Barbed Lives ☑️

48. Professor Prophecy

"You are the most sensible and intense man I've met. You are way too mature for your age."
Charles spoke seriously.

Alcohol really does bring out the real you.
Look at Charles being so frank after all the drinks we forced him to drink.
It's been more than four years with him and he finally trusted us enough to put down his hardass cloak for once.

"I always thought it was Kelly."
I replied.

"He is the most hard working boy I've ever seen. And reserved. But he's not mature. He makes his own mistakes and learns from them. But you - you keep an eye on everyone. You learn from others' mistakes and experiences too. You tend to pick up good manners from others and leave the bad ones no matter how much it hurts. You have the ability to feel what the other person is feeling. I've only seen this in you. Even I don't have a mind as strong as yours."
He spoke softly while I heard with my mouth open.

How did he notice things that I didn't even know existed.

"I... I.. am at loss of words, Instructor... Thanks."
He just nodded his head.

"You know.. People say you have this God's gift of seeing others' future. Is that true?"
I asked him the question I've been wishing to ask for a long time.

He laughed loudly.
Everybody stopped to turn around and look at him. He rarely does that - laugh wholeheartedly.

"I'm not a witch or magician. I call it foresight. I judge a person and his character and then form an opinion about how he will be in future."
He replied still chuckling.

"Let me test."
I said excited.

"Go ahead!"
He was game.
Awesome!

"Kelly?"
He laughed hearing that name.

"You think I hate him, right? By you, I mean everybody except you. You - you know how much I like that boy. He's like my son."
I sat with wide eyes.

I wanted to turn around and scream 'look at what this guy is saying!'
But then I'll have to explain them why is he saying what he is saying.

So I just sat shocked.
He laughed again.
"That's what I said about you."
Damnit.
He is definitely a witch!

"So coming back to Kelly - he'll be hell of an instructor as I can see. Well I take full credit for it."
He laughed deviously and continued.
"He is a hard headed man. If he decides a goal for himself, he'll put his blood and soul into it and he'll achieve it no matter what. And about the people he trusts? He trusts and respects them blindly. I pray for the ones he hates. They'll have to face a heartless jackass. And he will expect the same from those whom he'll train. He'll go as hard on them as I go on him. And he'll expect them to perform as good as he himself did. Little does he know that not everyone has the same level of commitment as he himself has, so he'll probably end up screwing everyone more than they actually need. I pity them too."

Charles laughed again and I joined him.
Yeah, all the best to his students.

"Neil?"
That was my next question.

"Neil Fermin. Hmm."
Charles thinned his eyes and thought hard.

"He has something big hidden up his sleeve. Something that affects all of us or will do someday. But it will be drastic. That's why he tries to keep it professional, doesn't want to get attached to anyone knowing he's going to hurt everyone anyways. Though he cares for everyone more than himself, he doesn't want to get emotionally attached."
And my mouth gaped.
How could he reach such a conclusion?

"How...?"
I could just speak one word.

"I'm sure of his social detachment because I've been there doing exactly the same. You don't talk much, don't smile much, don't get into anyone's personal life because you know the moment you do that, the other person will start giving you importance in his life. And that's exactly what you don't want. You want to stay aloof. If you become important to someone, you'll hurt him and yourself in the end. He is right there I can see it. And about the drastic decision - he hasn't told much details about himself. All of us know each other by thin hair. Except him. What happened between him and the king, why was he kicked out, why can't he marry - it's all suspicious. And if my mind works just fine, the answer to all these questions is same. And he's hiding that from us because that answer will be bringing huge change in our lives."
Charles sighed in pain.