Unprepared

Here it goes again, summer rain. The water drips from the sky nonstop and it drips onto our rooftop, "plop, plop, plop." The cool breeze flows into the first floor from the front door. Peeking out, I can see tree leaves dancing on the ground, painting our neighborhood with shades of red, green, and gold.

It is summer now, I just arrived home yesterday from boarding school in Phuket. So I don't feel like doing anything at all.

The old wooden clock sitting on top of the bookshelf ticks two in the afternoon. I lazily flip onto my stomach. I am still wearing my unicorn pajamas. These pajamas have been with me for about five years now: from middle school to high school. With time, the cloth becomes increasingly soft and delicate. It doesn't hurt even if I don't wear a bra.

The living room floor is covered with ceramic tiles which cool my entire body. Even in the oppressive summer, lying here gives me peace. I slowly wave my feet up and down, kicking in the air, thinking about life, when the doorbell rings.

"Ro, come and get the door!" I shout for my brother who might be studying upstairs. I am not ready yet, I cannot go out like this… "Ro!"

No one answered. Apparently, it seems like no one else is home. Just when I decide to tiptoe upstairs to change, the front glass door slides open. A slender young man stands there peeking into the living room and I think he sees me.

I look back at him, "Ummm…", what should I say? I am still in pajamas, braless. This is so embarrassing… I feel my face instantly turning red, I just want to run away.

"Ahhh, I am so sorry!" He turns his back to the floor when he realizes my existence, "I just came because Aunty Marzia says that Jessica will be teaching me Japanese today."

"Oh… I am Jessica though… and Marzia is my mom" I reach into my hair confused. Did I miss a message? When Mama went out today she didn't tell me anything…

Then, my phone buzzes. Turning on the screen, there is a new notification from Mama "Hey darling, I forgot to tell you, there will be a student coming, do you mind helping me out?"

Ughhh, this is so frustrating. Mama just ruined my day. She should have told me earlier so that I would not be so inappropriate, I don't even want to reply to her. But hey, earning a few bucks won't hurt. Facing the "intruder's" back I ask "Umm, what is your name? You can come in and have a seat first."

"Samuel, you can call me Sam." He replies softly and timidly. To avoid making me uncomfortable, he walks backward slowly into the house. I am just glad he didn't trip over the door frame. Anyways, that is quite considerate, and maybe a bit cute.

"Sorry if you need to wait for a while, I need to go up and get changed. You can rest on the sofa."

"Okay, thanks."

I race up into the room and pick the first top I find. I decided to just put on a Muji shirt which is plain, white, and just like who I am. I slip on a pair of sky-blue shorts. I used only fifteen minutes to get ready and even put some blush on my cheeks. Wow, this must be a world record. In no time, I am sitting beside Sam on the sofa downstairs.

Sam is reading, scrutinizing the notebook on his lap. He bends down and is writing something with concentration. He didn't even realize that I was sitting on his side. "Hey, we can start now," I whisper to avoid startling him.

But I was unsuccessful. Sam jumps up, "Ahh… Oh. I am sorry, I didn't realize you were here." Then, he calms down and draws some distance between us, moving to the right end of the sofa. "Umm, I really want to study in Japan for university. So I hope I can reach N1 proficiency in a year."

"Okay." I nod. Nice, at least he has a very clear goal in mind and seems to be very motivated. I like that. "So do you know your level right now?"

"I just started half a year ago actually. I self-studied all the way." He opens the other notebook, the one occupied with green color bookmarks and shows me his progress and calendar. Each day has a clear goal, with the chapters and practice stated. Those that are accomplished were ticked off. Those that weren't moved to the next block. I flip all the way to the last page. Then, the same lessons were moved further and further.

It seems like he is stuck. "So what do you find difficult in all these modules?"

He turns towards me, "Actually, the grammar part is more or less okay, although increasingly difficult. The hardest thing I find is remembering and connecting concepts together."

Yeah, many people do find that hard. I look into his notebook again. Even though he practiced a lot of grammar and writing, he did not do listening and speaking practices. "I think what you need now is to learn to speak, to talk, and to listen to others. This will enhance your ability to memorize and apply concepts."

"I haven't thought of that. Yes, that could be a problem." His face lightens up, "Can you please help me with this?"

"Sure." Speaking exercises? This is fun. Out of everything, I believe speaking and listening can enhance one's language ability to a different level. It is like a magic stone that will help you level up to be an advanced magician. "Why don't we start with getting to know one another?"