“Miss Collins.”
Rachel looked up from a report she was reading at the boy standing at her desk.
“Yes, Antonio,” she answered with a warm smile.
Antonio had always been a shy boy, but now, as he looked at his teacher, he felt the courage in his heart to say to her in a steady voice, “I think you’re a nice person and I want to thank you for helping me so much with my work.”

He held out a box of chocolate to her as a ‘thank you’ gift.
It was Teacher’s Day!
“Aw,” she expressed, touched by the boy’s gesture.
“Thank you, Antonio.”

As a teacher with a love and passion for her work, she applied skills of patience and tolerance. It helped her students to gain confidence and self-belief to excel in their studies. In each child she saw the potential for success, and with a pleasant personality, her inspiring attributes made her a favourite teacher in high school.
As the day progressed, more students expressed their gratitude with nice little gifts and at the end of the school day, she felt truly touched by their thanks and affection. It’s amazing the positive impact she made from doing what she loved; smiling for the world, sharing the joy and happiness of those whose lives she touched. But deep within her was a pain, a pain hidden so no one ever saw the reflection of it in her eyes. She only thought of that betrayal that broke her heart in her quiet moments.

Yet, though, there was one beautiful thing that helped her to stay strong and filled her heart with love.
It was her little son!
She walked the short distance to his primary school and he ran to her as soon as he saw her, gleefully handing her a card, “Happy Teacher’s Day, mommy!”
“Aww, this is so beautiful,” she laughed and hugged him, “Thank you so much, baby.”

After reading him a bedtime story that night, she watched his sleeping angelic face and bemoaned, “How could he have left us and walked away?”
Many questions she had asked herself that past four years that she couldn’t find answers for. She had known her ex-husband for three years before they got married and never once had she seen any flaws in his character to cause her to have any doubts about his love for her.
It was a wicked deception and she hadn’t seen it coming.

“How could you profess to love someone then cheat and lie?”
The truth of his lifestyle had blindsided her and when she had refused to continue forgiving him for that, he had walked away and never looked back.
“How can I ever love again?”
On Saturday afternoon, she took Nathan to a basketball game, trying her best to fill in for the father’s absence. As a little boy, he loved sports, so her brother and nephews would step in from time to time to assist. But sometimes, she saw that longing look in his eyes when he saw other little boys with their fathers. He never cried nor looked unhappy, as though understanding, at such a young age, how much she was trying.

“I love you, Mommy,” he often told her with a hug that always touched her heart.
Life was now just she and her son, striving as a single mother to sustain their lives and home.
Men from different backgrounds showed interest in her, but she was still feeling the pain of betrayal to want anyone in her life.
“You have to go on living your life, my child,” her mother had advised her, “Your ex-husband has.”
“That’s easy for him, Mom,” she had said with a bitter tone, “It’s not for me.”

“You’re still young and your son would need a father figure in his life.”
Rachel had taken a deep breath and said calmly to her mother, “It would be difficult trusting someone again in my life and worse yet, in my son’s life.”
She had deep doubts that someone could genuinely love and care for her son as their own. She rejected all advances given to her by family and friends and focused on her work, her home and her child.
The August holidays soon came around and one week before school closed, an old student, a reigning basketball star from the US paid a visit. It sparked excitement among the students and the girls became somewhat mesmerized by him.

“Oh my gosh, he’s so tall.”
“He’s so handsome.”
“I think I’m in love.”
Rachel overhearing their breathless expressions shook her head with a knowing smile, “The youthful years.”
She didn’t go with the other staff members to the meet and greet in the auditorium but stayed in class to finish off some work. As she left her classroom for home, she saw students with autographed basketballs and their shirts.

“I wonder who he is,” she questioned silently as she walked down the road to collect Nathan.
The August holiday was a welcomed break for her with outstanding work to do at home, in the vegetable garden and spending more time with Nathan. One week into the school vacation, she had just finished preparing her special Sunday lunch when Nathan ran in excitedly, “Mommy, there’s someone here to see you.”
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know, but we shot some hoops.”

Nathan had been in the yard playing with his mini basketball hoop.
“I wonder…” Rachel opened the door and was stunned at the incredibly handsome young man standing there tall with a well-defined body.
“Hey,” he greeted her with a pleasant smile.
“Hi,” she managed to say after regaining her composure briefly, “How can I help you?”
“I was in the neighbourhood and thought I could stop by to say ‘hello’.”

She looked at him a little puzzled and asked, “And you are?”
“I was at your school last week, an old student…” he left the little introduction unfinished.
She gasped as it dawned on her who he was, “Oh my goodness, I didn’t realize.”
“That’s okay.”
Nathan was tugging at her hand, “Mommy, can he come in?”

She looked at the visitor and asked, a little hesitantly, “Uh, would you like to come in?”
“Sure.”
Nathan was overjoyed being close to a real basketball star and Rachel said with a happy smile for her son, “I guess you have another fan.”
“Yeah, cute kid.”
There was a little pause and looking at Rachel, he asked her, “You don’t remember me, do you?”
She looked at him for a long moment then said a little apologetically, “I’m sorry, I don’t.”

He shook his head a little and smiled, “I was your fourth-form student; I was fifteen and you were twenty, a young assistant teacher.”
Recognition slowly dawned on her, bringing back a memory of ten years ago that left her speechless as she looked at him. He had given her a note before he left for overseas.
“I am in love with you. Will you wait for me?”

To be continued…