8 Confidential Conversations

Lina entered the class and began setting up for the lesson.

She took a wet wipe from her handbag and gave Shao's desk a clean before placing her handbag down and sitting in the wooden chair.

ShaoQing's desk was different than hers, she curiously opened one of the drawers and found a box of pens, some empty food wrappers and a cheap sample of men's cologne; the kind that comes free, stuck to the pages of a magazine.

Are all men so messy?

She felt tempted to clean out the drawer, but she controlled herself.

The students began to enter and take their places, and Julie Zheng smiled cheerfully seeing Lina.

"Oh Miss Liang! Will you teach us English too?"

Lina laughed softly and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, "Just for today Julie."

"Awwww..." moaned the other students.

"Where is Mr.Wen?" asked a young girl, joined by a group of other disappointed faces.

"Ahem!" Lina stood up and cleared her throat, "Mr.Wen is just taking care of some things, but he will be back tomorrow. I will be teaching you today."

The students dragged their feet and sat down, taking out their books.

Lina peeked at the title of the book, it was the famous Shakespeare story, 'The Merchant of Venice'

"Oh.." she said relieved, "What page are you on?" she asked a random boy in the front row.

The boy pointed to a page and Lina nodded and began to read.

The students listened attentively as Lina voiced each role with enthusiasm and stopped every so often to ask a question.

Lina paused and smiled holding the book in her hand, "You know this story is one of the most famous stories that addresses gender roles."

She walked between the aisles of desks and asked, "Why do you think the female characters often dress up as males?"

The students pondered the question and Lina answered for them, "Jessica dresses as a man to escape her overbearing father and his strict rules and Portia dresses as a man in order to pose as a lawyer, which was a male-only profession at the time... How does this ideology compare to modern times?"

Julie raised her hand.

"Teacher's pet!" scoffed one boy in the room.

"Shhh!" Lina scowled, "Yes Julie?"

Julie hesitated before speaking, "Um... well nowadays girls can do anything, they can have any profession and marry anyone of their choice, but back then they couldn't, so that's why they had to wear men's clothing."

"Or maybe they were lesbians!" cackled a foreign boy wearing a sports jersey.

Lina sighed and closed the book, "Time's up... I would like you all to write a page reflecting on what lessons or morals you took from the story. Class dismissed!"

After the class Lina packed her books away when she felt a finger tap her back.

"Miss Liang?"

Lina turned to find Julie standing sheepishly, shoes pointed together and eyes on the floor.

Lina checked her watch and sat on the desk, "Don't you have a bus to catch?"

Julie shook her head, "No miss, I have a driver but he will wait for me. Can I speak to you? About... something private?"

Lina nodded, "Fine Julie, what's the problem?"

"But do you promise not to tell anyone?"

Lina exhaled and placed a reassuring hand on the young girl's shoulder.

"Yes Julie, it's completely confidential."

"Well you know Jack, the American boy?"

Lina nodded.

"Well you see how he always interrupts me and teases me... during class and in front of people he is always so rude to me." Julie spoke with a sad expression on her round little face.

"But he sits beside me during music class and he is always whispering things in my ear."

Lina's ears pricked up at the new information, "Whispers things? Things like what?"

Julie blushed a red color, "I can't say... but he did kiss me once."

Lina looked shocked, "Whoaa, wait a minute Julie, are the things he is whispering, romantic things? Sexual things?"

Julie nodded and played with her hair.

Lina wrapped a protective arm around the girl, "Listen Julie, you are only thirteen. There is plenty of time for that stuff later, but for now I think you should focus on your studies."

Julie stared deeply into Lina's eyes, "Okay Miss Liang... but I don't understand. If he likes to kiss me then why is he so rude to me?"

Lina paused and her lips parted as she pondered the question.

She removed her hands from Julie's shoulders and scratched her head.

"Uh... Well Julie, sometimes guys are just dumb!"

....