My Father-in-Law Going to School

Translated…

As I’d gotten out of the hospital, visiting my father-in-law, I caught the students, leaving school for home, and it took me back to a day, some years ago, my father-in-law who would come over to supper looked embarrassed, stuttered, told us, that his neighbor invited him, to attend school with him at the night school of the middle school divisions. That he didn’t know if people are going to make fun of him if he goes? I said, with shock, “It’s amazing! Studying, is a great thing, you will keep learning as you get older, and who knows, maybe, you’ll earn a doctorate too!”, after my father-in-law heard, he started looking very excited.

My father-in-law told me, that he was hesitant at first, that at his age, is there really, a need for him, to join into the studies? And finally, he’d, made up his mind, but because he’d never gotten a diploma from the elementary school years, he’d backed away from the idea, and later, he’d gone to the school to inquire, and finally, everything was, settled.

sit down, everyone, class has begun!

On his first day of school, my father-in-law put on his brand new dress shirt, looked very tidy and clean and well, went to school, with a lot of excitement.

Afterwards, every evening as we sat for supper, my father-in-law would share with us, the goings on of his school day, he’d talked with such excitement, like he was an elementary school child. As he told us how his teacher had, given him commends in class, he gloated; turns out, that my father-in-law knew some English words, that he was the only one, with the limited knowledge of the English language. And, he’d told us, in a rigid articulation, the English name he’d picked for himself, and we’d all started, laughing too hard, at the weird sounds that he was making, and, my husband and daughter immediately corrected the pronunciation of the name so my father-in-law can say his own English name correctly.

For my father-in-law who’s sharp with the digits, the math problems are easy as pie, and if there is a problem he can’t solve on his own, he’d discuss it with us, to get the help he needed; and what he was most proud of was his biology course, in order to help the other students understand the material better, my father-in-law went up the mountains to collect the plants as visual aids for his fellow classmates, and, his instructor commended him on being the eldest and the most focused student in the class. My father-in-law often spoke so vehemently about his classes, that the food had gotten cold already, and he still had a lot to tell us, and, our supper table became, his lecturing podium, and the whole family sat through the meals, with the knowledge that my father-in-law had, acquired in his courses.

Other than on the weekends, my father-in-law, after he finished supper, would take a shower, and head to his night school, it’d become a part of his regular routines now. And less than a month after school started, I’d made the supper early, but I’d not seen my father-in-law anywhere, I was about to call him, and I’d heard the engine of his motorcycle roaring, I’d opened up the doors and asked him, “Will you make it to school on time tonight?”, my father-in-law, with that relaxed look on his face, said, “I’m skipping tonight!”, I had that questioning look on my face, and wondered, my father-in-law who’d done everything by the book, is skipping class? And, finally, as he finished eating, he’d explained, that every week on this day, is the P.E. course, and, although the students were only to do some simple stretching moves, but my father-in-law couldn’t stand, and can only watch, and, in the concerns of his wellbeing, the teacher said, that he could, take the night off.

It’s only, half way through the semester, my father-in-law told us all, that the school wanted him to go to the city government to accept an award, and although my father-in-law didn’t tell us what award he received, but he was already, grinning ear to ear already about it.

the class is in session…

These couple of days, my father-in-law is in physical therapy for his legs, so he couldn’t go to class for a while, but, he desperately wanted to pick up his studies again, worked hard to get rehabilitated; I’m sure, that not long from now, there would be sounds, of my father-in-law’s laughter at suppertime.

So, after this elderly man started going to school, he’d become, more connected with the outside world, and that just shows, how important socialization is at old age, and, this elderly man has something he can look forward to every single day, as he’d found his love, in going to school…