Vagrants

Chapter 35

I continued working in Dowen college, Abisola returned to school and so did Bayo but he was going from home so I still got to see him sometimes. Mother, Uncle Jide and Aunty Kemi continued with their business and Uncle Jide seemed to be progressing a little.

Working in that school was great because I got to roll with my colleagues and I found it easy teaching the students.

It was the test week. Mr. Akinola permitted me to set the questions. I stayed up late for this. I made sure to work very hard in setting impressive questions. One which both the teachers and the students would appreciate.

I made sure the questions weren't too hard nor too simple. Mr. Akinola had told me to set the questions anyhow I wanted.

"Who is destined to pass will pass." He had said.

I didn't like such mentality. I didn't want to set questions in favor of the astute students. I wanted to make things easier for everyone so I told him. "Since I'm the one setting the questions. I'll do it my way."

"Good morning students." I greeted them on the day of the test.

"Good morning ma."

"Are you all prepared for the test?"

"Yes ma!" Not everyone in the class replied me. Just few proud students.

I'll show you people!

"Okay." I sighed. "Take out your bags and tear a sheet of paper."

Mr. Akinola chuckled. "That's not how it is done."

"Really? Then how?"

"There is a small notebook they use for their tests. They'd do it there." He said.

"But what if some of them have scribbled something in there before the test?"

"Then, I would know."

"No, you won't." I shook my head. "This is my call now sir. Let them tear the paper then when we score them, they can keep it in between their books."

"Okay then." Mr. Akinola smiled. "Students, you heard her. Tear the paper."

The students tore out their paper and dropped their bags. I was surprised at how organized they were.

In most schools, students push themselves in order to quickly drop their bags and they could get back to their seats in time to swap partners.

"Okay students. I'll pass the question papers to you. Pick one and give the rest to the others." I smiled. I had printed their questions on a small paper, enough for all of them.

"Are you done sharing the questions?" I asked.

"Yes ma."

"You have 45 minutes for this test!" I looked at my watch. "Your time starts now!"

They started the test and I started walking around. Checking all of them and making sure they were focused on their work and not doing anything they shouldn't.

I checked some of their answers and I was impressed. I had set logical questions that some of them who had crammed their notes wouldn't be able to find their way through it.

I taught my students brilliantly and I knew it. I refreshed their memories of what we did the class before every single day. That way, I was regurgitating what they'd learnt. And if questions were to be asked in any form, they'd find their way around the answer.

Mr. Akinola called me aside. "What question did you set?"

"What I taught them sir."

"I'm surprised they're all focused on their works. Normally, I'd have seen two or three people looking around or staring blankly at the ceiling."

"Don't worry. That won't happen this time sir."

"I know but that doesn't mean you shouldn't look at them to make sure they're focused."

"Yes sir."

I kept walking around for sometime before I checked my time. "15 minutes more."

Someone walked up to me and handed me their script. It was the same girl of the other day. The one who had a elder sibling in the senior class. "I'm done."

"Go back to your seat. Review your work in case you have any mistakes done."

"I don't make mistakes."

"You can vaunt all you want my dear but my reply is still the same. Go back to your seat!"

"Yeeeee!" The whole class started murmuring.

"No, no, no. That's enough! Focus on your work." I said.

"Mr. Akinola?" She thought she could get him to reprimand me.

"No. She's your teacher so do what you're told."

I heard her hiss before she left angrily for her seat.

The test went on for few more minutes before it ended. I didn't have to tell them to submit their scripts, they got up exactly when the time was up. I think I gave them enough time and they managed it well too.

*

It was lunch break in the school. I was at the school canteen having lunch alone when Cassandra and few other colleagues joined me.

"You like being alone, don't you?" Cassandra asked.

I chuckled. "No, I..."

"You will surely have excuse." Someone said.

"How was the test for your students?" I asked.

"See her again! You're always serious." Cassandra said.

"So how was it?"

"Awon olodo yen. Won mo kankan." Those dullards. They don't know anything. Someone hissed.

"I've not organized the test yet. They have it after lunch break." Cassandra said.

We spoke about different things after that. About our students- We all taught the SS1 class with the teachers supervising us while the teachers had the SS2 and SS3 classes to themselves.

I figured my colleagues liked the astute girl who had an elder sibling and I spoke against it.

"You shouldn't be picking sides because she is brilliant." I said.

"Why not?"

"It is rather biased. You should build your own students instead of going along with the one that is already built." I smiled.

"What if the student is born a dullard?"

"No one is born a dullard." I shook my head. "It's our mentality. Because the person isn't doing well or because they don't understand what is being taught in our complex academic system, then they're dullards?" I explained things to them and surprisingly, they reasoned with me.