Maya tilted her head down in fear while rubbing her round and chubby hands. She didn’t say a word and sat there like an adorable, harmless baby.
Nina remained quiet as well. She had her head held high like she had nothing to do with today’s meeting.
Nicole thought that of her four children, Juan and Kyle were the naughtiest, so she calmed down after seeing the boys shake their heads.
She guessed that the teacher had asked to see her because the kids had skipped too many classes. I will probably be asked to help the kids study so they can catch up with the others.
The car arrived at the kindergarten soon after. Nicole hopped out of the car and followed the kids to their classroom.
Maya, however, struggled. Will Mommy be criticized? Should I warn her?
Maya hesitated for a long time, but even as they reached their classroom, the girl was still not brave enough to confess.
“Okay, you four go to your classroom. I’ll head to your teacher’s office.”
“Goodbye, Mommy.”
“Bye, Mommy.”
“Bye-bye, Mommy.”
Nina, Kyle, and Juan bid Nicole goodbye. Maya was the only one who took forever to mutter, “Mommy, t-take care.”
Nicole had her head up high and strode to the teacher’s office with a bright smile on her face.
“Hello, I am Kyle, Maya, Nina, and Juan’s mother. You’re their teacher, right?”
The teacher scanned Nicole from head to toe. The former’s face darkened when she saw how the latter was grinning.
“Maya’s mommy, I asked you here today because I want to talk to you about the kids’ education.”
Nicole put her grin away when she saw how serious the teacher was behaving. Respectfully, Nicole looked right into the teacher’s eyes and agreed, “You’re right. The children’s education is important. Please share your opinion and advice on the matter.”
The teacher, Ms. Patty, cleared her throat and glared sternly at Nicole. “Maya’s mom, your child gave the teachers degrading nicknames. As a parent, don’t you think you should teach them a lesson about that?”
Giving the teacher a degrading nickname?
Nicole thought of Juan and Kyle the second she heard that.
Ah, those two naughty rug rats. They swore that they were innocent when we were heading over! They gave their teachers degrading nicknames. How is that not wrong? I’ve got to punish them at home.
“I’m so sorry. It’s my children’s fault for calling you names. Please don’t be angry. I apologize on behalf of Juan and Kyle, and I promise I will punish them for it.”
Ms. Patty’s stance softened when she saw how sincere Nicole was, so she corrected her nicely, “Juan and Kyle are not the ones who came up with the nicknames. It’s Maya. Please talk to Maya about it and don’t let it happen again.”
Nicole was flabbergasted. She thought that she heard it wrongly.
In a voice filled with uncertainty, she asked, “Ms. Patty, did you say that the one who came up with the nicknames is Maya?”
“Yes,” replied Ms. Patty firmly.
Nicole frowned. Maya is the most obedient among my four kids. I can’t believe she did something like that.
Ms. Patty shared her findings and some evidence when she saw the suspicion in Nicole’s eyes.
“Maya gave a few teachers nicknames. For instance, her nickname for me is Ms. Platypus.”
Nicole was speechless. My Maya is that naughty? She could only grin awkwardly and apologize again to the teacher.
Ms. Patty shot her a stern look and added, “She also gave other teachers different nicknames. They are so degrading that I am too embarrassed to even share them. Please go home and have a proper conversation with your child about it.”
Nicole couldn’t speak.
Different nicknames for different teachers? Is Maya really that smart?
Nicole didn’t know what to say.
If Maya truly had done all that, then she definitely overstepped.
“Don’t worry, Ms. Patty, I will definitely talk to Maya about this. It won’t happen again,” promised Nicole.
After apologizing profusely, Nicole left the teacher’s office with a heavy heart.
She would never have guessed that she was asked to drop by the school for that!
Evan had been waiting for Nicole in the car. She sighed deeply upon getting in.
Only then did she learn why Sophia had her come to the school instead. Sophia is probably too embarrassed to come because she knows about Maya calling her teachers names.
