Riiiiiight. Or is that write? Hmmmm.
Starting a story with a quote can often work well. However, when the story teller is the one being quoted, it can really confuse the readers.
I would like to see you create a new introduction for this story. TYWD gave one example of how to do so,
another might be to back it up a bit farther.
For example,
The first day of every month I receive new students. Last July, I wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary, and yet, I was pleasantly surprised to find a diamond among my usual piece of coal. ...
Or something to set the tone.
Awaiting a new recruit, I adjusted the light above my desk to shine directly on the chair where she would sit ...
We are looking for something that tells us about the story teller and provides us with a bit more background to set the stage and tone of the piece.
Have fun with it!
Ruby
PS
If you need to let it swirl around in your head for a few days before you begin, please let it do so.