First Day of School
A fluffy head bobbed a few paces ahead. Carrying a navy blue backpack, the child skipped along, turning back every now and then to urge the person behind him to hurry up.
"Are you really that excited to go to school?" The man kept his hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie, the corners of his lips curving up slightly.
"Aren't you?" the child asked, spinning around once more. "I'm going to meet so many new friends!"
Getting impatient from waiting, the little one simply stopped, reached out to grab the man's hand, and wrapped his small fingers around the man's ring finger and pinky.
Gathered outside the elementary school gates were not only returning students but also parents bringing their first-grade newborns. People crowded around the bulletin board, matching their notice slips against the class rosters on display.
After a brief glance, the man led the child down the hallway to find the classroom.
The wooden class sign read "Wind Class," with a little symbol representing wind carved into the corner.
The classroom door was already wide open. A dark-skinned woman stood by the entrance, warmly greeting the arriving parents and students.
"Teacher Yedda," Cassius Han said as he brought the child over, giving the woman a polite nod.
"Hey there, little one ! Welcome to the Wind Class. Tell me, what's your name?" The woman's voice was bursting with energy. She smiled, revealing a row of flashing white teeth, and held out her hand for a high-five.
"I'm Alain!" The child happily high-fived the teacher, gave the man a parting wave, and dashed into the classroom.
Watching the child walk in, the man peered through the doorway to check out the interior, which looked to be meticulously decorated. The walls were covered in colorful wallpaper and featured a large map. On every desk sat a paper name tent, each already inscribed with a student's name.
The early arrivals had already dropped their backpacks and were huddled in a corner, playing together in a happy blur.
After saying his goodbyes to the teacher, the man turned and left.
*
"Let me tell you, the teacher had us make name tags today, and someone drew so well!" Stripped of his shirt and wearing only his pants, the child danced around the living room. He rambled on about everything he had done today, introducing all the new friends he had made along the way.
"So that's how you played hard enough to lose a button?" Cassius Han looked up, needle and thread in hand, as he mended the button back onto a certain child's shirt.
"Because it was so much fun!" The child scurried over to the man's side, wrapped his short arms around the man's neck, and plant a big wet one right on his cheek.
"Mwah!"
