Shielding her LASIK-ed eyes from the blinding rays of the sun, she emerged from The Temple to daylight for the first time in weeks.
Wandering through the neighbourhood, the resident flock of birds greeted her eagerly with cheery chirps, mistaking her for the old aunty who habitually fed them with grains of rice (for the record these birds are blind :?).
She passed a Starbucks with swaths of empty seats, where some of its occupants had long adjourned to the Animal Kaiser machine nearby.
The atmosphere of the day was one of relief, of liberation, and happiness, with positive x2 quadratic curves worn on the face of every student she saw.
Arriving at her destination, she soon settled down with her customary cup of chocolate sundae to celebrate her own ‘liberation’, to mark the end of several long, grueling months of intense joss sticks sessions (FYI, she NEVER had sundaes in mid-season).
Relaxing to the unbridled sounds of teenage joy and laughter in this post mid-year exams period, she stared idly at the delicious mixture of vanilla cream and dark chocolate topping on the table.
So alluringly rich and creamy was the sundae, it appeared to take on a life of its own and beckoned her towards it.
She gladly obliged and leaned forward, and the dark concoction seemed to swirl before her very eyes …
… and then she saw a scene at The Temple, with storm clouds gathering in the sky above. A scene of stress and chaos, where she found herself besieged by hundreds of students with ghastly expressions of fear and terror and negative x2 quadratic curves scrawled on their faces …
Miss Loi! I don’t know how to do!!!
Isn’t this the same question from your Mid-Year Exam?
I forgot already! I’ve forgotten everything since the World Cup started!
Miss Loi! My teacher will force me to drop A-Maths if I don’t pass my end-of-year exam next week!
Miss Loi! My O-Level maths paper is in two weeks’ time! I need you to cover all topics in one week!
Miss Loi! You must help me cover five chapters in a day!
The mock exams! There’s … too many of them! I’m hit! I’m hit! ARRGHHHH!!! *crashes X-wing fighter*
Miss Loi! I dunno! Miss Loi! I can’t remember! Miss Loi! How?! How?!! HOW???!!! MISS LOI HOW???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*GASP!*
.
.
.
The startled group of students at the adjacent table glared at her for a brief moment before resuming their animated discussion on whether to watch Ip Man 2 or Iron Man 2 later.
Having recovered from the terrifying vision, she was reminded once more of her great burden, as she stood up and made her way back to The Temple, past tables of chatty students, packed arcade machines, and the same flock of birds (which she duly ignored – hmmph!).
As the Temple Gates slowly drew to a close behind her with a thundering thud that sent a thousand needles through her heart, she knew that, despite what had been said year after year, despite the fact that topics can only get harder (with less time to teach) in Semester II, there will be those who would steadfastly hold on to their pagan beliefs that there’s still ample time, that things can be picked up and mastered overnight, and that they can wait till the end of the year to rectify every topic/question that they don’t know … and the excuses will come.
For she had seen the sinister things this false dawn of sunshine hides, and saw her abandoned cup of chocolate sundae beginning to melt – to signal the start of a countdown to the O-Levels in 5 months’ time.
This is usually the time when Miss Loi announces her June Holiday Intensive Revision Jφss Sticks Sessions programme. Unfortunately for this year, as it stands, the situation at The Temple is such that all her slots from now right up to the 2010 ‘O’ Levels have been blocked for her existing students.
As such all new enquiries will have the option of being placed on Miss Loi’s waiting list, or join a session conducted by another tutor.
Those on Miss Loi’s wait list will be contacted in October/November (when her current batch of students begin their ‘O’ Level exams), to arrange for next year’s classes which should commence sometime in December.
Thank you for your patience and understanding *looks away in sadness* 🙁
P.S. Other sessions at The Temple may still accept new students subject to availability. Kindly contact us for details.
