Adieu

As I headed into my last tutoring session with Gerardo, I couldn't help feeling a little sad that this would be my last opportunity to help him. We greeted each other with smiles and questions about our Thanksgiving break, and settled into the cafe area of the library as usual. I asked what he would like to do for fun since it was our last meeting. He said he was almost finished with his puzzle workbook, and that he'd like to work on that. We did a few word searches with topics such as amusements and hobbies. He had never heard of jigsaw puzzles so I explained that they were puzzles where a picture is jumbled up and by moving only one piece at  time you had to put the picture into place. We then moved onto more word searches with doctor and dentist terms, with words such as ambulance and toothache. We moved onto the last section that was labeled "Challenging Puzzles" and did two crosswords with animals and another with plants. The time pasted quickly as we continued to unscramble and crisscross words. When we walked out of the library into the cold chill of the darkening day, I commented on how fast this semester had passed. He agreed, indicating the cold weather, and thanked me for helping him. I told him I enjoyed working with him and we parted after wishing each other a Merry Christmas. I felt an empty sadness as I walked against the wind to my night class because it was like I was abandoning someone who I had helped and seen improve over the last two months. It made me hope that the program will continue, so I know that there will be someone to take my place next semester.