He tried to forget it, but it just came back to him. Theo had to keep going. He needed to finish the day even if the most recent painful memory almost severed his high spirits. The science teacher started his last lecture for the day. Sixth period would soon end if he didn't think well enough to keep the separation from his ex-wife as his primary concentration.
For the next forty minutes, he focused his attention on his students, half of them eager to learn and the other half just sitting around and waiting for this class to be over. Nevertheless, he made sure that he didn't leave anything out from his lecture. Discussing biology kept him strong, even if he still felt irate about the inevitable separation. His enthusiastic students also prevented any misfortunes from brewing within his mind. Most of the teenagers in the room expressed their deep fascination with science by quickly raising their hands whenever Theo asked them a question. It was a pleasure for him to work with the younger generation, seeing as how a good majority appreciated the topic of science entering the mainstream once again.
As soon as the bell rang, the students put everything away in their backpacks. Theo reminded them of their homework for the weekend. The students left the room, leaving the science teacher alone for the rest of the day. By now, students would be leaving the campus and returning home, either to play video games or to watch viral videos on the internet. Theo had a good feeling that half of his students would keep procrastinating, right until the last few hours of Sunday night. Sighing, the forty-two-year-old man cleaned his eyeglasses with his shirt. He grabbed his briefcase and was about to leave, but he didn't feel like going home just yet. He sat back at his desk and kept silent.
He didn't want to go back to an empty home. It just felt so silent and lifeless inside. Now that he could no longer see his son again, he had no choice but to accept the big changes that came his way after exiting the family court. He slowly slid his fingers across his short black hair. He needed something to keep his mind off of everything that struck him and placed him in a soulless aftermath of all things.
Theo grabbed his briefcase, but before he could leave the classroom, one of his students had come back and immediately blocked the entrance.
Eighteen-year-old Nathan almost bumped into his teacher and quickly apologized. "I'm so glad you're here."
Theo asked, "Do you need help with something?"
"I'm wondering if there is any extra credit that I should know about."
"I haven't thought of one. You might have to wait until next month for it."
"I can wait. I'm a patient person."
Nathan appeared to be a normal student. The young Korean-American man did well in Theo's class, despite a few low scores on certain assignments. He didn't seem like the kind of student who would consider science as something that only old geezers would enjoy. He remained confident and enthusiastic about the daily lectures, and that was something that Theo felt proud of. Nathan turned out to be one of his favorites on campus. He always had a high regard for people who held the same passion as him.
Nathan suddenly had a concerned look on his face. "Are you going to be okay?"
Theo replied, "Of course, I am. Why would you think I'm not?"
Nathan rubbed the side of his neck. "Because I heard from one of my friends about what happened to you."
Gossip must have spread very quickly in this school. Now, Theo would never dare to lie about something in his life. "It's true. I got a divorce."
"I'm really sorry to hear that."
"I'll be fine. You shouldn't worry about me. Worry about finishing your homework during the weekend."
Nathan took one small step forward. "It sucks that it had to happen to you. I wouldn't want to live if that sort of thing happened to me when I'm older."
"It'll get better when time goes by. Trust me, Nathan. I'll be okay."
The high school senior eyed him from top to bottom before giving a little smile. "I feel like you need some company."
Theo placed his hand on the student's shoulder. "Don't worry about me, alright? Just go home and do your homework. Both of us have things to do. We shouldn't waste our time being stuck in negativity."
Nathan slowly nodded. "I understand. Well, I'll see you next week."
He left the room. Theo took a slow deep breath. It would have been nice to have a little company, to have someone to talk to, now that the house had been completely empty for the past two weeks. But knowing how doing well in science class had grown important for Nathan, Theo no longer desired a friendly conversation with one of his favorite students.
He would have to choose a good alternative. He returned to his desk and plugged in his earphones on his smartphone. He chose the one MP3 audio file that would reawaken his high spirits. He always admired classical music, and Bedrich Smetana's "The Moldau" (from My Country) was no exception. The ethereal melodies played by the entire orchestra sounded like it would come straight out of an impressionist mindset. Theo closed his eyes for a moment as the strings and woodwinds helped relieve his melancholy manner. He stayed seated in the empty classroom while getting lost in the music.
Halfway through the composition, he opened his eyes again. And all of a sudden, he caught something from the corner of his eye. A black-colored notebook lay right underneath the one desk that Nathan had sat at. Theo picked it up from the carpet and examined it to make sure that it really did belong to Nathan. There was no name on the front, and neither on the front page. He checked the last page on the notebook, and found the first and last name of whoever it belonged to. If Nathan stayed a little longer in the classroom, he would have realized that he had left something behind. Fortunately, he left his home address on the last page. Seeing as how he had nothing else to do for the rest of the day, Theo decided to do the right thing. He left the classroom and made his way into the staff parking lot.
But before he could drive away in search of Nathan's home in the suburbs, he used his smartphone to call his ex-wife. When she didn't answer, he called her again. It would take him four tries before he gave up. He wanted to hear his son's voice again, but his attempts to contact the woman he once knew and loved proved to be useless. Instead, he sent her a text message at the last minute.
"He still has a father. Let him see his father."
He sent it and turned on the engine. It didn't matter to him that she would actually read it. He just felt glad that he took the time to show her that he had the right to see their son again.
* * *
Everything in the city of Anaheim appeared to be normal. There were no clouds in the sky, and there were no angry drivers on the street. Southern California remained impervious to unwelcome burdens. Theo opened the windows to let the cool spring breeze infiltrate the small space. The gentle air helped in reminding the man of his love for his place of origin. He had lived in the Golden State for all of his life. He loved everything about it, from the Sierra Nevada to the Mojave Desert. He only wished that his separation from his ex-wife happened elsewhere besides here.
