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It’s Brent.
“Do you need help calling the police?”
I uncomfortably turned my face away: “No need, it’s a personal
matter.”
He let out an “Oh,” then escorted me into the dorm, easily keeping Ethan at bay behind us.
I thought after this rejection, Ethan would give up.
But I underestimated his thick skin.
From then on, he stopped going to work, spending every day guarding the entrance to my dorm.
When I went to school in the morning, he’d bring breakfast; at lunch break, he’d deliver lunch; after classes in the afternoon, he’d
follow me back to the dorm.
Every time he brought me something, I’d throw it in the trash right in front of him. When he tried to talk to me, I’d ignore him, but he
never got angry.
This went on for two weeks until he finally couldn’t take it
anymore.
“Scarlett, what do you want? Even my patience has its limits.”
“Divorce.”
He was utterly defeated, then his eyes turned venomous: “Divorce? Don’t even think about it. I’ll wait for you to come begging me.”
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With that, he left. The look in his eyes as he departed left me with an uneasy feeling.
Sure enough, the next day, not a single student showed up for
class.
I went door–to–door for home visits, and the answer was always the same.[Yesterday, a wealthy person came to our door, demanding that we stop sending our children to the Hope Elementary School. He promised to give us $100,000.]
A hundred grand is enough to cover several years of living expenses for a family. It’s a temptation no one could resist.
I knew this had to be Ethan’s doing.
Without education, these kids would be trapped in these mountains for life, but I had no right to stop the parents.
Just when I was at my wit’s end, Brent stepped in.
He gave each family in the village $200,000, regardless of whether they had children or not, and held a presentation where he shared his own past.
As it turns out, he had come from this very village.
He told everyone that for children from poor families, studying hard was their only hope of getting out, and he was the best proof of that.
In the end, those people returned Ethan’s money and agreed to let their children continue their education.
(
Our volunteer group’s preliminary activities here were also
successfully concluded. From now on, everyone could start their
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regular teaching duties.
Before leaving, Brent and I talked at length.
