One Ex Student of Mine

I was at my workplace this morning. I had two sessions to teach, 08.00-10.00 and then 10.00-12.00, the same class, Conversation Class level 2.

During the two sessions, we have a ten-minute break. During the break, I usually go back to the teachers' room and have a chat with my workmates, or read newspaper, or read a book.

After the break was over, I went upstairs again, coz the classroom where I had my CV 2 class was located on the second floor. On the stairs, a student called my name, and hurriedly walked to me, "Ms. Nana ..." I stopped, waited for her to come to me.

She asked, "Do you remember one of my classmate named Ruminatih?"

I replied, "Yes. What about with her?" I remembered that name, but I a bit forgot which one.

She went on, "She got an accident yesterday Ma'am. She got injured in her left head and her back very seriously so that she was unconscious for six hours yesterday. This morning, she died."

I responded, "Oh... I am really sorry to hear that."

I forced myself to remember which one Ruminatih was. At last I remembered, the first time she mentioned her name, I teased her by saying, "Can I call you Rumi?"

She complained, and said, "Call me Ratih Ma'am."

I said, "But Rumi was a great writer. Don't you ever hear name Jalalludddin Rumi?"

"No Ma'am, please call me Ratih, not Rumi. I hate that name you know."

I remember it happened around 2 years ago, in one class, Intermediate 1. The class was full of students from SMA N 3 and SMA N 5 Semarang; a very lively class, very enthusiastic students, love all of them.
Ruminatih, or Ratih, already had quite good English, I liked her accent when speaking, not really like other Javanese students I had. I liked her spoiled behavior coz she was the youngest in the class at that time. It was okay for me to have spoiled student like her coz she studied seriously.

Hmmm ... I am really sorry to know that such a lively, lovely, smart student only had a very short period to live in this world, although I believe she was already happy there, in that other world.

My condolences to the family.

JDC 15.50 211006