Deranged Man or Married Man??

He just stoned there.... Looking at the vast nothingness of the beyond. As he reflected on his days of old, eerie memories of his childhood maybe, or some where, in his not-so-distant past, he suffered some unforgivable trauma. But as he stood before his class of eager-to-learn pupils, he still managed to appear visibly untroubled through all the dark secrets that lay within him. Always managing the smile of contentment that stretched from one ear to the other.

But time had its toll on his pathetic soul. Deep down inside, turmoil began to brew in his once wretched heart, and his beast of all that was evil, once safely chained behind its walls of concious, innocence, forgiveness and compassion, was beginning to rattle its chains in terror, screaming to break free. As the days past, so did the beast grew closer to its release. Little by little, he could no longer be that smiling man that tried so desperately to show happiness and content. Little by little, frustration began to show, over the little things. One instance was when he began to shout (uncalled for really), at one of his best students. It wasn't like him at all, not that the others knew of. He just blew it, yelling at the stunned boy left, right and centre. But he was forgiven eventually. 'Maybe it was the wrong thing to do, at the wrong time' the boy thought, and he sat down, ignoring the dangers that were dawning upon him.

I never knew if it was to be intentianal or unwilling, but the beast within must have gotten to him. His usually carefree voice was beginning to rattle, shake and he stumbled on his words. He talked a lot, not on the studies in front of him, but about the times of joy he had when his old students were there for him (like the rest of us just wasn't there). His emthusiasim turned to sarcasm, and he would, for a brief moment, correct me if I was wrong, stare at some of us from time to time with those hungry, bloodshot eyes that would read 'you're next'.

Questioning his authority and position was not a compliment. It was meant as an insult to the man. He would answer no inquiries, but would spend more of his attention 'getting close' to the innocent ladies of the class (like the rest of the men were never there). Without any answers, we turned to rely on each other, where, in that small heart of his, would mean insult to the deepest core, as he assumes we no longer want to listen to him.

SO hear me out, is it just me, or has one of the finest teachers I have ever known lost himself within the quagmire of marriage? Is he deranged, or is he just attached? Suffer in silence I may, but mark my words, standing down for long? Never.....