Chained Appreciation

Walking down an empty street one morning of quarantine, a white van caught my attention because it followed the direction of a woman who was headed to school. When the door of the van opened, a guy dragged the woman who willingly went with him.

I did not know what to do and where to go. My hands and my feet rattled and my mind slowly blacking out until I lost my consciousness. As the light returned to my mind and I regained consciousness, the first thing I saw were chairs that surrounded the room and a board where my name was written on it. 

The woman who was dragged earlier is now in front of me. Even though her hands were chained that made her feel pain, I can see her eyes asking me, "Are you okay?". I nod to her and unexpectedly receive her warm smile.

Suddenly, I heard the man's footsteps coming to our room. As he entered the room, he was staring at me furiously. Then the man asked me with his deep and frightening voice, 

"Do you know this woman?"

My mind went blank. I really know her but I can't remember who she is.

The man said, "You can't remember her because your loath upon her, even very small, erased the good memories that you shared together." 

I keep on remembering her but I can’t recall a single memory. 

The man continued, "Little did everyone know that the woman and people like her are our silent hostage. They do their job and mission even though they faced a lot of adjustment and stress in doing numerous hard tasks."

"But you, you are the one who tied her hands with a chain full of criticism and hatred,” the man uttered.

The woman did not speak a word.

I did not know what was going on.

He gave me my phone and showed the Facebook post that directly criticized the woman’s salary privilege amid the quarantine. Then he moved it to my group chat where I wrathfully expressed my hatred to her because of giving a lot of class work. The man commented, "From that time on, you started to chain our hostage.”

I suddenly felt guilt and regret, but I don't know why and where it comes from.

"If you could remember her, I will free both of you. But because you can't, only one will be freed. I am giving you a minute to decide, after that time there will be no chance to leave.”

The woman spoke for the very first time, "I already accepted to do my mission and to deliver it in any means even though I face a lot of troubles along the way. Go and don't waste my sacrifice. Even though you may have forgotten me, I will never forget why I am doing this. I don't want you to miss the opportunity to learn. Run!”

I just followed what the woman said because the time is up. I kept running until I reached the exit of the building. As I opened the door, a flash of memories struck my head.

Memories when she made my classmates and I laugh because of her non-stop joking.

Memories when she blew my mind with the knowledge I wouldn’t have learned if it wasn’t for her. 

Memories when she counseled us and heard our sad and happy stories in life.

No, I don't want to leave without thanking her. So, I sprint back to the room as fast as I can because I don't want her to be the hostage of her profession and feel unappreciated.

It was too late. When I took a look at the window, the woman was slowly walking away with chained hands. I did not get the chance to untie her. She looked back and smiled at me but I can see in her eyes that she was disappointed.

I heard a familiar sound somewhere and followed where it’s coming from,

RING!

RING!

RING! I woke up from that dream.

"Marie, hurry you will be late on your online class," my mother called.

I told myself that I will not make a chain of hatred and criticism to tie them down. I will never forget the one who endured the burden to teach those lessons and make students learn. They deserve to be appreciated and not to be bad-mouthed. It is not yet late because I will always remember their encounters with my life.