THE RIGHT THING

Daniel walked up the same street towards the bungalow, a little, brightly painted house, tucked away in a quiet residential street. Daniel was a few minutes late, a rarity for him, and he could feel the familiar pang of guilt. Resh, with his bright smile and boundless energy, always waited patiently. The young boy was incredibly kind, and Daniel was falling for him fast. 



He’d been working with Resh for nearly three years, helping him to navigate the complexities of primary school mathematics. The boy, with his round, dark eyes and perpetual giggle, had quickly become a part of Daniel's life. They bonded over the same things that boys his age tend to—the latest superhero movie, the way a Rubik’s cube works. Daniel, 30 and unassuming, was drawn to Resh’s exuberance and sense of possibility.



But for a while now, their relationship had been plagued by a feeling of disquiet. Rehsh, with his childish innocence and silly, bawdy humour, was treating Daniel less like a tutor and more like a friend. He’d tell him stories about the school bully, which game he’d just beat, and how he’d just developed a crush on the girl in his class. 



Daniel cherished these moments, but he felt something slip, a professional boundary fade; he didn’t want Resh or his parents to see him as anything other than his tutor, as much as he relished their rapport. It wouldn’t be a good thing to let it get any more intimate, he knew. 



The prospect of calling an end to their sessions, something that he’d been dreading for days, now seemed to weigh on his chest: he had grown fond of Resh, he now realised, and the thought of taking a step back from their regular contact brought a bittersweet sadness to his heart.



His hand tapped at his door, and then the screen strained to form Resh’s smooth face, smiling, as warm as ever. Daniel’s heart stung a little as he knew this was their last session. 



'Mr. Daniel!' Resh shouted, his voice filled with glee. 'You’re late!' 



“Sorry, Resh,” Daniel responded, forcing a smile. “I got caught up at work.” 



The next hour went by in a flurry of equations and explanations. With every tick of the clock, Daniel’s heart sank a little more as he realised this was their last session. But Resh never paused. He kept asking question after question, his face lighting up like a child’s.



And then, after the final problem was solved, Daniel cleared his throat. A lump formed in his throat.



‘Hey, Resh,’ he said, ‘there’s something I have to tell you.’ 



Resh, still absorbed in the satisfaction of solving the equation, looked up at him with his brows furrowed.



‘I’m not going to be able to tutor you any more,’ Daniel said, his words strained. He watched as Resh’s face registered shock and confusion, his smile fading. 



“But why, Mr. Daniel?” Resh’s voice was laced with disappointment. 



Daniel exhaled deeply and studied Resh’s earnest eyes, dark and squinting, full of reproach. ‘Better for you, better for me,’ he said softly, trying to make his voice sound reassuring. “I think it’s time for you to focus on your studies with your teacher, and for me to focus on my work.”




Resh’s eyes started to fill with tears. He was looking at Daniel, at a loss for words.



Daniel looked down, weakly smiling. ‘We’ll be friends, okay?’ Don’t worry.’



Resh, his voice choked with emotion, nodded silently.



As he moved away, Daniel’s decision rested more safely upon his mind. But it still hadn’t made it any easier to give up on a friendship that brought him so much pleasure.



The walk back home seemed longer than usual, his familiar streets now looking foreign without Resh’s light shining on them. Daniel knew he had done the right thing, but still there was a feeling of loss, a reminder of the delicate balance between friendship and professional responsibility, professional responsibility and, sometimes, the painful decision of doing what was right.