Winter Holiday

As each day passed, the weight of assignments and the looming exams pressed down harder on my shoulders. It felt as though they had morphed into an endless mountain range, an ongoing battle against the relentless tide of coursework. I pored over my notes, trying every method in the book. Action was my ally; I underlined, highlighted, and practiced relentlessly. But no matter how much I studied, some subjects remained as mysterious as a constellation in the night sky.

Countless hours slipped through my fingers, as I just wrestled with equations and committed historical dates to memory. Yet, in the end they all proved as slippery as a butterfly, darting away from my grasp whenever I reached for it. The frustration was like trying to catch that insect with nothing but my bare hands.

Then, the dreaded exam season arrived, a tidal wave of nerves crashing against the sturdy walls of my determination. Each paper felt like judgment day, a moment of reckoning for all my efforts. "Can I really do this?" I kept wondering as I sat down with my trembling hands and racing heart.

The pressure reached new heights due to the towering expectations my mother had for me... though it felt more like an ultimatum than a mere expectation. This time, I was determined not to let her down any further.

However, amidst this relentless storm of academic stress, a glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon.

One chilly afternoon after classes, I wearily entered the club room, burdened by a towering stack of textbooks that begged for my attention. Adica, as consistent as ever, was deeply immersed in the pages of a novel. Her eyes danced gracefully across the text, making me wonder if she ever needed to study at all. I mean, we've got exams coming up, yet here she is so effortlessly absorbed in her book while I felt the weight of impending exams bearing down on me.

Across the room, Emma remained lost in her own world, her face pressed firmly against the desk. It left me wondering, shouldn't she be studying too? With exams drawing near, not a trace of concern seemed to cross her mind. Nevertheless, there she sat, seemingly drifting away in a tranquil reverie.

"Reol, you look like you've seen a ghost," Adica remarked, her eyes staying fixed on the pages of her book. It was only then that I noticed she was wearing a pair of reading glasses I hadn't seen on her before. Oddly enough, they suited her perfectly.

"I might as well have, given the upcoming exams," I replied with a heavy sigh.

Sensing my unease, Adica finally tore her gaze from the book and gently removed her reading glasses. "Struggling with your studies, Reol?"

I sighed and nodded, allowing the hefty stack of textbooks to hit the table with a loud thud. "Yeah, I just can't seem to wrap my head around some of these concepts. It's as if they're written in a foreign language."

The abrupt noise startled Emma from her slumber. She jolted upright, and with a mix of drowsiness and annoyance, she yelled, "Quiet!" Then, almost miraculously, she promptly slipped back into slumber, as if nothing had happened.

Adica turned towards Emma, wearing a half-smile. "Emma should be worrying about her exams too. Sleeping all the time won't help her prepare."

As usual, Adica's voice worked like a catalyst for her. Emma, stirred by her words, shot up from her chair in an instant. "You're right, I should get down to study too. Adica, please save me!"

"Let me take a look. Tell me where I can help."

Over the next few weeks leading up to the exams, Adica took on the role of our unofficial tutor. I couldn't help but marvel at her seemingly endless patience. She willingly delved into the realm of complex topics, unraveling them one thread at a time as I fired an unending barrage of questions her way. Her reservoir of knowledge appeared limitless, and she possessed a remarkable talent for breaking down even the most convoluted theories into digestible morsels of wisdom. It was a revelation for me. I had never realized that studying could be this engaging with someone else at my side.

Emma, with her own distinctive approach, contributed to our study sessions as well. She turned the mundane task of studying into a lively game of wits, quizzing me on various subjects. And like that, our club room transformed into an impromptu study hall.

With their unwavering support, a newfound sense of determination blossomed within me. As the days marched on, I noticed a gradual but undeniable improvement in my grasp of the subjects that had once confounded me. Adica's patient guidance was paying off, and I felt myself growing more confident with each passing day.

The day of the exams finally dawned, and it felt as if time had hit the fast-forward button. I found myself seated at my desk, hands slightly trembling as I tightly gripped my pen. My mind raced, recalling the myriad of information I had tirelessly crammed into it.

Amidst the nerves, I couldn't help but reflect on the countless hours spent studying with Adica and Emma in our cozy club room. Specially Adica, she herself came out to help me, and her unwavering support had been my anchor during those grueling study sessions. I couldn't afford to let her efforts go to waste; it was as if I had a dedicated team cheering me on from the sidelines of a crucial match.

But, as always, doubt began to creep in. Had I studied hard enough? Did I truly understand the material? The exam hall always felt like a heavy weight pressing down on me, making it hard to catch my breath. However, this time, when I faced the questions, my thoughts were less chaotic. Perhaps for the first time, I found myself grasping more than half of the questions in each subject.

As the exams came to an end, we all anxiously awaited our results. One by one, the papers were distributed, and the outcomes, though not flawless, held a pleasant surprise. While I hadn't claimed the top spot in the class, as always, I was relieved not to have failed miserably in any of them this time. It felt like a small victory, a personal triumph. My mother, although initially taken aback by the modest improvement, swiftly resumed her lectures, urging me to aim even higher next time.

On the last day of the semester, I couldn't help but overhear the excited whispers circulating among my classmates as they excitedly discussed their plans for the upcoming winter holidays. Some were jetting off to exotic destinations, while others were looking forward to visiting family and friends.  Emma, always brimming with energy, was practically bouncing with anticipation.

Adica, true to her usual calm and composed self, appeared lost in her thoughts, her eyes revealing nothing of her inner musings. I couldn't help but wonder if she, too, felt a surge of excitement deep within. Lately, I'd begun to grasp a tiny glimpse of what lay hidden behind her enigmatic gaze, though it was still just a fraction.

On the contrary, I found myself grappling with mixed feelings about the impending holiday. Don't get me wrong; I was excited. A respite from the daily grind of classes was a refreshing prospect. Yet, it also meant confronting the subjects where my grades had slipped. If only my scores had been slightly better, I might have embraced the break wholeheartedly. However, my mother had no intention of letting me off the hook so easily.

Amidst these swirling thoughts, an unsettling emptiness found its way inside me. For some inexplicable reason, I already missed the club room. The moments spent with those two, the sense of belonging, all of it felt like a comforting embrace amidst life's chaos. But during the holidays, I wouldn't have the opportunity to see them or anyone else. That thought weighed heavily on my mind.

As I packed my bag and readied myself to leave the classroom, Emma bounded over to me. "Reol, what are your plans for the winter holiday?"

I shrugged. "Probably some studying. My parents want me to catch up on my weaker subjects."

Emma pouted, her trademark determination taking center stage. "That doesn't sound like much fun. You should relax a bit too, you know. It's the holidays!"

"Emma's got a point, Reol," Adica chimed in. "While it's crucial to focus on your studies, you should also carve out some time for yourself. Seek that balance between work and play. Although, in your case... I think you shouldn't neglect your studies entirely either."

"You're both right," I admitted with a sigh. "I'll find a way to strike that balance."

As we strolled out of the classroom and into the brisk winter air, I couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude for their unwavering support. The fall semester had taken us on a rollercoaster ride of challenges and triumphs, and now, it's finally winter holiday.

With everything said and done, the winter holiday had begun, and the days stretched out ahead of me like an expansive, uncharted territory. There was an eerie sense of emptiness that permeated the house, a silence only occasionally disrupted by the echoes of my footsteps as I aimlessly roamed from one room to another.

In the living room, the television played on, casting a flickering glow over the vacant couch. I sat there, absentmindedly flipping through channels without any real interest, lost in the sheer mundanity of it all. It didn't take long for my mother to burst in, her voice slicing through the quiet.

"Reol, if you have nothing better to do, why don't you study? Your grades could certainly use some improvement."

I let out a weary sigh and nodded, yielding to her wishes, as I often did. Returning to my room, I settled down at my desk, books and notes spread out before me. "Can't anything interesting happen already?"

As I stared at my open textbook, my thoughts began to drift. It wasn't the act of studying that troubled me; it was the strange sensation that had settled in my chest. This winter holiday felt different, but how should I say it though... 

It's not all that unusual for me to spend the holidays like this. Maybe that so-called 'holiday magic' never really spun its lucky wheel for me. And just when I thought I had grown accustomed to this routine... this year, it feels particularly strange.

Well, I couldn't deny that everything had been a series of unexpected surprises from the moment I first arrived here.

Leaning back in my chair, I gazed out of the window at Adica's house. Yesterday her entire family had packed up and left for some unknown destination. Today, they had returned, and her father was busy unloading bags from their car.

The entire day before, I had pondered over where they might have gone. Perhaps a short family trip? Or a visit to relatives?

Just as I sighed, grappling with this strange sense of unease, my phone buzzed on my desk. It was a text message.