Dear Teacher: Love Makes Wings

I am disabled so my health is quite poor. When I was in school, my father had to take me to and from school twice a day. This sometimes caused me a lot of inconvenience.

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My father was a farmer and was always busy with work. But he had to arrange to pick me up and drop me off on time. Every day he left, he did so perfectly. But when he came back, many days I had to wait alone because my father was late. One time, after the whole school was over, it was just me and the royal poinciana tree.

The pitiful image touched the emotional heart of my teacher - Ms. Tam. That kind-hearted teacher offered to help me on my way to school. The first time was when she drove me home in 6th grade. It seemed like it was just once, but it turned out that after that first time, she accompanied me for all four years of secondary school.

Every day she had the last class scheduled, my father didn’t have to rush around, he put down his work and washed his muddy hands and feet to pick me up. There were two or three times a week. She just quietly did the small but meaningful work. I will always remember that kindness.

Người thầy kính yêu: Tình yêu thương tạo nên đôi cánh - Ảnh 1.

Ms. Tam (right photo) and Ms. Thuyet have created wings for students to reach their dreams. (Photo provided by the character)

I remember the familiar road that the teacher and student had passed many times, leaving behind their love. I remember the drizzly afternoon when she quickly grabbed her raincoat and told me to put it on so I wouldn't get wet. And also on the way to pick her up, I remember her words of encouragement: "Very good. You will not let me down" in seventh grade.

The compliment contained her joy and the pride that rose in my heart. Because her beloved disabled student had won a consolation prize in the district-level excellent student competition in English. That was the subject she taught. To her, that was a precious achievement.

When she found out that I was on the list of winners, she immediately called my father in an excited mood. Because the disabled student had tried his best to take the exam and had achieved some results, because the knowledge she had imparted had been applied to some part of the exam. That meant her effort in teaching me had not been in vain.

She is very enthusiastic. She worries a lot about her students going to exams. Even though she is busy with work, she still tries to supplement my knowledge and my friends' knowledge at home.

Her companionship was not only through knowledge but also through encouragement and motivation with spirit. I brought that encouragement into the exam room with a strong mentality, doing the test with all the inherent ability I had learned from her and the teachers in the department.

I am forever grateful to her. Because she drove me to school. Because she wholeheartedly imparted knowledge. Because she loved me with a special affection more than her other students. That deep memory is deeply imprinted in my mind and I will forever remember my teacher named Tam.

The giver of hope

The second teacher who left an indelible mark on me was named Thuyet. The acquaintance between her and me was like a strange fate, difficult to explain.

She was also a secondary school teacher, teaching math but teaching at a school outside the commune. That meant that even if she wanted to teach me, it was impossible. The two of us seemed to have no connection to form a deep relationship.

The first time I met her at the neighborhood school when she took her child to school. We just talked about it. After I got older, I didn't see her anymore.

Then one day, by chance, she appeared before me. It was the time she went to pick up her child from chemistry class. Coincidentally, I was in the same group and grade as her. When she saw me, she remembered my name right away. And so did I. That gentle face, that soft voice, how could I forget.

We met a few more times at this extra study group. Then I didn’t see her and she didn’t see me. At that time, I was hospitalized for pneumonia that was getting worse. Life and death were separated by a hand span. Luckily, a miracle gave me a chance.

The day I was discharged from the hospital, she came to visit me and held my hand, saying: "You are so heartless. You don't know anything." In that exclamation, I felt a great compassion. A compassion that was tangible in the kiss on her forehead before she left. The gentle kiss seemed to warm my soul and transmit great motivation. The magical kiss came from someone who was not related to me. Perhaps after my grandmother and parents, she was the one who made me remember the kiss. That kiss was a priceless gift.

After the illness, my health was weaker than before and I could no longer go to school. I dropped out of ninth grade halfway. Sad days came to me quietly. No friends talking. No bustling classes. The world shrank to only the small sky in front of my house.

As if she understood my mood at that time, she brought me special gifts. They were books and books. I was a "bookworm" by nature. I devoured any genre she lent me. Until now, I can't remember exactly how many books I've read. I only know that I changed a lot after she fed me with many delicious spiritual foods.

Ms. Thuyet wanted me to be soothed by her writings and have a strong spirit to live happily and optimistically. I felt her silent care and love. She helped me overcome difficult days and lit up rays of hope...

Motivation to live

Because the love you two have for me is so great, I have to repay you in some way. I love you two all my life. I am eternally grateful to you two. Your presence in my life is like a pair of wings that join together to support my weak arms, giving me the motivation to fly high into the sky and reach the stars of my dreams.

PARTNER UNIT