With Cesar carrying the ball, he then walks over to Samantha and Mark and offers the ball to Samantha.

“Have a little exercise, my love. The gravity may pull you harder if you don’t.”

Cesar laughs hard but Samantha puts his hands on her hips and spits on the ground.

“Well, maybe you should hang yourself, Cesar, so that you will get taller.”

She gets up and walks away. Cesar leans over to Mark and says, “I know this is abrupt but we’re done for the day.”

‘Who does he think I am? A pig? Well, he better be a giraffe if he wanted to be a professional player. With that height, you’re never gonna be anything.’

Cesar runs towards her and greets Justin goodbye along the way. He catches up to her and says, “My love, I’m sorry.”

Samantha turns to him and points at him, “You think you can do anything just because you’re a bigshot. Well, not with me.”

Samantha gets teary-eyed then he looks behind Cesar and sees Mark and Justin. He waves her hand to them and says, “Bye, guys.”

She turns and runs away, wiping her tears intermittently. After running for a while, she walks as she catches her breath.

“Ms. Macapobre, what’s wrong?”

Samantha turns her head to her side and sees Ms. Berido.

“This is nothing, Ms. Berido.”

“Ms. Macapobre, let’s stop lying to ourselves and face the truth with courage.”

Samantha then bawls her eyes out. Ms. Berido goes over to her and pats her back.

“Let’s go inside the classroom, dear, and talk it out.”

They went inside the classroom and sat on the chair. Ms. Berido went to her table and brought a ply of tissue back to where Samantha is sitting. Then Ms. Berido sat on the chair facing her.

“So, what’s the deal?”

Samantha gets the ply of tissue and then gets a lengthy sheet from it. She wipes off the tears from her face and blows the snot from her nose with it.

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She looks up at Ms. Berido and says, “I and Cesar just have a fight.”

Ms. Berido nods at her and says, “Yes?”

Samantha stops in her tracks and stares at the ground.

“Ms. Macapobre, I don’t care if it’s embarrassing. Spill it out.”

Samantha takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh.

“He called me fat.”

“Mhmm?”

“And I called him short.”

Ms. Berido chuckles then Samantha looks up at her. Ms. Berido clears up her throat, straightens up her blouse, adjusts her sitting, and corrects her posture.

“Ms. Macapobre, it seems to me that you two need to have humility and love?”

“What do you mean, ma’am?”

“Whenever you are wronged, don’t fight back but forgive and love. Be humble enough not to retaliate and forgive one another because if you two fight back and forth, there is no winner but all will be losers. Love is not a feeling Samantha, it’s faith. Today’s society tainted the meaning of love, you love someone because they are pleasing to you in the superficial sense. If you truly love him, accept him for who he truly is; the good and the bad. Love him whether he is your enemy or your friend. If you want to love him more, love him even though he’s in the wrong. That is true love.”

“I’ll try, ma’am, to love him better.”

“Good.”

Not long after this, Cesar, with Mark and Justin behind him, found them. Ms. Berido invited him in but he was hesitant to enter. Ms. Berido stood up and went over to Cesar. She put her hand on his shoulders and pushes him gently towards Samantha.

“You two talk together, Cesar. Don’t worry, you’re not getting into trouble.”

Ms. Berido and Cesar went over to Samantha while she stares at the ground playing with her hands. Ms. Berido offers Cesar the chair opposite Samantha and he sits on it. Ms. Berido lifts a chair and places it on the side. She looks back at Mark and Justin and shoos them away.

“Away with you, this is none of your business.”

They bowed their heads and walked away.

Ms. Berido faces them and says, “Let’s sort it out today. Samantha, could you apply what I have taught you?”

Samantha nods and says, “Yes ma’am.”

She takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh then says, “Cesar, I’m sorry I called you short a moment ago. I’m really sorry.”

When Samantha said ‘short’, Ms. Berido chuckled. He looks at Cesar and says, “Your turn, Cesar.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

All this time, Cesar stared at the ground and clasped his hands together. He looks at Samantha intently and Samantha was moved.

‘His eyes seem to be watery. Awe, why would I hurt this man?’

“I’m sorry, Samantha. It’s my fault, I did not shut my mouth when I should have. I shouldn’t call you fat. I’m really sorry.”

His tears finally streamed down his face and he wipes them with his hands. Ms. Berido nodded, leaned over to him, and rubbed his back.

“All is now resolved, give each other a hug as a sign of your love.”

Suddenly, a laugh breaks out from outside the room. Ms. Berido looks at the door and sees no one. But she stands up and goes over to the door. When she reaches the door, she peeks outside who is laughing. Then she saw Justin wheezing his butt off and Mark just smiling.

“What’s so funny, gentlemen?”

They looked at her and kept a plain expression. Ms. Berido asked them to come close and they came close.

“Gentlemen, this is a private matter. Would you please go home or you would get into trouble with me.”

Mark gulped and says, “Yes, Miss.”

Ms. Berido shooed them away, then they turned and walked away. Ms. Berido turned back to see Samantha and Cesar and found them hugging each other. Ms. Berido put his hand on her chest with their head to her side.

“I hope all.”

After they hugged, they were dismissed and they walked home together.