MONDAY 7:45 PM

The bell rings as I finish telling my students their homework. “Have a good night!” I say to dismiss them. They file out quickly, except for a handful. As I pack up, I make small talk with those who are waiting for me.

After I’ve gathered up all my things, we turn off all the power in the classroom and step out into the dark and empty hall. We bolt the classroom with the padlock and then one student walks down to one end of the hall and another to the other end, both yelling “有人吗?” (“Anybody there?”) No responses, so they turn out the lights at the end of the hall. By the time the reach me it’s pitch black. Someone whips out a cell phone flashlight and we go through the metal door to the stairs. I lock the metal door behind me, and a student flips off the lights before we start down the stairs. Why there isn’t a light switch that works at the bottom of each flight, I don’t know! But it isn’t the only quirk about this building). A girl links arms with me to guide me down the dark steps.

Once we’re outside, it’s not as dark, but they continue to walk with me and chat with me most of the way home. Some go off to the dining hall (they haven’t had their dinner yet), others head to the library to study, but usually at least two of them “send me” all the way home. They practice their English and we talk about anything and everything, from the bright orange full moon we see, to hairstyles, to students joining the Party, and the Easter story I just had them act out in class.

It’s nice to have some company on the walk home in the dark, but what I’m really grateful for is to have 15 minutes of their day that’s usually wall-to-wall classes (they are double-majors) to simply get to know them better, to have fun, to laugh. Once we reach my apartment, it’s a short goodbye. “See you tomorrow night!” Two night classes a week = two times I get “sent home” by students each week! :)