Four days ago, I wrote about accepting a full time employment offer. Yesterday, I was asked to come by the office. My to-be boss addressed again an issue I brought up once in an email. Whether or not the company would be okay with my involvement in Random Alphabets. He said it’s alright, as long as I sort out my priorities.
That same evening, I had to tutor math to my sole sixteen year old student. Halfway through the class, I finally made a decision that I’ve been self-rallying at the Roland Garros. I can’t commit any longer to this class, without compromising this boy’s education. It wasn’t clear to me then, that my five year plus ‘career’ as a part time high school home tutor was about to end. The primary source of income that allowed me to travel extensively while I was a university student.
I break the news to him, and although he didn’t take it too well, we were okay. I dismissed any sentiments I had, with the mantra, ‘it has to be done.’ We grew close, in the sense that I was comfortable telling him off with my voiced raised, using colourful language. Sometimes in the most demeaning condascending ways. Depending on how my patience fared. What’s remarkable is that, never once he gave up on me, or himself.
Fact is I have always taught him more about life than I have about math. That wasn’t the reason why I stopped. That was in fact the reason why I didn’t want to. Because as I observed, those lessons did captivate him, somewhat. Best of all, I did see change. On top of that, we did share many amusing moments. The following is one example.
If there’s was one thing that constantly annoyed me, but not enough for him to stop doing it, was how abrupt he was in interrupting my speeches, and cutting corners in his work. I told him, you are so gelojoh and rancak, that you probably ‘arrive’ twice before you take off your trousers to bed your wife. To which he laughed, and then said,
Yea. I think so too.