Functions

By dattebaka

Function. Defined as a relationship between two mathematical sets, in which each member of one set corresponds uniquely to a member of the other set. In other words, it's a relationship wherein each element of one set has a different bond to the different members of the other.

It could be associated to today's society if you look that way. A person shares bonds with his/her acquaintances, each unique and different from the other. A person's bond to his/her best friend is probably different from the bond he/she shares to his family. Life would be boring if we'd share the same bonds with different people.

It would be just like a dull and boring constant graph, so straight and always the same.

But with these functions, life would be just like a rational function graph, so wonderful and always unpredictable.

Yes, with that, life on earth wouldn't be so boring at all.

...and that's what he made me realize.

---

"Nerissa, would you kindly show us the graph you came up with for this rational function?"

Our Math teacher called me as I tensed, heart racing and forehead sweating.

I stood, knees shaking as I reached out for the whiteboard marker in his hand. I walked slowly to the board as I drew the graph I made on my Math notebook. I wasn't really sure if my graph's correct, that's why I suddenly went nervous when he called my name.

As I drew my graph on the board, I was still feeling the aftershocks of our teacher calling my name. I'm not like most of my classmates who'd eagerly raise their hands to participate and recite on class discussions. I'm an introvert, and I believed the mere fact that nobody notices my presence at school. I accepted that long ago, and I felt contented with it. I was always alone and I didn't complain. I never minded coming out of my shell for they wouldn't probably notice.

But then, he saw me. Of all the people I met at school, my Math teacher noticed me. For once, I felt something warm in my heart that would be enough to make me jump out in the air and smile for the first time. I never felt this way before, the feeling of being noticed. I just smirked at the idea as I finished drawing my graph. I set aside for him to have a better view of what I made.

"Good." He smiled as he walked back to the board to double-check my work. "Excellent job, Nerissa."

I smiled back as I went back to my seat, relieved that I got the graph right. For once, someone said that I did something right in a Math class.

---

"I'll have a burger steak with iced tea. Please place it in a tray afterwards."

I told the counter lady my order as I gave her my payment. She nodded as she gave me the change along with my order.

I glanced around to take a seat at the canteen. I placed my lunch on a vacant table as I took a seat. I never bothered finding someone to eat with during lunch. Like I said before, nobody would probably care anyway.

As I was about to take my first bite, someone called me and took the other vacant seat in my table.

"You're alone again?" He asked as he took the seat in front of me. "Well, I'm sure you're lonely. Mind if I join you?"

I was surprised. He was my Math teacher who made me draw my graph in class a while ago. And now, he's sitting in front of me, accompanying me in my lunch hours. Normally, I would see him join the other teachers during lunch, but this time, he joined me. I was always alone during lunch. Heck, no one would even bother sit next to me to eat! Well, that until now that my Math teacher just smiled at me as he dabbed his napkin to his mouth from eating his chicken lunch.

"So, why are you always alone?" He asked me as I just finished swallowing. "Everyone in your class is with someone else, except you, that is."

"Well, I..." I muttered, playing with my steak as I thought on what to say. I'm not the type of person who opens up to people that easily.

"You what?" He asked again, crooking his eyebrows in curiosity.

"I don't know..." I said softly as I stared at his lunch. "Maybe... maybe I was just born this way. I was always alone, and I think that I'm fine and..."

"You're not fine." He stated, eyes getting serious at me as my eyes grew wide in shock. "You just think you are."

"Pardon?" I asked. What was he talking about?

"Let's just get it this way," He said, smiling. "You remember my discussion about functions?"

"Yes." I nodded. "A function is a set of ordered pairs such that no two distinct ordered pairs have the same first element."

"Right then." He agreed. "So, what can you conclude with that definition?"

"Umm... Functions are ordered pairs??" I choked out, nervous to get wrong.

"Mmkay... and what are ordered pairs again?" he asked again, taking a sip of cola as he stared at me.

"Well, I think an ordered pair is a point that could be expressed in the form (x,y)" I told him as I tried recalling my last year lessons in Math.

"Yeah, and how many elements are there in an ordered pair?" he continued asking. Where was this getting into?

"Two. One for the value of x or domain and one for the value of y or the range." I simply stated.

"Have you ever encountered an ordered pair with only one element?" he asked, smiling at me as I thought deep.

"Well, not yet I think." I said. "It is a pair, anyway."

"Now that you just said it, let me tell you something about functions." He grinned as I listened. This has to be something important.

"Functions show a correspondence, a relationship between all its elements." He explained. "You see, that could be compared to the world today."

"I don't quite understand, sir." I told him. "What do you mean?"

"Alright, I'll get straight to the point." He sighed. "One man's different bonds with different people corresponds to a function, each unique and unusual to the other. If a man would have just the same bond with all the people in the world, that would be as boring as a constant graph."

"But sir, aren't constant graphs functions too?" I asked, getting confused.

"Yes, but I always find constant functions boring." He laughed. "And I think life would be boring of one man would share the same bonds with different people. If a man would share bonds of love, happiness, friendship, or even hate to the people around him, that would be great. That would be as great as a rational function."

I just said nothing as I stared at him as he grinned again after getting back with his food.

"...That would be as great as a rational function you drew earlier today, Nerissa." He continued, getting back on the topic.

"Oh..." I muttered as I bit my lip. This was the first time I received a compliment for what I did. And to think that it was something about Math made me feel great inside.

"Sometimes, you need to get out of your shell for everyone to appreciate your presence." He finally said. "You have to solve out for your own roots for everyone to see what you are really made of."

"Solve for your own roots?" I laughed. "Do you really have to relate everything with Math, sir??"

"What? Was it cheesy?" He laughed along. "It wasn't easy to come up with something like that, you know."

"Yeah, I know." I nodded. "But sir, why did you notice me when I never bothered coming out of my shell?"

"It wasn't easy," He smiled as he took his last sip of cola. "But I solved for your roots."

---

"Probably this'll be our last meeting, class. Though I really want to stay and teach your lessons, I have to go to the States to find greener pastures. It really pains me to leave this coming Sunday, but let's just all wish your new teacher in my subject is better that me for you to keep up."

He told the whole class before he left our room. Most of my classmates were saddened by the sudden leaving, maybe because he was a very nice teacher. But me? I wasn't sad.

I was grieved. I don't want him to leave. Not now that he made me into a better person.

I was crushed. I don't want him to leave. My heart was shattered into a million pieces at the news.

I was scared. I don't want him to leave. I don't know if...

...I could still manage.

---

"Sir, I'll really miss you."

I forced a smile as I got teary eyed. There I was, telling him that I became someone because of him. He was there, still wearing his smile and telling me that he was proud that I became someone because of him.

"Why the long face?" He patted my head. "I'm just going to USA, you know."

"But it's far away!" I yelled stupidly at him as the tears started falling freely on my cheeks. "It's almost the same as you were gone!"

"Hey, you know I could always chat with you and your friends on YM and Friendster." He kneeled down to look at me straight in the eye. "And if I remember it right, you promised me that you'll smile at all times. Now, show me your smile now."

Right then and there, and for the first time, I smiled. I tried to stop myself from crying but it seems the grief won't go away.

"Good." He smiled as he wiped the tears away. "Excellent job, Nerissa."

It's really amazing how he touched my life mathematically, especially that I wasn't really interested in the subject. There, I decided to hug him. I want to cherish the last time I'm going to see him personally. He also hugged back. We hugged until he said that he has to go to the airport before he misses his flight. At first, I wanted not to let him go, but then I still decided that I have to, since he's happy with that.

"Sir, thanks for everything."

I thanked him. For once, someone did something good to me in a very nice way.

"No need for that, Nerissa. Don't forget our lesson about functions."

He smiled at me as he left.

"Yes sir, I won't."

I said to myself as I smiled again.

And that was the last time I saw him.

xOxOxO FIN OxOxOx

Also, I would like to tell you that this story's purely fictional, although the teacher and the student are referring to two real people. Hey, Nerissa's a nice name, neh?? :)) Anyways, I hope you liked it. I just felt that I needed to vent so I wrote that. Gee, I sure hope he's having a happy trip.

SIR, I'LL MISS YOU SO MUCH!! :(( TAKE CARE!!