Marti & Sandra (2)
Marti sobbed softly. The man reached out to try and hug her. Marti brushed his hand off and pushed him away.
3. Writing Lesson
In the fifth-grade class, the teacher Ms. Tati walked down the aisle. "You have 60 minutes. Choose one of the three titles on the board.”
Arriving at the back row, Ms. Tati turned around to check if the assignment on the blackboard was clearly visible.
It read: “Writing Lesson. Choose one of the three titles below:
“Our Happy Family
“Vacation to Grandmother's House
“Mother”.
At their desks, the students were ready with their pens and pencils and lined white paper.
"Are you all ready? Start!"
The students began to write, their heads almost touching the desks.
Also read:
One of the students wrote, “Our Happy Family.
”Our family is the happiest family. Every morning, we have breakfast together, and then leave from home together. When we have breakfast or during the journey in the car, we are always happy…”
Another student wrote: “Vacation to Grandmother’s House”.
As he was writing, he spoke soft in a voice that only he could hear. “For last month’s vacation, our entire family went to my grandmother’s house in the village. What a beautiful time…”
Another student wrote: “Mother”.
He wrote while speaking in a low voice.
“There is nothing in this world that I love more than my mother, because my mother is the woman who loves me the most…”
***
Sandra looked at the lined white paper. Her hand holding the pen moved, but she had not written anything. Her face looked calm and indifferent. She looked at the blackboard.
She wrote, “Our happy family,” mouthing the words silently.
In her mind, she recalled the example of a harmonious family from a television series, but the voice she heard was from another memory.
"Bastard! You’re no husband, you are so rude! Get out of this house! Being taken care of every day, instead of giving thanks, you even sleep around with a dirty woman!”
”Don’t say she is dirty.”
"Eh, defending her? What stupid woman are you defending?!”
”What kind of a woman are you?!"
Sandra saw her own face reflected on the television screen, blending in with the scenes from the series about the happy family, but all she heard were people cursing and arguing, and the sound of crockery flying.
“Huh, can't you speak quietly? It’s embarrassing that the neighbors can hear, you know?”
Her mother was still throwing plates.
Don't say my name. I don't want you to say it again. Just say that woman's name. I don't care about you anymore.
“Let them hear! Their friends that play gaplé (dominoes) are just ignorant cockroaches. Only parasites that rely on others to live. Parasite! Parasite! Don't you know what that word means, huh? Parasite!"
The man grew calm.
”Marti…”
"Don't say my name. I don't want you to say it again. Just say that woman's name. I don't care about you anymore."
"Take it easy. Why are you so angry..."
”Aarrgh!”
Sandra's face was cold, but the memory still tried to push her feelings out.
Marti sobbed softly. The man reached out to try and hug her. Marti brushed his hand off and pushed him away.
"Go! Go!"
”Please, listen first… ”
"What for?"
”Listen first!”
”There is no use."
”Marti…”
”What?”
"There's actually nothing between me and Rita."
Marti's head hung. Her face was concealed. But there came a growl. It was Marti.
She got up, flipped over a table, and smashed things in a room, screaming. "Bastard! How dare you say that name in this house? Go away! Go away!!!”
Sandra's face grew colder, as if she could still hear the screams.
Ms. Tati walked up from the back of the classroom. She looked as the students’ blank paper started to fill with words.
A student wrote with great enjoyment. His sparkling eyes and excited face revealed the happiness behind them. His mouth moved silently, mouthing the words as he wrote them down.
“A visit to grandma's house is always fun. Grandpa and Grandma always invited me to the hut in the rice field. We had lunch there and I helped Grandpa keep the birds away. I…
Sandra looked at him. She remembered the boy once showing photos of his family during the break.
“See, Sandra. This is Father, this is Mother, this is Sister, this is Older Brother, this is Grandma, this is Grandpa. We were in Grandpa's field. Have you ever been to your grandma's house, Sandra?”
"I don't have a grandma."
The other students who had gathered had laughed.
"Sandra! Everyone has a grandmother! Everyone has a grandfather!”
“Your mother is born from your grandmother!”
“Your father's parents are your grandparents, too!”
Sandra seemed to hear her own cold voice. "I don't have a grandma."
This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.
