'Don't want them to read romance at this age'! This guy really does want to hear my colorful vocabulary, doesn't he? That vampire! I hope he falls in love with a hopelessly romantic girl one day. This is my curse!

Rambling to herself she was busy in making posters, slouched in on the chair in the vacated staff room, for the drive they'd arrange once in a month. It was to teach students the difference between good and bad touch.

Many times, children don't know that the person who's treating them with such utmost care is actually not the way to be treated at all. They take perverse behavior as affection because their innocent minds simply can't differentiate between the two.

As she impeccably scribbled on the chart paper, her dilligence was broken by a kid's voice.

"Ma'am, come with me quickly. Ayyan has fainted again," he said as he put both his hands on his knees and bent on his stomach to regain his breaths.

"Ya Allah! (Oh God)" Abruptly, she shot up on her feet as the markers lying on her laps trumpeted to the furnished floor. "Where is he?"

"In the ground," the kid divulged and she sprinted along with him towards the said location.

A crowd of students was surrounded around Ayyan as he lay there while few of them tried picking him up. Jostling her way through them, Safa reached to him and propped him up in her arms. This was the second time Ayyan had fainted and he was only seven.

Once in the nursing room, she put him in the bed and sprinkled a few drops of water on his ashen face. He woke up while yearning for his father.

"He'll be here in just a few minutes, my baby. You just lie down and tell me what happened, alright?" She said as she ruffled her hand through his silky hair.

"I don't know. I was just playing and suddenly my entire body started shaking and the next thing I knew I was on the ground."

Safa nodded as someone entered the room and she turned around. It was Ayyan's father.

"You fainted again?" There was ire in his eyes. "How many times do I have to remind you to be a man, hun?" He yelped at him and tears started rolling down Ayyan's scrawny alabaster face.

"Great! Here comes the water works." He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Men don't cry. Men aren't weak. You hear that?" He grabbed him by his emaciated shoulder and he shrieked.

"What the hell are you doing? What is wrong with you? Who talks like that?" Safa yelled as she retracted his hand from Ayyan. "He's your own son, for God's sake. At least, show some mercy and take him to the hospital."

"Hospital?" He questioned with astonishment.

"Obviously. I mean did you look at him?" She asked, her eyes bloodshed.

"Men don't go to hospital. They don't need to. They're strong and this girl over here needs to be taught that," he gestured towards Ayyan with disdain as if his illness was his fault.

Safa opened her mouth to argue but he thrust his hand at her. "Look woman, he's my son. I know how to deal with him. Stop being so nosy and take care of your own business."

Even though she wanted to protest, she actually didn't have the right to do that so she stepped back.

******

Knocking the door of Azlan's office, she stepped inside.

"You called me?" She asked.

Azlan who was typing away in his laptop looked up and his jaws stiffened at the sight as he took off his spectacles.

"Yes, I did." He stood up and grabbed a book from the table. "What is this?" He asked as he flashed it in front of her.

"Book."

"When I clearly told you not to teach this one then why were the students reading it?" His voice rose above a couple octaves.

She was already so worried about Ayyan that she didn't have the strength to argue back and tell that she didn't ask them to.

"I'm sorry," she said as she cinched her cashmere closer and turned around to head towards the door but he called after her.

"A sorry doesn't fix anything. You'll have to pay for disobeying me." His voice held authority.

"What do you mean?" She inquired as she faced him, her brows furrowed.

"You'll be punished for breaking the rule," he divulged as he shoved his hands inside the pockets of his slacks.

"What rule? Letting the children read what they like?" Her face flushed crimson as the wind from the window fluttered the lose tendrils of her hair through her covered head.

"Assume whatever you want but you will definitely be punished," he enunciated each word.

If it were any other day, she would have objected and brawled with him but right now, she was just too exhausted so she sighed. "Alright, bring it on," she said as the night clouds thundered outside, making her shriek and the corner of his plump lip lifted into a lopsided devilish smirk.

He knew what to do.

******