love education

Chapter 34 April (4)
Father kissed the paper, "Look at this again," the old man said, and handed my father the other little paper packets. "I rely on them to recall the past. Every year, I will collect one of my students' homework and put it here. I will organize them in chronological order. Every time I open them like this, read a sentence here, and read there. In a word, those things that happened in the past will reappear in my mind, and I seem to return to my old life. Oh, those days are gone, my dear sir. As soon as I close my eyes, I seem to I could see the faces behind me, the classes, the hundreds of kids, and who knows how many of them are gone. Many of them I remember Very clearly, I can even now remember who was the best learner among those kids, who was the worst, who made me the happiest, and who made me go through those painful, sad moments, because you know Well, with so many students, there will always be a few black sheep. But now, I seem to be living in another world, and my love for them is equal."

Then the old man sat down again and took my hand in his. "Then tell me," my father said, still smiling, "do you remember how I was naughty?"

"You're naughty? Are you?"

The old man smiled and replied, "No, I really can't remember it now, but this does not mean that you never do bad things. However, you have good judgment. Compared with your peers, you You seem to be more mature, I remember your mother loves you so much, and it is really a thoughtful thing for you to come to visit me specially today, how could you just leave your post like this to see a What about your old teacher?"

"Listen to me, Mr. Crosetti," my father said excitedly, "I still remember the scene when my mother came to see me off on the first day of school. It was also the first time for her. , she never left my side for more than two hours, or was taken out of the house alone by a stranger other than my father. For this kind woman, the moment I walked into the school was the moment I stepped into The beginning of society, this is only the beginning of those inevitable and heart-wrenching separations in the future, it is the society that makes her have to separate from her children for the first time, and after that, her son is no longer her own She was so excited, and I couldn't control myself, and my voice was still trembling when I said goodbye to her. After she left, I waved goodbye to her again through the window on the classroom door. His eyes filled with tears.

And at that very moment you made a gesture with your hand and you put the other hand on your chest as if to say 'trust me sir' to me, that gesture, that look, I know that you understand all the affection between me and my mother, and all my mother's thoughts.That look seemed to tell me to be brave, but that gesture was actually an honest promise to me that he would be by my side to protect me, and at the same time give me love and tolerance.I'll never forget it, it's like it's etched in my heart, and it's because of this memory that I decided to come here from Turin.Now, I stand in front of you, 44 years have passed, I just want to tell you a word, 'Thank you, my dear teacher. The old man didn't answer, but stroked my hair with his hand. His hand was trembling uncontrollably, and it slid from my hair to my forehead, and then from my forehead to my shoulder. "

At the same time, my father looked around the small room. He looked at the broken bed, then at the small piece of bread, and at the small glass bottle on the window sill. He seems to be trying to say:
"My poor teacher, you taught for 60 years, is that all you got?"

However, this kind old man was satisfied in his heart. He changed the topic and began to talk about our family affectionately. He also talked about the teachers in the school and my father's classmates. Yes, he couldn't remember.They also talked to each other about other people's news that they knew.My father interrupted their conversation after a while, begging the old man to come to the city and have lunch with us, saying gratefully:
"I thank you, thank you," but he didn't seem to make up his mind, and my father took his hands and started begging him again. "But how should I eat?" said the old man:

"My hands are shaking like this now, how much trouble will this cause you?!"

"We'll help you, teacher," my father said.Afterwards, the old man accepted our invitation, he nodded, and then smiled:

"It's a fine day," he said, closing the outer door:

"It's a fine day, my dear Mr. Potney, and I assure you I will always remember it."

My father held out an arm to the old man, and the old man took my hand, and we walked down the path.We saw two little barefoot girls leading two cows, and a little boy walking past us with a huge load of straw on his shoulders.The teacher told us that they are third-grade students. Every morning, they drive the cattle to the pasture and work barefoot on the grass. In the afternoon, they put on their shoes and go to school for class.It was already noon, we didn't meet anyone else, and within a few minutes we arrived at the small hotel.We sat down at a large table, with the old man between us, and began to eat lunch.The inn was as quiet as a monastery, and the old man was so happy that his hands shook so much from his excitement that he could hardly eat.

My father cut the meat for him, broke the bread, and sprinkled salt on his plate.In order to drink, he had to hold the glass with both hands, and even then he touched his teeth, but he kept talking.He talked very enthusiastically, he talked about the books he read when he was young, he also talked about the notary today, he also talked about the praises given him by his superiors, and some of the recent years. series of rules and regulations.When he said these words, his expression was so calm, his face was much rosier than before, his voice was so cheerful, and his laughter was as bright as a young man's. My father kept staring at him like this.I have seen the expression on his face before. When I was at home in the past, when I was immersed in my own thoughts, he would smile like this to himself, turn his face to one side, and look at him with this look from time to time. I.As the old man drank, a few drops fell on his chest, and my father stood up and wiped it off with his napkin.

"No, sir, I can't let you do that," said the old man, smiling slightly.He said a few words in Latin, and at last, raising his glass, which was still shaking in his hand, he said in a deep voice:

"This drink is for your health, my dear engineer, and for your children, and for your lovely mother!"

"Cheers to your health too, my good teacher!"

As my father said, he took the old man's hand, and at the other end of the room stood the owner of the hotel and a few others, and they were looking at us, smiling, to see a teacher who was able to get a message from him. The blessings of the students, they also seem to feel very relieved.At two o'clock, we walked out of the small hotel, and the old man wanted to accompany us to the train station, so my father stretched out his arm to the old man again, and took my hand, while I helped the old man hold the crutches .Many people stopped to look at us because they all knew the old man, and a few paid their respects.When we came to a certain part of the street, through an open window, we heard the voices of many boys reading in unison the spelling of new words, and the old man stopped, as if saddened by it.

"This, my dear Mr. Botney," he said to his father, "makes me sad. I can hear the children reading in the school, but the people are no longer there. Those who are there are Another teacher, I have listened to this music-like sound for 60 years, I have fallen in love with this music deeply, and now, my family has left me, and my son has died."

"No, teacher," my father said again, "you have many sons, they are all over the world, they all remember you, just like me, they always miss you."

"No, it's not like that," said the old man sadly. "I've lost my school, and I don't have my sons anymore, and I can't live long without them. The day is not far away."

"Don't say that, sir, don't even think about it," said my father, "you have done so well in every way, and you have given your life to this noble cause!"

At this moment, the old man leaned his gray head on my father's shoulder and took my hand.We walked into the train station, and the train was about to start.

"Goodbye, teacher," my father said to the old man, kissing him on both cheeks.

"Goodbye, thank you, goodbye!"

said the old man, and took my father's hand between his trembling hands, and put his hand on his heart.Afterwards, I kissed him too, and I could feel his cheeks already wet with tears.My father pushed me into the train compartment, and at the moment the train started, he suddenly snatched the rough crutch from the old man's hand, and put his own well-made crutch in the old man's hand.The cane had a silver handle with his initials engraved on it, and it said: Please accept this gift and remember me forever.

The old man tried to return the new crutch to my father and take back his own crutch, but my father had already entered the carriage and closed the door, "Goodbye, my dear teacher!"

"Good-bye, my dear boy!"

As the train moved, the old man called out to my father, "May God bless you and thank you for giving such a gift to a poor old man as a comfort."

"We will surely meet again!"

My father shouted loudly, his voice was full of deep affection for the old man, but the old man shook his head, as if to say: "We have no chance to see you again!"

He raised his trembling hand and pointed to the direction of heaven, as a reply to his father, "See you there!"

In this way, his figure gradually disappeared from our field of vision, while his hand was still held high.

slow recovery

Thursday the 20th

No one would have guessed that just after my father and I returned from our delightful excursion in the country, without seeing the country and the blue sky for ten days, I fell ill and nearly This killed me.I heard my mother sobbing softly, and I saw my father's pale face, staring at me anxiously, and heard my sister Sylvia and my brother whispering to each other , and the doctor, wearing his two glasses, is by my side all the time, speaking to me from time to time that I don't understand.In fact, I almost said goodbye to everyone.Ah, my poor mother, I lay thus for three or four days, during which time I remembered almost nothing, as if I had been in a dark and confused dream all the time.I seem to see my former kind female head teacher sitting on the side of my bed, trying to cover her mouth with her handkerchief, so as not to disturb my rest by coughing.I also vaguely saw my homeroom teacher, who leaned over to kiss me, and gently stabbed my face with his beard.I also saw, as if through a mist, the red hair of Cross, and the blond curls of Dross, and the Calabrian boy in black, who seemed one by one from I pass by.Galen also came and brought me a Chinese tangerine, the leaves of which hadn't fallen yet, and he left in a hurry because his mother also fell ill.

(End of this chapter)