My Tranquil Heart

by Ms. Wu Ming-Xia, Qian Hu Middle School, Tai An County, Gan Su Province, China

I was wondering whether I came to the right place, for the scene looked more like a construction site, with sand, bricks, and clay scattered around the entire courtyard. I carefully examined the sign at the door, which read, "Qian Hu Middle School, Tai An County". It confirmed that I had indeed reached the destination - my school.

After a briefing with the school principal, I was led by the school administrator to my "office", which was an old and rundown house. It was rather dark and humid inside. The bed and desk were filled with dust. All corners of the walls were dotted with spider webs. Looking up, I spotted a few holes in the faded roof top. The place obviously had not be occupied by any human being for a long time.

Is this really the place where I would start my career as a school teacher? Am I really going to live here? I felt a chill running through my spine. All morning long I did not go outside my "new home". I was told that the living condition here was very difficult, and that it would take a while to adjust to it. Yet being confronted with the reality, I started to feel quite disappointed.

At noon, a school official brought me the class schedule. The school urgently needed an English teacher. So English would be one of my subjects. Since I did well in my English class at college, I believed I can handle it. Besides, I had made a wish that upon graduation, I would go wherever that needed me the most.

After a little while, all classes were dismissed for lunch. As the students passed by my door, some laid curious eyes on me. Others exclaimed, "a female teacher"! Well, I guessed most teachers here must be male.

"Reporting". Someone knocked on my door. That's strange. I hadn't even started any class yet. I wondered why the students wanted me at this point.

"Come in", I found two shy girls standing by the door.

"Teacher, would you like some water?" the shorter one asked.

"Water? What about it?" I was dumbfounded for a moment. Then I remembered that the principle had mentioned this morning about the shortage of water. He said that the students would be responsible for my water supply, one bucket a day. My heart sank further as I recalled this conversation.

"Teacher, please let us get the water for you."

I acknowledged their offer. They picked up a bucket and a wooden rod, and then left. I felt a bit sadden as I watched them go. The students took turns to carry out their "water supply" duty after the morning classes. When would they eat their lunch then? I guessed people truly lived a hard life here, even the students.

I decided not to wait for the water since I had a geography class in the afternoon. I brought a bottle of water and some buns with me, and I had them for lunch.

The girls did not come back with the water bucket until school recess in the afternoon.

"Did you attend your afternoon classes? Where did you get the water?" I asked.

"We asked every family in town, but no one gave us any water. So I had to go home to get it. I knew we saved some in our water barrel." She wiped her sweats as she answered.

"Where do you live?" I startled.

"Wan Er Li, over 10 miles from here."

I didn't know why, but my eyes were filled with tears. The saying `respect thou teacher' is a commonly used phrase. However, how many people had actually done what they said? My students, who walked miles with their empty stomach for my water supply, had shown me the true meaning of the saying. Their act alone was far better than any praising phrases I could imagine. As I drank the water, it tasted far better than any Champaign or wine.

All my disappointment and sadness suddenly disappeared. I started to feel the warmth of this poor and rustic place. As the day went by, every drop of water from my students had nourished my heart and soul. I know exactly what I should do as their teacher. Ah, the air is so fresh here, with no pollution. And the sky is so clear, as clear and tranquil as my heart!