Keys to a better future

Neo was lying in his chair when a teacher entered the classroom. The small woman reminded him of his chemistry teacher, but she had very short hair, a quiff, and wore an earring stretcher, and what caught Neo's attention the most were her colorful shoes. She was not shy and introduced herself as Gabriela, the Biology teacher. She seemed a bit rushed in her introduction, which struck Neo as odd. However, when she pulled out a case full of colored pens, he understood why.

Gabriela drew on the board using various colors, especially to indicate different parts of the plants she was talking about. She left the board all colorful when the class was over.

The next teacher to enter had long, gray hair, a goatee, and a mustache, and he walked in a peculiar manner. He stopped in front of the colorful board, put on his glasses, and admired it for a few seconds. 

The students were unsure about his reaction, but Neo had already decided he was a bit crazy. 

Then, he turned to the class and said, "Quite beautiful, huh?" Nobody knew how to respond, and he stared at them, waiting for an answer. 

Someone hesitantly said, "Yes," and the teacher laughed, satisfied.

"My name is Rogério. I'll be teaching Philosophy and Sociology. Oh, and apparently, a bit of Biology," he chuckled, pointing to the colorful board. The class laughed. He was eccentric, for sure, but also entertaining. However, his lecture left Neo intrigued. He spoke about how our "Self" is formed, how all our memories shape who we are, and without them, we are just shells of our past selves.

Our experiences and memories mold our personalities, values, and beliefs. This happens because memories act as records of past events that contribute to our individual development. We become who we are largely because of our experiences and how we interpret and process them. 

Neo was somewhat disturbed after the class. Without his memories, would he still be the same person? Would he become someone else entirely if his memories were to return?

His head was throbbing from all the thinking, so he decided he needed more time to digest it all. 

In the next class, they were called to the school's gym. There, a stout and bald PE teacher stood in the middle of the court with a ball and a whistle. His appearance didn't match that of a physical education teacher.

He was the last teacher Neo would meet. 

As he was about to enter the courtyard, the same boy who drew attention when the chemistry teacher couldn't speak stopped him. "Not you," he said with an unhappy expression. "They asked me to call you to the infirmary."

Neo sensed that the boy didn't like him much. He thought about ignoring him and going to the courtyard anyway, but he didn't want to cause trouble. 

In the infirmary, Katherine was busy looking at some papers when Neo knocked on the door.

"You called me?"

She turned to look at the boy. "Yes, I'm just finishing up a few things. Please, have a seat over there."

It didn't take her long to finish what she was doing and start examining Neo. She checked his vital signs, examined his head for injuries or swelling, and thoroughly examined his eyes for any noticeable abnormalities.

When the bell for the break rang, they remained in the room as Katherine continued asking questions. "So, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

Katherine sighed suspiciously. She sensed that Neo was lying. "No more fainting episodes?"

"No."

She smiled. "I'm glad my advice worked." She jotted down some notes on a separate sheet. Then, she looked directly at him, challenging him. "Are you sure everything is okay? You don't feel weak or anything?"

Neo started to feel uneasy. "Maybe a little."

She sighed in frustration. "Just 'maybe'? Tell me." She put her hand on her chin, deep in thought. "When was the last time you ate something?"

"Last night."

"And before that?"

"The afternoon of the day before yesterday."

She widened her eyes in surprise. "You didn't eat lunch yesterday?"

"No."

"And breakfast or anything?"

"No."

She sighed again. "This is a problem for my sister."

She picked up a white telephone that was nearby and dialed a number. "Karine."

"Yes, he's okay. It seems there haven't been any more fainting spells. But he's got another problem."

"I'll let him explain it to you."

Neo went to the principal's office, already sensing what was going to happen.

"You haven't been eating properly?!" It was the first thing she said when he explained the situation.

"Well, I've been trying."

"How could you not tell me? I could have helped you."

She sighed in anger, then came closer to him, examining his uniform. It was a bit damaged but looked clean and didn't smell bad. "Where did you wash your uniform?"

Neo preferred not to answer. Karine got angry when she realized that the boy had been fending for himself.

"Neo, where have you been sleeping?"

"Here and there."

The bell rang, signaling the last class. Karine seemed angry that her time was up. "I'll find a solution, okay? For now, go back to your class and come see me when it's over. Don't leave, alright? If you disappear, I'll be furious."

Neo thought she couldn't get any angrier than she already was.

In history class, Neo really started feeling weak, just as Katherine had asked him earlier. Thankfully, he didn't participate in the PE class; he wouldn't have been able to handle it. How did she know?

When he returned to Karine's office, she explained a long story to him. "Many students from other cities come to study at our school, and my late father had the idea of creating two dormitories to accommodate these students who came from afar." She handed him a key. "Luckily, I managed to find an empty room. A boy had asked to have a room all to himself, and we agreed until now, but I can't let you sleep on the streets just because of someone else's whim."

"Thank you, Karine."

She withdrew her hand when he tried to take the key. "The dormitory has rules, you know? I hope you follow them properly."

"I will."

After he agreed, Karine handed him the key. "I'm also giving you some money; it's enough to survive for a month. After that, you can find a job to support yourself."

She handed him an envelope with some money inside. It seemed like a lot.

"I don't know if I can accept all of this."

"I'm not giving you a choice. I'll get you some clothes too, don't worry."

"But, Karine..."

"No 'buts.' Accept it and be quiet, alright?"

She was very angry, so Neo decided not to argue. He took the envelope from her hand.

"Don't lose it, alright? Spend it wisely. Now, if you want, you can go and explore your new home."

Neo couldn't contain his emotions. As he left the room, Karine picked up her phone and called someone. "Hello, Lionel? I need your son's uniforms and clothes."

The dormitory was quite large, almost like a hotel without a reception. Neo went straight to the cafeteria to get something to eat with the money Karine had given him. He could hardly believe he could eat so early in the day and that he didn't have to rely on finding someone to share a meal.

Neo chose something he had always craved after all this time: cheese bread. He sat in one of the chairs while enjoying the food that other students had made him crave for so long. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was delicious.

The cafeteria was open in the afternoon and sometimes at night, with staff available to serve the students during dinner. There were snack and drink machines available in case anyone wanted something to eat outside of the regular hours.

Afterward, Neo went in search of his room. There was a number on the key. He climbed several floors and looked at the doors of many different rooms until he found the right one. But he didn't enter.

He stood in front of the door, staring at the key as memories of sleepless nights and lack of food flooded his mind. He felt like crying but also felt elated that his hellish week had finally ended.