All was well until the ban on plastics was enforced! The tragic end of my five years of hard work had masked me with a melancholic countenance. Fortunately, my post graduation in English helped me in a career switchover. Thanks to my baby sister, who was then the head of the department. The principal of the college a soft hearted nun appointed me as a temporary staff in the college. Although an outstanding student in English with scores well over ninety percent at school and first class in master’s degree, I never thought would become a lecturer.
I was asked to attend to duty from the very next day of interview. I had planned to start my first teaching session with a short introduction of grammar and myself. In spite of me being good at answering grammatical questions, I never had the experience of standing in a dais. An uneasy feeling started to grip me right from the evening. I did not want to mess up things in the very first session and started preparing for the next day classes . While I was going through the grammar book, my attention strayed to thoughts about the students. My god! I was basically a shy, introvert person who feared talking to girls. Never in my life had I talked to a girl outside my family.
A thousand eyes will be watching me tomorrow, I thought. I hurriedly closed the book and prepared my costume for the first appearance as a lecturer. I chose the best suit I had and pressed them neatly, polished my shoes, cut my nails and made everything a bridegroom would do for the wedding day. I spent the whole of evening thinking of how to be smart. I even recited the whole of the lecture in front of the mirror to check if my countenance was pleasant. One great advantage I had was the pronunciation which gave me the confidence.
Next morning I got up early had a bath and dressed myself and got ready for the new job. Everything was alright as long as I was in the staff room. My sister entered the room and told me you have a class this hour and took me to a class room. I walked behind her as if a lamb taken to a slaughter house. By the time we reached the class room I was sweating profusely, on the contrary my sister was as cool as a cucumber. We entered the class room together. There were about fifty girls anxiously waiting for me. They had already gathered news about me. My sister just told them that I would be handling their English language class for about a month. She turned toward me and said now you can carry on. She noticed how nervous I was and came closer to me and said use your kerchief, you look terrible, saying so she left the class room. I got upon the dais and left the books I carried on the table and looked around.
The girls were silently observing my every move. As I lifted my head to see the audience the whole class room started spinning a second later I knew it wasn’t the class room but my head! My hand kerchief was already drenched. However, I gathered all my courage and started to speak to the curious listeners. I was chocking as I spoke and a girl from the rear desk said, sir louder please. As I tried to look at the place from where the voice had come but everything turned dark and I couldn’t see anything at all! It was only when I started to utter and mutter I knew I had forgotten all that I had rehearsed last evening. I felt fish out of water. Suddenly I got the idea, this being my first class I thought I could introduce myself to the students and started reciting the whole story which I had earlier told the principal during the interview.
I thought I could finish up the class without having to start the lessons, but the whole story lasted only for ten minutes and I had exhausted all I had to say about me.
Without second thoughts I said, well now it’s time to get serious and took my grammar book. I had placed bookmarks on the pages I thought I would teach during my first session. I also had some hand written notes inside my grammar book. As I opened it all of them fell to the floor and I hastily collected them all. I lost the page and didn’t know where to begin. Hurriedly I looked into the hand written notes and started reading them. Sir, said a girl from the first row. You are too fast can you please use the blackboard and explain a bit slowly? My heart was pounding faster than ever. Yes certainly said I.
I took a chalk piece and held it tight! Before I could reach board, the chalk piece was wet with my sweat. It wouldn’t write on the board! However, I pressed it with all my might and wrote a few sentences on the black board. I asked the students to take notes and started explaining the sentence patterns. Before I could make any clear statements at all the bell rang much to my relief! Thanks I said to the students, they responded with a cheerful thanks. As I was about to leave, I saw the writings on the black board. The markings had then dried and were looking as if words were painted on the board. They looked so ugly, and I felt terrible. Only then I noticed I had made a spelling mistake consistently three times. I rushed to wipe the board clean but to my dismay the markings won’t just go.
As I was rubbing the board as hard as possible, I noticed the commerce lecturer standing at the threshold patiently watching and waiting! Sorry I said these markings… she said it’s all right I’ll take care! I left the class and went to the staff room and told my sister that I shall start the classes from tomorrow and I also told her I need half-a-day leave. She smiled at me and said don’t worry, after all your maiden experience as a lecturer.
…to be continued…
