As the days strung into weeks in this new state of affairs, I began to notice other familiar faces who were also missing: several members of my once-thriving EX-1 class, as well as key students from GA-1. Among my full-time morning students, Lucy and Erica from my K-1 class had yet to return from summer vacation. I merely thought these two were on longer family outings than most of my other students. I was fully confident that I would see their shining faces again in the coming weeks. However, after such a prolonged absence as they'd accumulated, I slowly started to doubt their ever coming back to school. By the middle of August, I began to expect only six students out of the once-eight-member class: Lisa, Grace, Sky, Sherry, Harry, and Michelle.
Turns of events throughout the month foreshadowed still more turns as the days marched on. Grace was out of school for almost a week due to a skin irritation. Just after she came back, with her condition a bit more under control, I noticed that another face was no longer coming around. Lisa, who had taken an extended break back in July, must have finally decided our school wasn't a good match for her, despite my efforts to include her. My class was now officially down to five. Shortly after Lisa left, Grace's mom made the call to go ahead and pull her out because of the skin condition. That now left not five but four: Michelle, Harry, Sherry, and Sky. Though we were small in number, I was still excited about pressing forward. Not being a Korean speaker, I was blissfully ignorant of the ever-widening crack in K-1's foundation and what would soon bring it to light.
That was six days ago, August 20th. Yesterday, the 25th, I heard Teacher Grace mutter under her breath that she needed to call Sky's mom to check on something. The day before this, Sky had told Harry that the next (the 25th) would be her last day at Apple Tree and that he needed to give her a present. Just after finding out about Sky, Harry's Mom called up at school to ask what was going on with the K-1 class, as everyone seemed to be leaving. None of the staff believed Sky because nothing had been confirmed by her mom. And yet, her mother unexpectedly came to collect her, just as Sky had suggested, at the end of classes yesterday. She told me simply that she wanted to spend more time with Sky and that, for the next month or two, she'd have the time on her hands to do so.
Though I agree with Sky's mom's decision, I feel it comes at a stressful time, given the conditions surrounding the K-1 class right now. At the same moment that Sky's mother came, Sherry's mother also arrived at the hagwon. Rumor was that Sherry, too, would be pulling out of school; James and Grace said as much yesterday afternoon. I mildly rebuked James for suggesting something that we couldn't confirm--then apologized today for my rash reaction, after noting that all of Sherry's books and supplies had been cleared out of her cubby.
Today was a somber day as the realization of such weighty changes swept over me. "Why only two students at ILS/Apple Tree, me and Harry?" Michelle asked this morning at snack. I had no good reason to give them. "I don't really know," I said slowly, feeling that the recent events should have taken months to transpire and not mere days.
Michelle's mom had sent two pound cake rolls to school with her this morning, one of which became the kids' snack while the other found its way to the teacher's office. I couldn't help but think of the gesture as a subtle sign of continued support, like a reassuring pat on the back. No matter who left Apple Tree, Michelle and her mom would still be there to continue their patronage, the cakes seemed to convey. But perhaps I misread her signals; perhaps it was really intended as a way of saying goodbye. Harry commented more than once that "today, me and Michelle last day." I hoped he was joking--until I met his mom at the elevator, who confirmed half of his statement for me. It would be Harry's last day, if not Michelle's. I suppose we'll find out tomorrow whether she followed in her classmates' footsteps.
"It's unfortunate that you had to be there," James commented today in an effort to ease my discomfort about the situation. He observed that it would have happened to a Korean teacher as well--that none of this was my fault. "They still have confidence in this school," he went on. "Apple Tree is a good name and they think we are good teachers. [But s]omething got into the K-1 parents' minds. Soon the K-1 class might be gone."
It saddens me as I contemplate the situation I now find myself in. Within two days, my entire class has vanished. Serious consideration must now be given to the one remaining student, unless she too decides to pull out. I thought August was a month full of the smell of new things--freshly sharpened pencils from a batch of new school supplies and starch from freshly pressed uniforms. Should it not be full of new friends and new years, instead of goodbyes to old ones?
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