The Sea

I was just browsing Facebook's iRead app and suddenly a memory came to me suddenly, of Mr Weber reading 'The Sea' by Hemmingway to us (Hemmingway and certainly not 'The Sea' turned up whilst browsing iRead, so I don't really know why). I don't know why he read it to us - I'm not sure if it was part of the curriculum or he thought it was a great story or he wanted us to take something away from it. I certainly remember a bit of it, but I'm not sure whether that's because years later (I can't remember when) I picked it up and read it again. I went to visit my old school while I was in Indonesia last month, and asked if there was a memorial book for Mr Weber. They didn't have one, but I suppose if they did they would have to have one.... for every teacher and every student who has passed through the school and who has since passed away. While I was speaking to the assistant in the office the middle school principal came out and spoke to me. He was new when I left in 7th grade - I remember going to his office once for being tardy too many times (3). It's been 11 years, so I should not have been too surprised by how much older he looked and how much his hair had turned grey. He got out my old 7th grade yearbook and found me. "And whose class were you in?" he asked. "Ms Bruns's" I answered. "In the same community with Ms Rosario". "Ah yes. Ms Bruns left a couple years ago. Roz (Rosario) sadly passed away last year from cancer". This shocked me. "You would've known Greg as well" he said and turned to a page where we had our group photos. He passed his fingers over Greg and Nick, standing side-by-side. I'd forgotten that Greg, too, had died. My sisters and I used to say there was a curse on our school, as we received constant news about the death of one ex-student or another. But I guess in a large school like ours one can't avoid knowing that some teachers and students would die too early, due to random circumstances out of anybody's control. It is merely statistical. To me, Mr Smith looked bowed down and grey with these deaths. I shudder to think how many other students he knew who had been claimed by the grim reaper. I have always remembered that school as the setting for those perfect happy childhood memories, and I can't help but be a little bit sad to hear that some of those who are part of my perfect happy childhood memories are now gone.