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"Good morning, ma'am", said a bunch of bored kids in zombie-like unison. The afternoon heat was eating their brains out.
"Good morning, kids", said boring English teacher Dasom. "Welcome to English 101."
The kids waited in deathly silence for thin, pale lady before them to continue.
"Today, we'll be touching upon idioms. Can anyone give me an example?"
Silent as a grave. Dasom shuddered a little.
"Okay, okay", Dasom said, regaining her composure. Unresponsive children weren't new to her. "Have you heard of burning your boats?"
Why is this English teacher teaching us to commit arson? However, naughty thoughts didn't guarantee enthusiastic responses. The class still remained pin-drop silent. The teacher continued with her memorized speech, mind floating into further dimensions.
"Burning one's boats is a common idiom to describe an irreversible action, an act at the point of no return. From where you cannot turn back." We can never go back to where we were, either.
"It's derived from the story of Aeneas, who was the first to conquer Italy." You were the famous, glorious Aeneas, I was a tiny, off-the-map, unknown Italy.
"Aeneas gathered a crew of bravehearts, leaving all the fainthearted behind, and headed for a new land for his people." You were the braveheart, going for my heart with all your charm. I thought I was brave enough for your love, ah, I wish. I wish. Fainthearted was I.
"Aeneas set out, braving rough seas and harsh weather, and crossed the Mediterranean. And finally, the promised lands of Italy glowed like a lighthouse in the day, at the tip of the horizon." And we met.
"Aeneas set foot upon the fair sands, and told his men: We conquer this land, or die trying! He burnt all the ships which brought him to Italy, so that no soldier could return home." Oh, you did conquer my heart. You conquered it, and made your unerasable mark in the deep recesses of my heart.
"Aeneas plundered the land, ravished it, razed all previous mark of civilization, to pave way for his own. The Roman Civilization. They made Italy their home." I wish you'd stayed in the home you made for yourself in my heart.
"Italy watched Aeneas leave her, with his rejoicing men, treasureful bounty, and a land conquered under his name, only to return a few years later, with all his people, their women, their children, their belongings, and their hearts, to settle in their new home. The prophesied land of Italy."
I watched you leave me, plundered, ravished, and razed to the ground. I let you go. If only you'd return, if only, you'd return......