"Teachah." I stare at the 1st year student who just waltzed into my summer camp. Literally waltzed, that is not a metaphor. I'm not being flowery. She spun and danced. 
"Yes?"
"Call me Bomb" The 1st year student taps her chest proudly. "Bomb Teachah Bomb"
"Bomb?" I size the student up. She does not look like she is going to explode....but one can never be too sure. Her big smile with no hint of mischievous intent, her eyes framed by long thin glasses and her short black hair.
"BOMMMMB." she confirms with a nod of her head.
"Ok...why?" I cannot resist the question.
Bomb folds her hands across her chest and does her best to explain. "You know the Nut that falls from the tree?"
"err..."
"Nut from tree and Bomb." She puts her two hands together and makes a motion I'm all too familiar with. "Same."
"Chestnut?" I raise my eyebrows.
Bomb hops up on one leg and puts both hands in the air. "yeahhh teachah. I'm chestnut!"
Over the next few weeks Bomb quickly becomes my favorite student. Full of life and imagination, she runs into my Summer camp classroom and tries unsuccessfully to explain the story line to her favorite drama. Her excitement makes me unable to stifle her.
"Teachah....today....errr....yeaaaahhh....kiss." Bomb's eyes light up in excitement and she puts her two hands together to clap and bounces with gleeful embarrassment at the word "kiss".
"Oh really?" I say in mock surprise.
"Yeaaaah teachah. Yeaaahh." Her face bubbles over with joy and she puts both of her hands over her eyes and giggles.
I quickly discover "Yeaaah" is Bomb's favorite word. Everything she tells me from the new glasses her sister bought her "Teachah my sister...Yeaaaah...bought them for me....yeaaaahh...good sister....yeaaahh." to her woes over spending time studying " Teachah....I study all weekend....yeaaahhh..." are full of the word.
It is said as if she is a surfer, catching the perfect wave on a California beach. It's a lovely trait that I cannot help but smile at.
She is a special student. Smart, and kind.
She is the one student who no matter when she sees me it is like she has seen a present on Christmas morning. She bounds up to me, waves her hand and grabs mine. She is the one who stands at the bottom of the stairs when she sees me at the top. Her smile practically wraps around her face as she shapes her hands into a heart at me and wiggles wildly.
To which I respond, "I love you too."
These words transform my lovely student into a lovelier ray of sunshine. Literally light pouring from her face, as she says uncertainly "Really?"
I nod and say "Of course."
Bomb jumps up and down and points to herself. "ME too. yeaaaaahhhh me too. you love...ooooooo" She spins around.
I don't know why the word "Bomb" means chestnut in Korean. I think if I could change the definition I would. Joy is an appropriate word here. In fact, when choosing English names it is the name that "Bomb" unknowingly selected from my name box. Her spirit is one of those that I want to remain intact and untouched by the trials she will inevitably face as being a student in a rigid education system.
She is one student I regret not staying for. I think about leaving her and know I will cry, because her heart is so beautiful.
"Bomb" does not mean chestnut to me. It means "Joy" pure, lovely, giggling Joy.
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| "Bomb" |
Aww faithy. She seems like a wonderful student.
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