- 5.
After several days of travel. I arrived in
<
Harsh, but beautiful.
Free from a suffocating relationship, even the
air felt sweet.
The unfamiliar landscapes filled me with joy.
I was the most educated in our group, so I
was assigned to teach the local children.
A young teacher, John Riley, greeted me,
holding a sign with my name beautifully
written on it.
He’d been teaching in Alaska for three years.
He described the area.
I was prepared, but the reality of the poor
conditions was still jarring.
<
Most children couldn’t even read.
But their bright eyes reinforced my decision.
I devoted myself to teaching them.
Within three months, many volunteers had
left, unable to handle the harshness.
My ulcer flared up, and I considered leaving,
too.
But the children’s eagerness to learn kept me
here.
I’d survived David; I could survive this.
John joked about when I’d leave.
Looking at the children playing, I said softly.
“I don’t think I’m leaving.”
He was surprised.
“Lots of teachers come, but few stay,” he
said, smiling.
“Anna, we bet you wouldn’t last three months.
You seemed too delicate.”
“You’ve proved us wrong. I apologize for
underestimating you.”
I shook my head.
“Let’s work well together.”
He extended his hand.
I finally felt like I belonged.
<
The hardest part wasn’t teaching, but
convincing parents to send their children to
school.
Many still believed education was
unnecessary.
Every weekend, I hiked miles to visit families.
One day, I overslept and skipped breakfast.
Halfway through my trek, my ulcer flared up.
There was nowhere to buy food. I pushed on.
Soon, I tasted blood. I’d bitten my lip.
The pain intensified.
I collapsed.
Г
Instead of hitting the ground, I fell into
familiar arms.
“Anna!”
I thought I heard David’s voice before I
blacked out.
