Break Free

~Five weeks earlier~ Becca's POV “Time to BREAK FREE!!!” Someone shouted out of sheer excitement for it was that time of the year again, when we could all bask under the comforting heat of the sun, enjoy our surroundings, and make new memories together. Some call it 'summer camp’ but for us, we prefer calling it ‘break free’. It’s the first day of December and although others would usually be chilling in cold winter snow during this season, here in South West Australia, we’ve just started welcoming the heat with a fun summer break. “Come on Teacher Becca, let’s go!” As I looked down, I saw Andy, a little girl with golden braided pigtails, round red glasses and a smile that’s a bright ray of sunshine, pulling down the end of my shirt hurrying to get off the bus first.  “Alright, this is it, another exciting adventure with my kids!” I told myself while being yanked by Andy across the bus. To tell you the truth, I was actually the perpetrator of having summer camps like this. As a teacher, I’ve seen how important it is for children to take a break, to just be free, and to have fun. It might seem crazy; taking the huge responsibility of bringing the children into the woods and being their guardian for a whole month, but for us, faculty and staff, it is still worth building a deeper relationship with them. “Hey Becca, how was the trip?” my co-teacher asked as we climbed down the bus. “Hey there Brian! Oh… it was fun,” I replied with a wink. “Though someone here kept me awake the whole trip, she won’t stop singing!” I added, while looking at Andy’s now-shy-face as she continued to pull my shirt. “No teacher Becca, me sang so well, me want to do it again, me can sing and…” Andy rubbing her eyes, cried in defense, pulling my shirt even harder. Among all the other children, Andy sure is the most fragile. Like vintage porcelain that’s delicate to handle, one wrong move with Andy and she would instantly throw a tantrum. “That’s right Andy, I bet it was a great concert! Teacher Becca must’ve been thrilled sitting in the front row, right teacher?” Brian immediately cut in trying to cheer Andy and tease me at the same time. I must say, for a teacher, Brian’s pretty good at handling children. But for a friend, sometimes I’m not so sure if I’m glad we work together. “Mhmm, that’s right! It was indeed a memorable one, honored to be your audience. I’m now a fan!” agreeing with everything he said, I answered enthusiastically. Then Andy turned to us and gave us both a tight hug before running along with the other kids. Being with the kids for the past three years made me realize that more than acknowledgments or praise, it’s the sense of being loved and understood that they desire the most. And honestly, I love moments like that with them; every time they showcase their talents, it’s like I’m seeing a radiance of light. It’s remarkable how they are not ashamed nor concerned about what others might say. Even at times when they're already being ridiculed, they would sing and dance all the more. Some would see them as children with disabilities and often label them as special children or down syndrome kids but they are more than that. They are creative, bold, authentic, and based on what I’ve  seen, they are even more capable of showing love compared to others. I guess that's the reason why I studied psychology and special education, to further understand them because admiring them from afar is not enough. I want to do more for them. I want to touch their hearts the way they touch mine and hopefully, to give them what they need. Special educator is not an easy job for even doctors find it difficult to instantly know why these kids would suddenly be grumpy and throw tantrums. As a matter of fact, there were plenty of times when I was punched, kicked and laughed at by them and I would often end up crying. Not because I am irritated or that I am losing patience but because sometimes I find it hard to connect with them and as their teacher, as their second mother, it's terrifying not to know what your kids need. But despite all these, they are also the reason why I keep going. Why I'm excited to wake up in the morning and go to work, why I never run out of energy no matter how exhausted I am, and why I came up with the idea of break free. That's why I'm so thankful Coach supported me on this. And speaking of Coach, where is he?  I've scanned the whole entrance but he's nowhere to be found. “Hey Brian, have you seen Coach? I thought he said he’ll be here early, he even asked me to prepare an early lunch for us?” “Oh well, you know Coach, he’s not wasting any time, Ahaha! They’re already at the breaking ground setting up the obstacle course for the first activity,” he explained. Well, that’s true, it’s impossible for him to be late, I bet he has prepared all the tents as well. No wonder there's no sign of him here. “Wow, what a way to start ‘break free’, obstacle course, really?”  I asked with a bewildered look. “Yeah! You heard me right. Just like what he always says, we are not called for playgrounds but for battlegrounds. Therefore, soldier, stop idling around and start helping.” Brian ordered in a soldier’s deep commanding voice. It was so hilarious I was not able to hold my laughter. “Ahahaha! What’s with the low-pitch voice?” I queried teasingly. “Oh come on, that was the best I’ve got, ahahaha! But I’m never doing that voice again!” he quickly replied, feeling a little embarrassed. “Oh by the way Becca, before I forget, Coach said you’ll be the one to handle the new BF and he specifically ordered you to orient the guardian as well. I guess that person is our first ever volunteer.” I’m the type of person who loves playing with words, creating new ones, or giving new meaning to old ones. Hence, I thought it’ll be nice to change some common terms, including how we address the kids. BF became a trendy term for best friends so we adopted it, calling our kids BFs, short term for 'Break Free-ers', not really an actual word but that’s what we use instead of campers. While for the breaking ground, it simply means the campsite. It is weird but they sound a lot more interesting and engaging. But wait did I just hear him say “handle the new BF and volunteer”, we have a volunteer? “What? Seriously? You’re kidding right?” my jaw dropped after realizing what he meant. I know he’s embarrassed but this is beyond unfair, “I’ll sure ask Coach about this.” I told him while giving him an annoyed look. “Plus he said you need to introduce Break Free and properly welcome everyone during tonight’s event,” he added, trying to really get back at me. Brian and I have been friends ever since grade school so we pretty much knew everything about each other. He knows when I’m annoyed, apparently because he mastered all the things that could annoy me. He knows when I’m not in the mood or when I’m about to explode.  So imagine having an older brother whose goal is to bully you every second of his life, well, that’s our relationship. But regardless of his childish play, he is, without doubt, a reliable man. He’s always there whenever I need him, even before I ask for him. “I need to get going then, haha, this’ll be fun! Thanks Brian!” I replied with a smirk. And right after our talk, I headed quickly towards the breaking ground to look for Coach. As I walk to the vast array of breaking ground I can’t help but be emotional. Seeing its beauty after a year is just breathtaking! With green grass tickling each and every step, graced by wildflowers blooming all around, and towering trees with crisp golden leaves, it was just beyond words..., enchanting. Saying that breaking ground is the best might sound a little biased, but it really is the best for me as it is no ordinary campsite. It's a place I hold so dearly in my heart. It is a huge meadow that leads to a nearby river on the left and a mountain forest on the right. I know you’d say there’s nothing special about it because that’s exactly how any other campsite would look like. But I suppose, knowing that this place is my dad's gift to my mom, the day she has given birth to me, is a huge factor why I'm so in love with it. Not to mention all the charity, medical missions, and even concerts for a cause that were held here. Now I sound like I'm boasting, but seriously, breaking ground is not ordinary for it holds a lot of good memories that have a sentimental value to me. And in a few weeks, we're both turning twenty-two. It sounds crazy but I consider this place as my twin for it is the closest thing that binds me to my mom.  I just hope this year’s break free would add up to the memorable moments this place already holds. While enjoying the view, I saw someone familiar heading my way. "Is this for real? Is he really here?" I whispered as he came nearer and nearer. "Finally..."