CHAPTER 6

It’s been entering the third week since the last time Wendy heard Yeri talked or rather shouted. It’s not that she didn’t talk at all. In fact, she did communicated with her classmates but it was only a mere whisper of yes or no. There’s nothing else coming out from .

‘Well, at least she communicate well with the others.’ Wendy thought.

Her mind didn’t get to wonder much when Jokwon knocked on the door.

“The principal want to see you,” he said as he entered and walked towards Wendy.

“What about it?” Wendy eyed him curiously.

“No sure but he seems to want to ask you about something and wish to talk to you in private,” Jokwon said almost in whisper, “I’ll take care of the kids, no worries.”

Wendy nodded as she turned to look at her students and walked around their table to see how far have they done their afternoon work before she announced, “Kid, behave well. I’m going to go to the principal’s office for a bit.”

“Are we in trouble, Miss Wendy?” Joy asked.

Wendy walked towards her as she kneel down beside her while patting her head softly, “Don’t worry, Joy. I don’t think this class have ever been in trouble unless you did some trouble behind my back.”

Joy shook her head immediately, “No, I did not. I’m just worried about what had happened the last time.”

Wendy smile and reassured her not to worry and asked the other kids to resume doing their work and had Jokwon helped them should they have any questions on the work given to them. Wendy glanced briefly at Yerim who seemed to be occupied herself in doing her work though her eyes told the story the other way round. Wendy then left to the principal’s office.

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Wendy knocked thrice before she heard Mr. Choi’s voice asking whoever on the other side of the door to come in. Wendy turned the knob and walked in.

“Ah Wendy! Come on in and have a seat,” Mr. Choi gestured her to sit in front.

Wendy quickly closed the door behind her gently and made her way to the seat and sat in immediately.

Mr. Choi cleared his throat as he went through the file in his hand, “How’s Yerim coping up with the class and her mates, Wendy?”

“It’s all good. It’s just that she hasn’t say anything beside a yes or a no after that incident,” Wendy replied.

“Any other thought or suggestion that come into your mind of what you’re going to do with her after this? You know, to get her at least to talk to you about what she wanted to the last 2 weeks,” Mr. Choi looked at Wendy expectantly.

She didn’t like it when she get pressured like this. Wendy had always been a person who wanted to work comfortably and without any pressure along when she work. She knew once there’s pressure in her work, she would not just fail to do her work but it would automatically bring her mood down as well that she might affect people that surrounded her.

“I haven’t think of any to tell you the truth but it’s been bugging my mind that perhaps I would visit to her home this evening with my partner to see her,” Wendy replied as she sat uncomfortably in the chair, “And maybe a little chit chat with her caretaker to see what had been up on her at home the past weeks since the incidents.”

Mr. Choi nodded his head, “Fair enough. But Wendy, I’ve got to said this. If this coming next two weeks still isn’t working for her and us, you have to know that she will be transfer to another school. The social service workers came to me few days ago and talked about having Yerim to be put into a care of possibly her new family which was pretty much far from us. The caretaker haven’t give them an answer though. They’re pretty much still trying to discuss with Ms. Kahi. They could probably drop by to the orphanage at the same time as you this evening.”

Wendy gasped, “What? Are you meaning to say that if Yeri gets to talk then she would stay here then?”

“It could be,” Mr. Choi replied.

“What? It doesn’t make any sense at all. I mean why would they bring her if she couldn’t talk? Won’t it be hard for them to communicate with her at all?”

“I am not sure of that as well, Wendy since I got the information from the social service workers stating that they’re from some high rankings family so we can best assume that they could provide her with someone much more knowledgeable to help her with this mutism she had,” Mr. Choi explained carefully.

“And what’s with not adopting her if she can talk anyway? Do they mean to say that they’re taking her for adoption to do some experiments on her or something?” Wendy fumed with anger when she thought of the possibilities of taking Yerim as an experiment. How cruel of the world can be to take a child as an experiment?

“Wendy, please calm down. We’re not sure yet of why would they want to take her but she’ll be safe for sure and maybe she can live a proper life if she is to be taken care by them,” Mr. Choi replied while looking intently at Wendy.

Wendy scoffed, “Proper life my ! If that’s what they’re thinking to adopt her, I’ll be making sure that they’re passing over my dead body first.”

“What? Wendy! Why are you so furious about this? It’s not like Yerim is your child,” Mr. Choi retorted.

“Listen Mr. Choi, she might not be from my own flesh or blood but I treat my students like my own. Like my own child,” Wendy responded, “And I’ll be making sure that Yerim is out of their reach as well!”

Wendy stood up and walked out immediately after she talked. Once she was outside the room, she ruffled her hair in frustration and thought what had happened these past few weeks made her even more frustrated than she was right now.

‘God damn it! Relax, Wendy. Relax.’ She thought while walking her way back to the classroom. Just before she entered the room,