Chapter 49: CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

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CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

At lunch period the only person in the faculty dining room was Tomoko. Since I wouldn't have Ruriko for a lunch companion this semester, I decided to see if Tomoko would like some company.

"Tomoko, may I join you for lunch?"

She stared up at me. "My name is Akimoto. Akimoto-sensei"

"Well, I guess that means no then," and sat down at a different table.

'Ruriko was right,' I thought as I took a bite of the beef and lettuce sandwich I had bought at the convenience store. 'Tomoko is very standoffish.'

Then it was time for my second year class. All of them had been in my first year class last fall. "Good afternoon, class."

"Good afternoon, Teacher," almost all of them replied in unison. Hey, they remember from last fall!

I opened the attendance book and called the first student at the top of the list. "Here." then the second, then the third and so on until I was down to the second from the last name. "Ah, Mr. Watanabe?"

"Here."

I looked up from my attendance book. Watanabe was the only boy in the classroom. Nor had I come across any other boy's name when taking the attendance. "Mr. Watanabe, where are all the other boys I taught with you last year?'

Watanabe looked a bit flustered. "Uh . . . they stop, Teacher."

I smiled. "Well then, it looks like you're going to be the only boy student in a class of beautiful girls."

He smiled. "Um . . . I try, Teacher!"

My God, he actually was trying! So different from when I began teaching him at the beginning of fall semester last year.

I looked down at my attendance book again and read the last name, "Miss Yamada?"

"Here."

And so the class went. It helped that they were used to my way of teaching. Again question-answer about the picture in the textbook, then question-answer from them to me. Then the reading of the story by a student I picked at random, followed by more question-answer. I got the feeling that I was going to really enjoy teaching this class this year. Particularly with the only boy being Watanabe. He wasn't as good as any of the girls, of course. But he was trying and that was the importantly thing. No wakaranai's instead of 'I don't know's' from him, thank God!

"Well, David, how do you find your freshman classes this year?" Fumie asked as we were having our first get-together of the new academic year.

"Very fresh. The girls that is. As for the boys . . . Well it looks like I'll have to be teaching two totally different classes at the same time again."

Fumie nodded. "And your sophomore year classes?"

"Great! They all know me and I kow all of them. And the only boy is Watanabe-san. At least he's trying and in his own way improving."

"I'm glad to hear that. All the other boys in that class dropped out at the end of the last academic year."

"I know. He told me. Uh, well, sort of anyway."

Fumie smiled. "As I told you, most of the boys are here because they had no other college or university they could get into and they're just killing time until they can find some sort of job. But a few, a very few, do manage to become interested in what we're teaching them here. And a fewer still go on to enter a four year college or university. It sounds like Watanabe-san just might be one of them."

I nodded. "I hope he does. You know, I'm actually beginning to enjoy teaching him. I'll keep you informed about him at our Tuesday get-togethers."

"I'd like that. But it won't be next Tuesday, I'm afraid. I'll have to cancel next week. Again business arrangements for the future of the college."

Freshmen in the morning, sophomores in the afternoon. Going out drinking with John on some Fridays or Saturdays. Taking the drive north of Kyoto on some weekends. Occasionally staying at the minshuku on others. Get-togethers with Fumie on Tuesdays after afternoon classes were over. But she had to cancel more than half of them because of business appointments.

"Fumie, what are all these business appointments about?" I asked near the end of the semester.

"I'll tell you after everything is finalized. You'll be one of the first ones to know. I promise."

"Hmm. Well, I guess I'll just have to wait again."

And so it went until just before summer vacation began when I got my summer bonus. I hesitantly opened my pay envelope, expecting I still wouldn't be getting a full three months again. To my astonishment, not only did I discover a full three months of pay in cash in the envelope but almost an extra month, as well!

"Fumie why did I get more than three months bonus this time?"

She smiled. "Remember I told you three months bonus was the minimum. The number of incoming freshman this year was high enough that I could pay the teachers more with the extra tuition they bring in. Does that make you happy?"

"Very!"

Now my only real problem was figuring out where I was going to go on my cub during my summer vacation.

Submitted: July 13, 2024

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