(Glad we are still schoolmates in elementary. Your face is like a baby's face. So bubbly. Your eyes, ... your lids arent double. So Chinese. When you laugh, as you close those beautiful eyes of yours, ... it's all but two straight lines.
Youre so chubby. You're like a bear.

I feel bad that you didnt give me any piece of your paper when I needed one. I feel left alone way back in kinder, just because of that. I feel sad when you cant give any. You are the only classmate I am comfortable approaching. How am I suppose to write , my notebook is full of doodles. Lend me just a piece of paper. Bear with me. No more spaces for writing lessons - shapes, colors, traffic lights etc. These are all I was about to say. But i didnt)

(I never thought to utter gratitude. Im just so happy being with you after class. Though we are not classmates anymore, Im happy we are schoolmates. And I am not aware that I am happy with you. That this thing is called joy or happiness. It just , it feels like I want to play with you in the stairs heading school's auditorium, while you are waiting for your parent to fetch you. I dont know the word happy, and the word FRIEND. I just smile when Im with you. chat a little, and let you lead the conversation, in your most jolly way)

(I cant tell you how excited I am! Wearing this red slippers! see? it makes me free! I can play in the rain , and in the flood without disobeying mom!) I kept my black shiny shoes and my socks inside a plastic bag, and I secure it in my red first ever stroller bag! (You should do the same. Now I can tell what makes me happy - playing in the rain, and flood)

(You asked me why did they command you to be a substitute, and sing the national anthem in our graduation in kinder? I dont even know that I have that assignment to lead the students to sing it. I didnt even know that you took over in the stage. I dont know what happened to graduation, I was so absent minded. All I know is , after our graduation, I was so happy to receive a cute pencil with a 'graduation cap' on top of it, instead of an eraser on it. Who ever made that, that made me happy)

(You dont know Jehovah'Sweetnesses? that's my religion. I dont sing national anthem)

Your mom is here! Bye Joeben!

(I feel alone now, no one to talk to. But Im not sad. Gonna spend more hours in the rain. Back and forth , up and down, here in the stairs heading school auditorium. Glad the school guard cant see me and my red slippers!)

(I will tell mom later, I boldy told Joeben of my religion. And I wanna ask her, why I was supposed to lead to sing the national anthem on stage, but Joeben substituted)

"It's Jehovah's Witnesses. Not Jehovah's Sweetnesses," mom corrected me. I never felt how proud she is. It's hard to tell people the truth, with this shaky voice of mine. But Im proud inside. Maybe mom isnt, maybe she chuckles inside. How embarrassing and how wrong I pronounced "witnesses"

Joeben, you heard it wrong. I pronounced it ... slightly correct. Bear with me, little chubby bear.

Well, as I grew up, I gradually become aware and convinced, ... that Jehovah God is sweet. 🥰

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"Now I know, WHY you bring the red slippers!" says mom , at scolding session. [Love and duty session , instead]

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Series: Grade School Rain
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