Lifesaver.

Dear God,

I've stayed away,

Kept quiet,

Remained stationary,

Sat on my hands,

And quivered.

I've learnt to box things up so much that sometimes I convince myself.

Mich died at 26.

Events over the last 7 years have failed to register in her memory.

Keeping mum hasn't worked;

Neither has staving off the proximity.

It's strange, isn't it?

Students from the past thank me for effecting a positive change in their lives. For some, they are grateful that I'd stepped in and transformed them from hopeless wrecks to diligent students in junior colleges & polytechnics. Affirmation of these are verbalised long after these youths are out of my jurisdiction, many of whom are already in their early twenties.

"Thank you, Ms Teo. Without you, my life would have been very different."

"I would never have made it to poly if not for you. My secondary school teachers didn't even care about me, but you did. Even though you no longer taught me after primary school."

Yet,

Yet....

Mich cannot save Mich.

Good job, Irony.

Take a bow.