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What I'm about to tell you is so surreal to me that I should begin, 'Once Upon A Time' but in all honesty that would simply be in bad taste and highly inappropriate.
You see, it all started six days ago back in Seoul when I was teaching a bunch of local eight-year-olds. I had somewhat given up my usual demand for discipline a few days before so the kids were going pretty wild. To be honest, I simply didn't want to waste my time telling them to sit down and be quiet. Instead, I closed my eyes and reminded myself that this was my final countdown; six days left until golden beaches, beautiful women and fruity cocktails.
Just then my classroom door was flung open. "Outside now," John, the head teacher, barked as the door bounced off the flimsy wall.
The pupils gasped and fell silent. A few began to whisper in their native tongue and there were muffled giggles. Breaking the silence, one of the little smartasses at the back shouted out, "tea-cha in trouble", and everyone erupted in laughter.
"Silence," I demanded and slammed the door behind me.
"The bastard's been at it," John said, aimlessly walking in circles biting his nails.
"Who did what?" I asked.
"Dan. The kids. Our worst nightmare..." he replied.
"Slow down. I've no idea what you are talking about."
"Accusations man, accusations..." But before he could go on, his mobile phone began to ring. "Sorry man, I've got to take this."
I watched silently as he nodded to the voice at the other end of the connection. A minute or so later he was done.
"Right, I have a meeting about this now; the director has just arrived back from his golfing trip. Meet me at the bar tonight at eleven. We need to talk; this is some serious shit."
Not knowing exactly what had just happened or why, perplexed and unsettled, I watched as he turned abruptly and walked away without saying goodbye.
