Teacher, Why?

She was sitting on a wooden arm chair, stiff and unmoving. Her eyes were
carrying tears that were about to fall but remained looking and resisted it from falling.
Her fist clinched with the handkerchief inside. Her ears were not hearing and the
discussions she can’t comprehend anymore. “He’s leaving.” Those were the words that
her mind was trying to understand but her question was left unanswered, “Teacher,
why?”, “Are you sick of seeing our faces every day?” Have you ever tried to look at
someone and just cry because you know that his days were numbered because he is about
to leave? Have you ever tried to stop your tears from falling whenever your teacher enters
your room? Have you ever tried to understand the why people come and go?
July 31, 2017 , Sir Jimbo Juanito Bagotsay Villamor left the gates of Science
High. August , 2017 , Ma’am Elsie Tan Mejong our principal, retired. Both of them had
their farewell messages to us but it is still painful to remember that Sir Jim is not
anymore teaching in Science High and Ma’am Mejong is not anymore our principal. We
are all left hanging. Indeed, people really come and go, but why do they go if they can
actually stay?
Teachers complete the school, they are all pieces of a puzzle and I f one leaves the puzzle
loses its’ piece. And now, we are like the puzzle that lost two pieces, we feel incomplete.
It was so hard to mark an ex every day just to count how many days are left for your
teacher to stay. It was so hard to pretend and focus on your teacher’s discussion knowing
that he is about to leave and to teach other students in a different school. Every day you
are trying your best to accept the fact that one day, you will not see him sitting on the
teacher’s table and you will not hear him discussing again. It was one sad day when the
days came for us to finally say good bye messages to our teachers and let go. How can
you afford to say good bye if you don’t like to understand nor hear their reasons why they
need to go? How can understand if you’re heart wanted them to stay, badly? And how
can you let them stay when they wanted to go? But still, you have no choice, because at
the end of the day it will be their decision and they’ve decided, they’ve left. Sir Jim
always says “I need and most excusable excuse to be excuse!” you asked us , you have
your reasons and now, you are excused.
July ended, tears fell. Fist retreated from the clinch. Ears listened and our minds
began to understand. They left. Their reasons get clearer day by day. The questions are
answered one by one. “Teacher, why?” they have to journey and open new paths in their
life, it is time for them to allow themselves to meet new people. It is time for them to
leave and it is time for us to cherish the memories and remember the lessons they left.