THE TENTACLES OF LOVE

CHAPTER 3 Mr. Tshewang-The Tamer

All the students stood up instantly and greeted him in respect, "Good morning, Sir!"

Dochung and I was late to stand up. We stood up hurriedly after others.

"Sit down!" the man commanded solemnly. All of us sat down and remained silent.

"Good morning, students!" he welcomed us as he walked towards the center of the class.

"I'm Tshewang. I've been teaching students for the last 15 years. I t's my 7th year here at Mongar Higher Secondary School. I'll be your class teacher for the year of 2014", he introduced himself to the class.

"Our class teacher? Yalama!" I could hear someone whisper from my back with a tone of fear.

"Now, you may introduce yourselves to the class", he asked us to introduce ourselves in order. I was trembling in fear and timidity as my turn approached.

"Hey, you!" Mr. Tshewang pointed at me as soon as Dochung was done with his introduction.

I stood up gently and began, "My name is Pema Yoezer. I'm from Salabi village situated under Gungdue Geog. Mongar Dzongkhag".

"Wh-What? Salabi?" Mr. Tshewang asked me as soon as I was done.

"Yes, Sir! It's one of the remotest areas under Mongar Dzongkhag!" I answered respectfully.

"I'm hearing it for the first time during my 7 years stay at Mongar. It definitely seems a far-flung place!" he concluded. I just bowed down without a word.

The introductions followed till the last student. Mr. Tshewang cleared his throat after all the students were done.

"I need to let you know a few things before the regular classes begin", he began with a tone of sternness. Dochung and I looked at each other.

"As the students of my class, you can't come late to class. If you do, expect a punch at your stomach!" Mr. Tshewang warned us with seriousness. The class remained frozen as if someone had warned us to stay still and would be gunned down if we moved a little.

"Wow! Such a beautiful warning on our first day to school!" Dochung whispered to me. I said nothing but signaled him to stay silent. I didn't want to get bashed up on my first day to school.

"Intimacy between boys and girls are not recommended! The time isn't ripe for all of you to get into unhealthy relationships! If you've already planned one, expect to be dead soon!" he roared in his hoarse voice.

"But we won't tell you that we're", Dochung whispered funnily. I pinched him to shut up without Mr. Tshewang's notice.

"Lastly, do what I say! If you do what you aren't supposed to, I'll reward you with kicks, slaps and punches! If you act like animals, I'll be your tamer! Did you understand?" he asked us after he was done.

"Yes, Sir!" all of us responded in unison with our heads bent low.

"That's all I've got to say for today. Your textbooks will be distributed towards the afternoon. See you all on Monday!" he said as he walked out of the classroom.

All the students sighed in relief and stuck out their tongues as soon as our class teacher, Mr. Tshewang left.

"We've got a very strict class teacher this year! I'll request for a change of section", one of the boys from back joked.

"Me too!" another said.

"I'll surely get bashed at one point of time. Punctuality isn't my type!" one of the boys from the front bench remarked.

"He seems very strict! Chills run down my spine the moment he enters the class!" one of the girls nearby whispered to a friend of her.

"He is. He was my class teacher last year", her friend could be heard saying.

Our class teacher, Mr. Tshewang became the subject of our conversations that very hour. Every student from back till front muttered about him.

"Beware of The Tamer, guys! He'll punch us! If you have already planned one, expect to be dead soon!" one of the boys even imitated his dialogues and the class broke down into laughter.

Mr. Tshewang's words took me back to an incident that happened to me which nearly left me blind when I was in the 7th grade at Nagor Middle Secondary School. I was shaking in fear as I recalled of that very day:

It was already dusk as the bell rang for the evening study. I was having a very bad diarrhea and therefore, I could only make to the evening study after all the students were settled in their study rooms. I went to my classroom and rummaged for the important books before going to my study room.

Just then, a loud voice called me from the outside, "Pema Yoezer! Why are you still not in your study room?!?"

I stopped and turned towards the direction of the voice in fear. It was our Principal, Mr. Gembo. He was an averagely tall man in mid-forties with oblong-shaped face and hooded eyes. He was feared by all the students; he was known for his ill-temper. He became blind when he was angry and would bash the students responsible to the pulp with whatever he could get in his hands. He also had a story of hitting a boy with beer bottle who was almost paralyzed at the previous school where he served as the principal. I froze in fear.

"I-I'm sorry, Sir! I had a b-bad d-diarr..."

"COME OUT! COME OUT!" he roared before I could even finish explaining. I stepped out of classroom as the students watched in fear.

"What are you doing there?!?" Mr. Gembo gritted his teeth in anger and twisted my ears hard. "Ouch! Ahh! Sir! Sir! I was having a bad diarrhea! Please, Sirf Forgive me!" I cried in fear and pain.

Before I knew what was happening, Mr. Gembo was already hitting me with a bundle of fresh peach branches. I was yelping in pain as he hit my calves and my head hard with thick branches that did not appear to break forever. I had never been treated so badly like that in my entire life. I could see the girls of my class crying in pain as I was slowly losing consciousness.

"What do you think about Mr. Tamer?" Dochung asked me as 1 was sinking deep in thought of pain and fear.

"I-I didn't really have a good feeling. His words have already started to haunt me, I said, still recalling of that excruciating pain.

"You don't seem fine, Yoezer. Are you?" he asked me.

"Y-Yes! Yes, I am!" I pretended as if everything was okay. However, the incident had left a deep scar in me both physically and emotionally. I gently felt the scar near my right eye left by Principal Gembo's fresh peach branches with my forefinger without Dochung's notice. It brought back memories of past which haunted and hurt me deeply.

To divert my thoughts away from the inclement past, I asked Dochung," Hey! You didn't tell me your lady's name. Won't you even tell me her name?"

Dochung stared at me and laughed. I smiled.

"Rinzin Pelden. Rinzin Pelden was her name", he said with a grim expression.

"A beautiful name! She must have been beautiful too", I remarked. Dochung looked at me and smiled as he nodded his head.

"Look at this phoja, man! How handsome he is! Doesn't he deserve an equally beautiful partner?" he continued funnily.

"Enough of your donkey praises now. Who was the girl who turned down Dorji Penjor's proposal on the first day of school?" I asked him.

Dochung laughed and said nothing. He stood up and began moving towards the window without a word. I remained on my chair, still and speechless.