Chapter 7

• Emery
• I couldn’t stop thinking about Ora working at the restaurant. Is that why she failed the test? She is supposed to be focused on her schoolwork. This tells me that her family is struggling, because why would she work? Clara left during our dinner because she got a phone call. Her brother needed her to help urgently.
• I don’t trust him, he has been with the wrong crowd and on drugs. He just came out of rehab. He knows that Clara has money because she works at the publishing company. We have been dating for four years and it hasn’t been easy with her brother always depending on her. She came from a bad past and sometimes I try to be there for her. I love her so much that I would do anything for her. Yet, I care for Ora. My thoughts are consumed by her, about what might be going on.
• As I sit in my study room with booklets for the test tomorrow, I hope that Ora will pass it. My phone rang and I saw my mother’s name appearing on the screen. I took a deep breath because I try to avoid her at all costs. I answered the phone. “Mother,” I state.
• “Emery, I wanted to let you know that Clara’s brother had to be bailed out of jail. You do not need this, you deserve better than this woman,” she said.
• “I will not leave Clara because of her family or circumstances. I love her if you even know what love truly means. Thank you for helping with getting him out.” I said with annoyance.
• “Fine. Next time, I won’t be helping,” she said and she hung up.
• My mother left my father for a rich man. She is a lawyer and they started their firm together. Mostly, forgetting all about us. I am still in contact with her all because of Clara’s brother. If it wasn’t for him then I would’ve cut all ties with her. She hurt us as a family, I guess that she didn’t want to be the only one working hard in the house. My father still had the library at the time and she always insulted him because of it.
• As a young boy, I would hear their fights and most of it was because she was unhappy with our lifestyle and father didn’t do anything to make our lives better. The day that she told him that she was leaving for good because she is in love with another man. My father opened up the printing company, he tried and he did it on his own. She just left like it was nothing like it didn’t hurt us. She wanted me to go with her but I refused to leave my father. She left me with him.
• My father never tried to date again after that. It was us against the world, well….in books that we read. That was our world, our escape from reality. Tomorrow I will take Clara to the movies, it’s our regular date. I hope that her brother won’t be bothering us.
• ****
• I hand out the booklets to the whole class. I wanted everyone to write the test again. I placed a booklet on Ora’s desk, feeling the heat radiating from her, and then I walked further down the aisle again. Once everyone had one, I walked to the front of the class.
• “You may begin,” I said. I went to the front of my desk and sat on the edge of it, watching everyone. My eyes landed on Ora as she wrote. I hope that she had enough time to go through the book while having a job. This rewrite of the test wasn’t planned, but it was all because of Ora.
• There was a knock on the door and Clara was standing in the doorway. I got off the desk and walked towards her as she looked at the class. They were quiet, except for when the pages were being turned over.
• “Hey, what are you doing here?” I asked her as I stepped out of the class.
• “I just wanted to pop in before I head to work. I’m sorry about last night and I want to make it up to you,” she said.
• “Well, we can always go to the movies tonight,” I smiled at her. I don’t want to be affectionate in the hallway because I have my boundaries when it comes to the school environment and Clara understands that.
• “I would love that. I promise that I will switch my phone off.” she returned my smile. I moved closer to her and I placed a quick peck of a kiss on her lips. “See you later,” she said, and then she walked down the hall.
• I entered my classroom and some students were still writing while a few were looking at nothing in particular as they wait for the others. Ora was still writing, she just needs to take her time until class is dismissed. I sat behind my desk.
• After what feels like a lifetime, booklets are stacked on top of each other as the students leave the class. Ora walked nervously up to me and placed it on top of the rest. “How was the test for you?” I asked her and her golden brown eyes met mine.
• “It was okay, I guess.” she shrugged. She didn’t seem to have much confidence in what she said. I hope that she didn’t fail it for a second time because of work.
• “I will be the judge of that as I grade the papers.” I smiled at her.
• “See you tomorrow, sir.” she returned my smile before joining her two friends at the door, who was giggling.
• “We should go to the movies to celebrate, I bet I passed again.” I heard one of them say.
• I will be grading hers first. I am too eager to know, because if she fails, then I will pay a visit to her parents and speak to them about what is happening and why she needs her work could be affecting her grades.