TEACH PUPPIES
Almost immediately after the phone rang, you noticed the pitter patter of many tiny weightless little footsteps. Their sloppy gait overlapped each other like thousands of rain droplets falling down during a spring storm. The sound caused your ears to perk up in excitement as you began to look around for the source of the noise!
Tiny voices overlapped each other to the point where you couldn’t hear what anyone was saying, maybe they weren’t even saying anything. The puppies were toddlers, so you wondered if their sloppy childish accents even had any intent behind it. They were paired with excited screams as they poured from the dorms with so much excitement that it seemed like they were about to barrel you over as they ran all around you.
“We have a new teacher!” one of them yelled
“I don’t want a new teacher.” Someone else replied
“I DO! Look, she's so pretty!” they worshipped you as you towered over them
“What games do you know lady!” Another one tugged at your legs. You watched as they filled the entire space with excitement around you and the receptionist slash trainer.
“Oh my! Well hello everyone!” You addressed the children with politeness, remembering at all times that you were being watched. “What are your names?” All at once, everyone began to shout a random mush of syllables and you instantly regretted asking that specific question. “Well that wasn’t the best way to go about that.” You thought to yourself.
To your right, you saw the woman jot down another thing on her notepad. You felt a bit of anxiety gripping at your stomach as you tried to handle the situation.
“Okay come over here!” you said as you went to the middle of the room and sat down, beckoning everyone around you to sit as well.
“The woman should be here shortly.” Another ring of the receptionist’s cell phone. Like clockwork, the door opened almost moments after she returned the rectangular technology to her dress pocket.
“Sorry for being a bit late.” A short statured and heavy set woman stepped through the door. She was well dressed, unlike yourself, but you were trying your best. She took a moment to eye over your draping clothes and gave you an odd look, as if to say ‘why are you wearing bedsheets?’ Your mind mulled over the thought of what she would say to you. Her gruff voice cut through the air. “Is this the new one?” She turned to ask your higher-up.
“Yes, she just came in today.” You couldn’t really see their faces from that angle, but it seemed like they had exchanged a sly wink. You introduced yourself, the voices around you finally settled down, and the puppies turned around to watch her reply with crossed legs and submissive ears. You introduced yourself, stating your name clearly and with perfect annunciation.
“I see. Nice to meet you.” She greeted you, before looking at the puppies sitting around you. “So you are to train her?” the woman asked the other. You watched attentively as they talked.
“Of course.” She looked at you. “The young woman will be watching you teach today, and tomorrow we will shape her into a teacher herself.” The delivery was cold and rehearsed. Something about their exchange made you feel a bit uneasy.
“I’m looking forward to being a useful part of the team.” You reassured them, catching their attention once again.
“Lovely. I can see you’ve gotten acquainted with the puppies.”
“Yes! I love children.” You replied enthusiastically. She smiled.
“Then you will be working closely with them, you will learn like them, and you will relate to them, socializing them accordingly in the meantime.” You were a bit jarred by her sharp reaction.
“Uhhm okay.” you replied.
“Now let us begin!” she said, whipping the children into shape. Some of them looked at you as they got up, but most of them were so trained by the gruff call of her voice that many of them didn’t even give you a second thought as you watched them move their lowered heads into a circle around the teacher.
Written by Drifting Dragon on 02 August 2021
