The next day's hours again had a sluggish march. Kirsten was anxious all day; she had never been alone with an unmarried man before. Nor had she ever been around someone who made her forget her wits like the way he made her feel. The butterflies he had caused in that one meeting where far greater than the ones she had on her first day of teaching.
'Kirsten, your face is flushed." Britta commented softly as her sister leaned over to check the slate of the girl sitting next to her. "Are you feeling ill?" there was great concern in her voice and Kirsten felt horrible about making her little sister anxious, but she could not tell her that she was being so silly about a boy. Britta was too young to understand; she should tell Anna, Kirsten resolved. Her cousin was a romantic and would not fault Kirsten.
"I am fine; just a little flustered with lesson plans swarming in my head." She lied to brush her sister off.
Britta smirked and went back to work, but not before muttering, "I hope you are not thinking of too difficult an assignment for us!"
Thinking about her own lie, Kirsten decided to change the morning's plan to something more amusing in hopes that that would cause the day to pass faster. "Change of plans students!" She announced gleefully as all eyes turned at her in a mix of confusion and interest, "we are going to play gliffes to practice dictation!" her announcement brought wide smiles across the room. "Who is first?" Jonas Gunter's hand shot up with such enthusiasm he almost fell out off his perch. Kirsten stifled a giggle and called him to the front of the room as she took her seat.
Jonas' family had been in America for over a generation and, unlike many of the children in the class, English was his first language. He sauntered to the front of the room.
"Dick drunk drink in a dish; where's the dish Dick drunk drink in?"
He rattled off in great haste and without error. Some of the students clapped in enthusiasm as he took his seat with a great smile, others looked weary at his boasting.
Many of the following students could not claim the same perfection, but with every tongue twist the class—and the speaker laughed in amusement. Glancing down at her pocket watch, Kirsten was surprised at how much time had passed.
During lunch Kirsten organized a game of wagon wheel, which the children enjoyed with great enthusiasm. She let lunch drag on slightly longer than usual for they were having such fun. When the day finally did draw to an end, the younger students left chattering about how much fun learning is.
Kirsten again assured her siblings that she would be following shortly and with the school finally empty, Kirsten began the tasks of preparing for the next day while waiting for Svein.
"Hello," a deep voice said slowly in English. Kirsten smiled at him, "You have been practicing," she replied in Swedish. "Ja!" he answered with a smile.
Kirsten led him to a bench; is tall frame seemed awkward in the position. "I have not been to school in many years." He confessed.
"That is fine, I have never left." She smiled back at him and he laughed at the joke.
"No it seems you have not. From student to teacher. It is good you have found something you enjoy."
"I do enjoy teaching and we must get to work before we waster the afternoon chatting!" Kirsten tried to sound stern.
"Yes Miss Larson," Svein flirted back at her and he began to sound out the words in the first grade primer.
