the bottom of my heart.
I like you, Suki Yi."
I looked over. A young man was panting. He finally stopped. But he was smiling... laughing. He threw his head up. His face was covered in sweat, and his cheeks were beaming red.
I reached out the window and waved.
I saw him waving back. Both of his arms dancing wildly in the wind.
I like you, Suki Yi.
---
It took me eight years to get back to the city. It was a hot weekday. The traffic was insane. I still hadn’t gotten a car, so I had been taking the bus for the past few weeks.
I arrived at the school just on time.
When I was heading to my classroom, I saw a crowd of students hanging outside in the hallway. They were whispering things to each other.
What’s with the commotion?
I asked the kids, but they simply dispersed with giggles. Then I overheard one of the girls say they were checking out the new literature teacher. I leaned over the balcony and saw a young man in a white blouse and a pair of black dress pants. He was carrying his backpack and walking across the courtyard. I could barely see his face.
That evening, I finished my work later than usual. I was about to leave the office when I saw a book sitting on the new teacher's desk.
It was the paperback of a book I had been wanting to purchase, but it was out of stock at most places I looked into.
I saw the familiar beige cover and tried to contain my curiosity. My hand hovered over the cover.
"You can take a look," I heard a man's voice coming from behind.
I almost jumped. When I turned around, a familiar face appeared. The clarity in the eyes. The defined brows.
"Haiku..."
"You still remember me."
"Of course..." I smiled. I wanted to step forward to embrace him but then held myself back.
I saw the hesitation in his eyes, but he smiled back. There was something familiar in the way he smiled.
"Congratulations," I added. "You're a teacher now."
"Of course," he echoed.
We walked down the streets and eventually parted at the intersection. We bid goodnight and headed our separate ways.
When I got on the bus, I realized my keys were no longer tethered to my keychain. In a moment of panic, I wanted to get off the bus to look for my keys.
Then I saw the familiar shadow running towards me. He caught up to the bus, my keys dangling from his fingers. "You dropped this." He was panting while handing the keys over.
I beamed and felt my face flush. Then I said goodnight to him for the second time.
When the bus started moving, I could still see him standing next to the vehicle, not budging.
As we were pulling away, I saw him raising his arms. They reminded me of the day eight years ago. The young man chasing. His arms dancing wildly in the air. His flushed cheeks, and those eyes of certainty... something I won't be able to forget.
Then there he was, eight years later. His arms still waving like wildfire. And at the top of his lungs, I heard him calling as the bus pulled away.
"I still like you... Suki Yi...
I still like you... I have never stopped liking you..."
I popped my head out of the window while the crowd was watching and yelled, "I like you, too."
I like you, too, Haiku.