Summertime Sadness

(I am an American teaching English in Japan. In the Japanese school system the school year ends in March and picks up in April. The schools I work in are not heated or air conditioned. Being a California native, when it’s snowing outside and there’s no heat in the classrooms I wear about four layers to cope, but during the break the weather has warmed up enough to wear normal layers. This occurs after we come back from our brief, one month break. I’ve been working there for nine months. I am walking from the teacher’s room to the classroom with the teacher I am co-teaching the next class with.)

Teacher: “How is the previous English teacher doing?”

Me: *thinking back to the girl I replaced* “You mean Jennifer?”

Teacher: *gives me an unsure look*

Me: “She had red hair, was tall, and came from Colorado.”

Teacher: “No, no. Not her.”

Me: *thinking back further* “Do you mean Eric? He used to teach here two years ago?”

Teacher: “No. No, not a man.”

Me: “I don’t think there was anyone here before that.”

Teacher: “No, the recent one! The fat girl from California!”

Me: “Um… That would be me…”

Teacher: “…”