I wake up exhausted but my neighbors are hammering away at something so I cant fall back asleep. Besides, I'm supposed to have a writing session with Tommy this morning, which should be fun. I hop out of bed and run over to my phone to check Instagram. Tommy has cancelled our writing session. Bummer, I was really looking forward to that. It's okay though, I have an interview for another job in Nanjing today. If this goes well, maybe I can finally change my life.
Despite my writing session being cancelled, I still leave my apartment late and barely make it on time. Shawn, a very bro-y Indian man and my agent for this gig, is waiting for me at the subway stop.
"Sorry I am a little late Shawn."
"No way dude, you are my brother. Let's head in."
We go to the fifth floor of a nice mall and enter a small school area, where Shawn and I are asked to wait in the lobby for a bit.
"Don't be nervous, bro, you are going to do great in there."
"I'm not nervous."
"Good bro, that's the right headspace. The school is going to love you, I guarantee it. I just met you and I already love you. You are my brother, man."
"Thanks Shawn."
We are called into the principals office. The principal is a very tall, sour looking man who doesn't speak any English, so there is a translator. Shawn does not speak Chinese either.
"The principal is worried about your contract at the other school. Are they going to let you go?" asks the translator.
"Nah, don't worry about that," says Shawn, "it's not a big deal."
"Well, it is sort of a big deal. We have lost other teachers because of this before."
"Nah it's easy," says Shawn, "we can get him out of that contract no problem."
"Are you willing to do a demo class?" the translator asks me.
"Right now?"
"Yes, right now."
"Okay, I guess."
Shawn approaches me and pats me on the shoulder.
"Don't worry about this bro, you got this. Don't be nervous."
"Okay, thanks Shawn. I'm not nervous."
"That's the idea."
I am led into a classroom where about 12 young attractive Chinese women are sitting in very small chairs.
"This is your classroom for today. So if you could just do a demo class teaching the colors that would be great," said the translator.
"Are there going to be any students?"
"These are the students. They are going to pretend to be children."
"Okay."
The attractive chinese women immediately began to goo goo and gah gah. They would stare at me wide eyed or talk to each other in Chinese or get on the floor and crawl around. I basically ran around and nicely asked them to sit back down and gave them lots of high fives when they got a color right. This went on for about 15 minutes and then the translator suddenly stood up and said "Okay, that's it, thank you."
"Okay, thank you." I waved to the 12 women as I left. "Bye bye." The women giggled and blushed.
Shawn ran up to me as we walked back to the office. "You did great, bro, you were amazing. They really loved it, I could tell. You didn't seem nervous at all."
"Thanks Shawn."
"You are my brother, man."
We walk back into the office with the sour principal and the translator. The principal stares at me, sourly. Then he grins widely.
"The principal liked your demo class very much. He is prepared to offer you 23 thousand RMB for a job."
"Oh bro, you gotta take that man, that is amazing. That's the best deal I have ever seen bro. You aren't going to find a better deal than that in all of Nanjing, you gotta take it bro."
"Does that include accommodation?"
"No, that does not include accommodation."
"Oh bro, that's amazing. You gotta do it."
"That's less then I am getting paid now."
"That the highest the school will go. You would be the highest paid teacher here. If you can sign here."
"Can I get a little time to think about it?"
"The school would like you to start as soon as possible. You can take as much time to read it now as you would like and then you can just sign there at the bottom."
"Oh man, you don't need to think bro. This is the best deal I have ever seen. Just sign it."
"It seems like a good deal but can I just take the weekend? I have been talking to another school in Shanghai and I would like to here their offer."
"Shanghai sucks bro. Nanjing is the best city in all of China. It's so cheap. Even if you get paid more there, it will feel like you get paid more here."
"Yeah but I would be living in Shanghai."
"You can have until midnight tonight. Otherwise we may have to find another teacher."
The translator walks me and Shawn out of the mall.
"You were amazing in there bro. Seriously. That's the best deal I have ever seen, you gotta take it."
"I'll think about it."
"Hey, what are you doing right now. Do you want to get lunch with us?"
"Oh you and the translator are getting lunch?"
"Yeah, do you want to come?"
"Oh, I have to head back because I've still got school tonight. I could do a coffee or something."
"We are in the mood for lunch," says the translator.
"Oh, okay."
"Hey dude, I just want to say, whether you take this job or not, we are brothers now. We both live in China. We're bros."
"Okay, thanks Shawn."
Shawn and the translator walk off into the distance. I sigh and head back to the metro.
Before work, I stop at the grocery store below the store to get some chocolates for Nancy to thank her for the other day. I also decide to buy a 6-pack of yogurt for Teacher Monica. Ever since I corrected Monica that yogurt is pronounced yo-gurt instead of you-gurt, she starts repeating yogurt every time I pass her. I thought it would be a cute nice little gift to show an appreciation of friendship, but Monica didn't really react when I gave it to her.
"Hmmm, that is kind Teacher Riley."
"Yeah, you are welcome Teacher Monica."
Monica then went around the office giving everyone the yogurt I had bought her. She even gave one to me. It tasted like hope.
"What you need is a Chinese girlfriend, Riley," said Monica.
"Oh yes," Nancy piped in, "A Chinese girlfriend. That would be perfect Riley. She could help teach you Chinese."
"Yeah, I agree. Sign me up. If I could find a Chinese girlfriend, I would have one in a heartbeat."
"Hmmmmmm," puzzled Monica. "You know who else really likes fishing?"
"Who?"
"Sakey"
I gasp and choke on a little yogurt.
"Sakey goes fishing all the time. Maybe you should go fishing with Sakey sometime."
"Oh, well, if Sakey wanted to go fishing with me I would be more than happy to go fishing with her. I'm not really good at fishing or anything but I'm, ya know, happy to spend time with Sakey."
"Give me a second."
Monica leaves the office, then walks back in with Sakey.
"Hi Riley," said Sakey.
"Hi Sakey."
"Can I add you on WeChat?"
"Sure."
"Sakey likes spicy food too so you can take her out to eat some hot pot," said Monica. "Sakey loves badminton, so afterwards you can go play some badminton with her."
"Okay that sounds great."
"Great."
"Bye Riley."
"Bye Sakey"
My heart is beating so fast it feels like it is going to burst out of my chest. A date with Sakey? Did I just get a date with Sakey? This can't be real, this can't be happening. I've thought she was cute like the whole time I have been here. Holy shit, holy shit, this is insane.
My first class that day is, of course, Sakey's. I feel so nervous. When she hands me the lesson plan, I feel her finger graze mine and get butterflies in my stomach. When we dance and sing the bathtub song, I feel like we are in perfect sync and it feels amazing.
During my next break, Monica comes into the office to invite me to go go-karting with her and Sakey and Laura on Monday. I say yes immediately because I don't know what else to say, but as soon as Monica leave I remember I have my job interview in Shanghai on Monday. Shit. I don't know what I should do. The smart thing would definitely be to cancel go-karting and go do my job interview, but Sakey is so beautiful. Maybe she likes me? Do I want to jeopardize that? Then another horrifying thought occurs to me. What if Sakey doesn't like me at all and the school is just doing this as some sort of a trick so I won't leave. My feelings for Sakey haven't exactly been subtle. I'm sure everyone in the office can tell I have a crush on her. What if the school is pimping Sakey to convince me to stay? Is that possible? Would the school even do that? I shake my head. It's too disturbing to even think about. I sit down at my desk and order dinner.
I thought I was getting better with chopsticks, but my soup has Udon noodles in it and I am finding it impossible to get a single noodle. Teacher Monica comes in again to check on me. Monica has never talked to me this much in a day before. Maybe she did like the yogurt.
Our Halloween festival is coming up and Josie asks me if it is a good idea to have the children carve pumpkins. I tell her absolutely not, it's a little dangerous. She nods like she didn't listen to a word I said and leaves.
I talk to Peter a bit about the book I am reading. I explain to him how the Hmong were refugees who fled from Lao to southern California during the Vietnam war, and Peter tell me that we are not allowed to talk about this stuff in China. I joke that I won't bring the joke to school anymore and Peter says it's fine, but be careful who you talk about this stuff too.
As I leave work, I see the boss lady and avoid eye contact. Despite trying to give everyone another chance, I still hate this woman with a burning passion. I don't think I will ever be able to forgive her. Fuck boss lady. Fuck boss lady in the bald spot on her stupid head.