Education at Corners! chapter II

Chapter II

‘I have to work hard and carve out a future for myself. I have to study…’ was all what I blabbered about during the day trying to study while sighing and revising some lines. I didn’t get a wink of sleep till it was late at night. Suddenly, with one blink, I heard sweet chirping of the birds. When I opened my eyes, it was early morning, ‘I haven’t finished my revising.’ I said to myself…

Daisuke tome: “You haven’t slept last night?”

I went to university while studying all the way till I reached my classroom. Having slept at midnight and woke up early at morning, enough fatigue was overwhelming me. I placed my right cheek on the desk when suddenly I saw daisuke tome’s face pitying my pathetic state asking…

I agreed with a nod and said: “Yeah, I was trying to study for the exam. Talk about programming…it didn’t work.”

“You’ve tried it?”

“I wrote on each and every paper my eyes locked on, ‘Imma gonna study hard and get high marks!’, but seems like there’s no magic in the lines, ah the effort I used and the energy it sucked…” I said while putting my face on the desk sighing.

“I’m worried about you. You’ve been wobbling. Will you be ok? Should I go buy for you something to eat?”

“The services had opened! You’re doing all these for me?- uh I mean for nothing?”

“I’ll take it back!”
“No, please.”

“What shall I get you?”

“Anything eatable!”

“Go wash your face. All the sleepy impressions are stamped on it.”

“Whatever my lady wishes~ I’ll take a little shower if possible to kick off this sluggishness before it begins taking over me.”

We left the classroom since it suffocated us and sat near a big window which viewed the nice garden crowded with many trees, richly green grass and blossomed flowers. She helped me with the revision and stressed on very important information.

It took us a whole hour before the Doctor finished her printing and came with the exam papers that terrified us with its thickness and small writing. Any ounce of hope of surviving was wiped off.

The session has started. Everyone stood up for the arrival of the judge and papers were passed over. The moment our eyes met the paper, the judgment will be fallen. I was sentenced to death…

The session was over, we dismissed. I ran to the back garden where the tomato tree was planting and took my time gazing at the great ambience. I held my breath for I knew that any moment a call will come, and it did…

Daisuke tome called me just after a short time when the exam ended. I was physically and mentally prepared for the possibility that I’ll hear a severe scold from her.

“Some, where are you?”

“You need not to know.”

“I already knew!” a voice came from behind…

I looked to my left to see her standing just 3 steps away from my back, holding both of her hands on her thighs.

“H-hello~” I said hesitantly.

“Don’t ‘Hello’ me. Why are you sitting here? What happened to the exam?

Wait, let me guess, you haven’t done well?”

“Wow, it’s too good for a guess!”

“Ehhh? Why? Haven’t we revised well?”

I looked back at a tiny flower that grew in front of me, which sounded like I was trying to skip the eye contact with her and exclaimed: “Look here, my memory technique is neither new nor the newest. You heard of ‘The Worst Memories in the World!’ well what do you know, I have it!

I don’t intend to program myself negatively, and I hate to admit, but I suffer from this memory of mine…”

She didn’t reply. Only dead silent filled the place. My eyes were darting from left to right and I kept blinking in hope to get an answer from her.

A couple of minutes had passed, yet nothing changed in the scene. I suspected that she could’ve left after hearing the silly complaints, but I was astonished to see her standing right behind me and offered me a hand. I hesitated a little by her sudden reaction then took her by hand as she said, “Nothing remains the same. I’ll change you!”

“Heh, I wonder how…”

She reassured me that I’ll pass this year without failing! Relief swept over me knowing that she acknowledges me as an excellent student. I intensely wished to form my feelings of gratitude into words and utter them, but I couldn’t for I the matter of conveying was so difficult even if they were written words. I held her hand tightly and prayed not to lose it ever…till death.

Days passed and together we both studied and tried out best for the exam. Along with it, we strengthened our bond.

“How was the exam?”

It was on Tuesday, in the second lecture, when we finished the exam, she was starving to ask, but couldn’t due to the teacher speaking. We were sitting on the second row, on the right side of the classroom. She sat beside me on the right and I was listening attentively to the teacher as she stood on the left corner teaching where most of the excellent students resided. I recognized her gentle care for me with her high curiosity to talk and ask, and so from time to time, I took a quick glance at her and let a small smile loose.

With no chances to talk to me, she decided to change her plans. Her hand holding a pencil came near my desk, opened my notebook and wrote, “How was the exam?”

I took a pen so that the memories inside the notebook have no chance of erasing themselves and replied, “まま…”

Since we were specialized in languages, I thought of changing my tongue into a new one.

“ままて…おまい-“ she replied.

“御免なさい”

She sighed a bit and then wrote, “How many wrong answers?”

“Seven…” in hope to change the topic I jotted down, “You know something, let’s change our names. I’ll start calling you as Hikari, ひかり , if you don’t mind.”

She said softly, “Fine. As for you…let’s see…How about Tome, とめ?”

“Eh, you just changed only one letter-…” I said with a little loud tone.

“Shh. Stop talking you two!” the teacher interrupted.

Both of us gave her a smile from ear to ear.

Learning Japanese

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Konichiwa~

Sorry for delaying chapter two of the story "Education at Corners!", but I have course to attend. My time is short and I don't want to write while I'm in this state.
Anyway, I heard that many of you are trying to learn Japanese and I know that there are many sites you know which help you make it easier to learn. Well, while browsing through the net for good sites, I found two.
Have a look into it and do tell me if it helped you or not.

The first one!
Really was interesting and useful.
and the second one!
This one you can learn the language through animes.

Education at Corners! chapter I

Chapter I

To become someone, to be able to do many things…we may not have done many, but at least we have done something.

To study hard, to achieve our goals…we may have fell down, but we never called ourselves failures, because we stood up and continued…

To listen rather than to hear, to observe and reach a conclusion…we have fought, but who would’ve thought that at the corners of our classroom, education stepped out of the shadow…

“Uh, yes, I forgot about time. Oh, it’s getting dark outside. I’m supposed to go home right now. My parents must be worried about me…uh, I already told them I’ll be late for my last lecture at 8pm. Ah, right, we’re having extra lecture today. What day is it today?”

“Are you sure you haven’t sipped a little whine yesterday?”

“I might have….”

“We better go see a doctor on our way home!”

“What a splendid idea!”

“Hey, Some? Here.”

25 years old young lady! Weighted neither as heavy as the white board, nor as light as the chalk, round face, eyes which reflected the pure color of the blue sky, long wavy blue hair that stretches a little passed the shoulder, and being called as Some, which didn’t last for long…was the me back then.

On that day, which I forgot what day it was, I attended university although I never wished to, but due to mother circumstances, about losing future and such, I was forced to. Even though I had the habit to wake up early and gaze at the blue sky and birds chirping on the branches of old big trees that shaded my roof alongside part of my bedroom and half of the window. I enjoyed most of the time just by remaining there, my secret and favorite place, where most of my memories lied.

Ah, yes, I forgot that university had absorbed half of my life. There, I could barely understand the worth of wasting my precious time for something called education. Yeah, it was for a short period and then I began a new journey…a long journey to find an epiphany…

In class, my classmates were fond of passing piece of papers to each other. Mostly they were lovely lyrics, new information, rumors spreading around, a small chit chat, criticism, and such wonderful matters. A poke came from behind. I turned to face the criminal…

“Heh, for me? From who?”

“You like to ask a lot. Read it and you’ll figure out.”

She reached her hand with a piece of paper she held with two fingers. I took it, turned front, looked at my friend sitting beside me, picked up a pen in preparation to reply and finally opened it. It was flipped neatly and made with effort.

‘Don’t talk too much with her! Concentrate on the lecture!’

“Ah, an advise, huh?”

“Hmm?” the girl beside me meekly questioned.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Concentrate on the lecture, please!”

I could guess the person who wrote it from the clear and beautiful handwriting. Mon chou, a determined 21 years old student, specialized in medicine, with dazzling greenish eyes and brown curly hair. She was always the cheerful one, one who would smile and comfort others with her smile which had no lies, but only warmth and comfort…

In specific classes, we tend to gather in one large classroom. All the students of various specializations attend the lecture. Either there, or at each and every lunch break, I could meet her and have a nice chat with her. Other than that, we exchange messages through our mobiles.

After the class has ended, we prepared to bide a farewell. It was almost sundown.

“Now shall we get going now?” she asked me putting a gentle suspicious grin on her face.

“Hopefully I’ll get home safely…” I replied.

My life with daisuke tome was filled with happiness. She was a loyal and sincere friend with a good heart that welcomed the wounded ones which needed healing despite their age or class differences not even strong bond could get in her way of aiding. She often uses some sort of a pin keeping her hair together which emitted nostalgic feelings that eased all my troubles. Whenever she talked, she throws me off. She was like a big sister for me, whom I vowed to treasure for eternity.

My Half Existence II

~< My Half Existence II >~

“Mother?

Dark and light never go together.

But is it possible, mother, for people to live only with light?

My light straight in front of me and my shadow behind me never I can go forward. Whenever I move, I am held by my shadow. It sticks its hands around my feet trapping my body in a place where no one exists.

I can see everyone, but I can speak to none. With this shadow beneath me I dare not open to anyone.

Has love been that hard to let go of me, mother?

Did I make a mistake?

I never thought I would drive someone into this state of madness…

Mother…what am I supposed to do?”

A hole…

There was a hole not so far from me, inside my shadow.

“I am about to see the core of my own shadow. It’s calling for me. My shadow’s desire…that’s what I’m about to see.”

I went to see, but my intention changed. What I wanted was only to take a glance at it, nevertheless, I climbed the ladder down the hole where the darkest spot lied…calling for me…eagerly wanting me to put my first step, but when?

The ladder seemed to have no end.

My heart beat fast and I continued climbing down the ladder not realizing what and why am I doing this…

Cold air was coming from beneath. Looking down, I could see snow dripping out from it.

My feelings kept sending signals to my body asking for help, but only dead silence was the reply.

I stood like a bystander watching the conflict between my body rebelling my feelings. Though I had enough strength to put this to an end, yet I kept only watching. Moreover, I pledged my allegiance to it.

However, only one organ refused to obey…My heart.

It bounded faster than the hands of the clock and warmed my whole body against the cold air.

“It warms me as much as it hurts…”

In the middle of the way, everything changed.

I was paralyzed and entirely stripped from emotions…

I closed my eyes to calm my heart for it’s the only piece of my body which was functioning.

An icy wind came beneath me…”is it the cold air or is it the coldness of fear?”

For the first time I felt confused over what to believe.

I got scared from looking beneath my feet where my shadow resides…the shadow which wanders through the endless darkness. Although it was with me all the time, however, I felt scared to acknowledge its existence with me.

Strange feelings overwhelmed me.

“I’m scared to die.” why? I wasn’t scared from death before. I’ve never committed any sin. “Why am I scared?”

I could imagine myself when I let go of the ladder. Off I’ll fall into that spot where I’ll be devoured by the darkness and die…the darkness of my half existence, my shadow.

“Why am I suffocating?”

I raised my hand trying to get my soul back…the soul that was being pulled in further by the darkness.

It took me couple of seconds before the idea of giving up popped into my head…giving up to what I called fate…

I recognized it by its smell, the smell that was emanating from that spot. “Yes, the smell of fate which I can recognize among thousands of other smells…a smell which tastes like pure death.”

As long as that shadow kept clinging into me, I couldn’t continue on living the way I am…

“What you are now is what you worked hard to be!”

That was until I met her…

“Light and darkness are one.”

“The world will be in chaos then…”

“It’s not going to be destroyed.”

“The world is going to close then…”

“What will close it is your own fear.”

“Fear of what?”

“Fear of your half existence.”

“My shadow?”

“On one side we have light and on the other side…darkness.

Don’t close your heart. If you sink into that darkness, the world will end. The world will be sealed in darkness.

You can get over it with your own will. Only you can control it, your half existence, your shadow.

You can pass the obstacles by believing in it. You’re here in order to divert the darkness and call upon the light, your other half existence.”
“My light?”
“Look in front of you. Your light is right here for you. Look behind you. Your shadow is there for you.

Your past and future makes your present.

Your light must be connected with your shadow. Never do the twins separate apart.”

Mother…you were wrong.

“But my shadow is destroying my future.”

“Your shadow builds your future…”

“It can’t be. I am now like this all because of what my shadow built for me.”

“Now that you understand your own shadow, you can change.”

Change…mother, is what I learned.

“Only you can give shape to your future with the help of what your shadow builds.

If it wasn’t set as what you desired, you can always change.

Your shadow is like clay which you can design the way you want. Correct it if it went wrong. Change it into a better shape if the current one didn’t match your taste. Believe in yourself. You can open up the future, the future which you desire. You also have bonds that must never be lost.”

“Bonds? Who and where?”

“Right in front of you.”

I can see, mother, the people whom I was once blind to notice.

“Your character is never to be thrown away no matter how worse it made you look.

With only good points, you won’t come to the level of satisfaction nor will you get people around you for long.

Your good and bad sides make you a real human being. One who is among us, one of us. That what completes you as a creature who has the power to broke through the continuum.”

I have been a valuable person, mother.

“The shadow of poverty exists in many people. It never was a sin. Having no hands to change the condition we are to bear with when born, its normal for us to feel down and embarrassed. But we can get that negative side into a positive one.”

I have been working hard to get a better position.

“Yes, having a goal set in your mind, nothing can stop you from moving forward, neither people nor words. Your shadow will build a bright future for you. The future, in which you’ll attain afterward, will show you what shadows are capable to do only when used correctly. You’ll eat the fruits of what seemed, for some people, as a rotten tree. Never abandon your shadow!”

I learned not to wait for someone to grab my dream not even for the future to open up by itself. I was determined to take the first steps to become courageous, to change myself the way I want, to change the world with it…along with my half existences…

Mother!

My shadow is with me and so is my light. I am here the way I am because of them.

Mother!

I can go on living now…Your daughter is not alone

My Half Existence I

~< My Half Existence I >~

“Someone is telling me to be someone else but me…”

“Listen carefully to what I’m about to tell you.

You see, dark and light never go together. It’s either dark over light or light over dark. Never does the twin meet.

Most of us think that light can always get over dark, but the reality, my dear child, shows the opposite of what sounds real for us.

Human beings even though born in light, darkness mingles in his veins. In the outer world we dislike war; however, we’re living in conflict and fighting with our souls every now and then.

As long as we breathe, we cannot find peace among ourselves. Living is fighting.

On the journey of knowing ourselves, we strength both our light and dark side.

Maintaining that balance between these two sides is what guarantees our safety.

One cannot let the other suppress it, or else there is no hope to be saved.

On a boat above the huge angered sea, we struggle to live, but how do you expect us to remain that balance all the way, you may ask.

My dear child, that balance is found inside our hearts.

Mysterious as it may sound, yet our hearts cries silently.

Its voice echoes all over the world, but in an age of sophisticated technology and scientific research there are always mysterious in the spirit world.

It’s best to take the hard road. It’s best to forget that which existed.

In this new world, the longing is kept in isolation.

Souls are empty from friends. Life which was once priceless now lies beneath the feet. I’m surprised how it manipulates the needy although he knew its true core.

My dear child, remember!

History is a timeless imprint left by people especially by those who died in trouble, difficulty and anguish. Listen to its sound which leaves no clue as to what they were or why they had come…”

Mother…

You were wrong. I stand in front of the light with my darkness beside me…

It never let go of me…

The soul of a woman who bears a sad fate will soon clash…very soon.