Chapter 9:    Goodbye Metropolitan Life

Kimhan Burnaphan

I took a last glimpse at the sleeping beauty in the bed before I closed the door behind me. My heart ached at the thought that Pie was hurt herself. She took the sleep that lingered around her as a curse she was grateful to have for; Pie seemed didn’t even bother to wake up and be alive as she has always been anymore. For countless time, I had seen Pie fussing around and freaked out like mad but not even once I thought I could see her that helpless. She was broken inside that she had no clue of what she supposed to do with her life. I felt bad myself, knowing that I didn’t help her much for whatever things she had gone through. What I was even thinking for these past few days? Mourning for the lost of my mother was unavoidable but did I just tell her to end up our marriage right here and there when eventually I did nothing but abandoning the role I should have taken care of? I supposed to be the spouse to Pie Mindara and stuck by her side until I was not needed anymore. It was not offensive though; I was meant to be in her life for such purpose. Thinking about it struck every coherent sense into my mind on why Pie was too mad at me ever since the day of my mother’s funeral. I should have not brought up the divorce matter to her, let it alone be her choice to decide.

The doorbell rang to my attention and I already knew who was at the door. Pie’s best friend, the only person I knew besides P’Boy was the only person who I could rely for help. I was clueless, considering that Pie has never really told me anything about her problem. She refused to tell me and one thing that I was certain, she doubted me a lot that she began to add another protective layers of invisible wall between us.

            “Is she okay?” It was the first question that spilled from her best friend’s mouth as soon as I greeted her at the door. I managed a small nod and invited her inside. Fern didn’t seem to be pleased by my response. I watched her stomped into our small house like a sullen teenage girl who had just being ignored for her request. That was new to me. I have never thought the two women I have just met for less than a month could be this immature somehow.

            “Where is she?” Fern fussed when she couldn’t spot Pie’s figure around the house. She dropped her handbag on the coffee table and crossed her arms across her chest while looking at me with a stern look. Not again. Fern had a lot of suspicion when it comes to dealing with me. All Fern saw was the negative sides of having me here. This unwanted feeling began to eat me alive. I hope I could bear with it until all of this was over.

            “She’s asleep, exhausted I could tell,” I shrugged. Pie chose to distant herself from me right after realization struck her awhile ago. I remembered vividly how she pushed me away in disgust as if I was kind of infected disease after a few heavenly seconds of our lips kiss.. I couldn’t even explain myself on why I led her to that too. The kisses were not supposed to happen.

I headed to the kitchen to get Fern some drink and she trailed after me. I wasn’t expecting that but whatever. “Orange juice sounds good for you?” I asked her. Fern nodded politely. I could tell that she was exhausted too. She came here after a day at school and not to forget, she’s pregnant for crying out loud. I felt sorry for her. She wasn’t supposed to be worried about anything but her pregnancy yet here she was, dropping in just to check whether her best friend was all right.

We headed back to the living room short after. I managed to get Fern some cookies, in case she wanted to munch something while we talk. To my surprise, she needed the cookies more than I expected.

            “So, are you going to tell me what happened to Pie back at school?” I asked straight away. Fern finished her last bite of the cookie in her hand and came facing me as if she was about to tell me something big. It was a lie if I tell that I wasn’t nervous. I could sense that whatever Fern was about to tell me was unpleasant news.

            “A new teacher is taking over Pie’s class from now on until forever,” Fern began while chewing her bottom lips in hesitation. “She was upset obviously but it was not the only reason why she looked that devastated,” My heart was thumping too loud inside my chest that I could feel it reach to my hearing. I wasn’t prepared to listen to whatever Fern wanted to tell me but I managed to keep a straight face. I needed Fern’s trust if I ever wanted to help Pie. She was the only source I could rely on.

            “There’s another teacher named Jane whom I could tell Pie’s rival. They have a few issues between themselves and eventually, Jane took Pie’s vulnerable situation to bring her down. I wished I could cut her tongue and break her jaw open. She really needs to stop talking bad about Pie to everyone,” Fern ranted. So that was the reason why Pie came home and venting the anger to me earlier. It was again, the consequences of our marriage issue.

            “That Jane should be more mature in this. Why she even bring up someone’s private life into their professional career?” I was infuriated all of sudden. I have never known that things could be this complicated. It was no wonder why Pie kept putting the blame on me. I have never thought anything about the consequences behind my deed.

            “Glad to know that you have that kind of awareness in your head. I wish you could have the same sense about it before you even agree to seal the stupid arrangement,” Fern sighed, rubbing her temple gently while leaning her back to the couch. I knew exactly where this conversation would lead us to. Fern was about to shove the blame in my face for taking Pie into this mess. After all, it was me who was wrong.

            “Now, what is Pie going to do when she lost her classes and whatnot?” I was frustrated. Pie loved her career; in fact it was her passion. Losing her job was meant to losing herself too. I couldn’t let that happen. I didn’t want her to change.

            “I’m not sure about it but I found this outside. She might have dropped it when she gets here,” Fern leaned forward, taking an envelope which I didn’t notice its presence on the coffee table earlier. She handed it to me and I didn’t hesitate to take. Fern seemed to have known about the content in the envelope. She even beckoned me to have a look at the content of the privately sealed envelope.

            “What is this?” My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

            “It’s the document Pie needed for the rural teaching placement,” Fern answered almost casually. “I see why she grew more frustrated,” I heard the woman sighed again. This was it; Pie tried to avoid the placement yet she was being offered by the same mission again.

            “I thought she won’t need to go there when she’s married?” I scanned the envelope thoroughly, reading every detail on its brown skin to my knowledge. Pie’s name was written in bold and at right corner of it, there was a logo of the Ministry of Education printed proudly to anyone’s attention.

            “I don’t know. There must be something I haven’t known yet,” Fern shrugged, clueless as I was. “I’m sure that she has been offered for the placement again for a purpose.” Fern’s assumption made sense though. Pie was eventually forced to deal with the thing she wanted to avoid the most. She got every reason to be upset.

Instead of wasting time for nothing, I began to take out the contents out of its casing and lay them on the coffee table. Fern shot a look at me but then shrugged uninterestedly with what I was trying to do. She might have seen them all but I had this urge to know what was bothering Pie. Why on Earth she was reluctant to go? I was aware that Pie was a kind of city girl who had never stepped her feet into a little difficulties but staying outside the metropolitan area wasn’t that b