Following the recent
uproar about the Queen’s College Biology teacher who was accused of sleeping
with innocent female students, I went down memory lane. No, it’s not actually a
memory lane. It’s something I remember every day. Something I had wanted to write
about for years but I just told myself “zip it”
I want us to pick out
two lessons from this story. Firstly, parents shouldn’t even think their kids
are too young to feel something fantastic about someone. Parents should know
that there is no age limit to infatuate about people. Finally, there are still
good, incorruptible teachers out there. Teachers that are bound by oaths to
protect the wards in their care. I met one and I’m forever grateful.
Let me deviate a
little bit. Most of the cases of the kidnapped girls we have around (like Ese
Oruru and the likes) also stem from the facts that parents are not doing what
they are meant to do. Parents are guardians and they should by all means be a
monitoring spirits over their kids especially when they are still growing.
Poverty shouldn’t be the reason for allowing your child to have unnecessary
rights and privileges. Apart from the kids who were raped by strangers and
complete mad people, 85% of rapes cases, forced marriages and kidnap are
perpetrated by people known to the families of the victims. Negligence is
playing a lot of roles in what we see today. Parents should brace up and do
their part.
I was opportune to
have some privileges as a growing child. One of them is attending a private
Nursery and primary school, one of the best in my state back then. That rare
opportunity afforded me everything I needed to build on later in life. Coupled
with this; I had the best teachers any child could ever wished for. I am most
grateful. Of all the teachers, one stood out. Uncle Sola my first crush.
As a child, barely 7
years old, I really didn’t know anything about love or infatuation or whatever
you call it but one thing I know for sure, I really LIKE uncle sola. He was my
teacher in primary four but even before he became my teacher, I had always Like
him. Funny as it might sound, Uncle sola likes me in return. Ours was mutual.
Mutual LIKENESS.
He
picked up interest in me from when I was in primary 2, right before he became
my teacher and sincerely, it was pure, brotherly, undiluted, unstained, agape
love. I was so close to him as a child to the extent that in the absence of
other students, I call him by name. (Now, I know Ayodeji will say Yippee, I
said it)
Uncle
Sola is unarguably handsome, neat and from a rich home. Rumour has it that his
mother didn’t want him to pick up the teaching job but he ignored her and went
ahead to pick up the job. He was a good teacher.
I always wait for him
to resume every morning as I stay glued to the barbed fence to catch a glimpse
of this handsome, finely built young man. I was barely 7 years old. He walks in
a way I cannot describe. His smile can melt the stony hearts and his skin; you
don’t have to look for Ramsey Noah again.
What most students
didn’t know was that, as I wait to catch a glimpse of him, he was always ready
to see me too. He would walk gently to my side and say good morning brainy.
Those words were the things I needed. I could live my life on them.
As I got promoted to
primary four, needless to say that from my primary 2 through primary 3 I had
female’s teachers who feel the same level of love towards me. I was always
clinching the first position except for primary 1 because I had a double
promotion from Nursery 1 so I skipped Nursery 2 and it was hard coping with the
rest of the class immediately.
Primary 4 was my best
year so far. First, because uncle sola was going to be my teacher and he had
told me on several occasions how he can’t wait to have me in his class. I feel
the same way too. Unfortunately, I was meant to leave for JSS1 from Primary 3
but Uncle Sola was among the chief protesters who told my father I was too
young for such leap.
Primary 4 came
quickly and I was right there in Uncle Sola’s class. My best year ever. I
sincerely wish we have more teachers like uncle sola in this country. Well,
maybe to me, I saw in him a perfect gentleman. The first thing he did was that
he made sure my table was directly beside his own. He monitors my work,
progress and development as if I was his little Sister. Despite the fact that I
take my lunch to school, I still get to eat from his food. He doesn’t eat
without leaving some for me.
Then one day, I had
an issue with him. Anytime he gives me food to eat, he expects that I use his
spoon. Without wanting to sound too picky, I hate saliva with a passion. I
don’t do saliva with people and that started from my early age. So, I normally
exchange his spoon with mine every time before eating his food until I was
caught.
Uncle sola felt so
bad and irritated with my attitude. He insisted I use his spoon. I told him I
needed to wash it, he declined. I was angry and he was too. He was angry that I
could treat him like that. I was angry that he made me to break my secret
aversion. I had no option but to use his spoon with my eyes full of tears, I
told him I really didn’t like what just played out.
He kept quiet. Later,
he called me and told me how treating people with disdain can make one lose
friends and trust. He was sincere in his words. I love that about him. We were
best of buddies throughout the term.
It didn’t take time
before news started going round. I was dating uncle sola. I still don’t
understand how that rumour started. It was a dent in his image but he never
stopped liking me. He told me severally how he’s so proud of me. The term ran
faster than I thought. I had to leave for secondary school this time around.
I was stopped from
going in primary 3 but now in Primary 4, my father was not going to hear any of
that. My preparation was not without him. Without charging a kobo, he gave me
1hour extra training and watched me grow. Most times, in-between the training,
he would stop and watch me closely. He wasn’t happy and I knew that.
I wrote the unity
exams in Primary 4 and i came out among the top 15 in the state. My father was
super proud of me. Uncle Sola was so proud of me. I was proud of myself. I was
still attending school pending the vacation period.
This time around, all
the best students in Primary 3A and 3B were placed in a single class. I had to
work extra hard. Uncle Sola made sure I did. It was a tough one. I must confess
it was very tough. Things were changing fast. New students came to join us and these
guys were good. Some of my classmates in other classes were good too. I knew I
had to put in my best but unfortunately, my best was not looking too good.
How can you be the
best in a class that parades Ewo Mebradu, Ayodeji Olawumi, Osekita Abimbola just
to mention a few. How can you? I told myself it doesn’t look like I was going
to get any prize this year. I have six super brilliant pupils to compete with.
The test results were coming out and I wasn’t really super proud of my results.
That afternoon, I sat
in class, processing the thought in my head. Quietly, I felt the tap on my
shoulder. “Hey Brainy, What is wrong?” It was uncle Sola. He knows when to talk
to me and what to say. I wasn’t sure I was ready to let him in into my fear.
However, there was something about his eyes; they can make you confess your
sins without thinking twice. I told him I was scared I wasn’t going to get any
prize this year. He smiled and told me to cheer up. “What will you like to
eat?” I kept mum. Then he said, let’s take a walk round the school. It was
break time and we had all the time we needed to walk and talk.
He told me he’s been
thinking along that line too but he’s working out something. The exams came
fast and ended. It was the prize giving day and as we prepared to go; my father
asked me, in his usual manner, the number of prizes I was bringing home. I
wasn’t sure I was getting any.
We got late to the
venue. They had started already. At the back of the hall, as my father made to
park his car, I caught a glimpse of my teacher. He was there, standing alone.
As he saw our car, his face lit up. I came out of the car and walked slowly and
timidly towards him. Today, there was no hug from me. That was against our
usual practice, I normally hug him every morning. Dejected and down casted, I
looked at him.
He smiled, hugged me
and told me he was scared I was not coming. He was scared he was never ever
going to see me again. I smiled but not convincingly. The noise from the
megaphone brought me to reality. It was primary4 turn for the price collection.
Hey girl, run ahead and get a sit. It was uncle sola telling me that as he made
to greet my father.
I ran in and as I
made to sit down, I heard my name. The best student in science is Olamide…… I
couldn’t believe it. What happened? It has never happened in the history of my
school before. They don’t give price based on subjects. And why were they
giving just three prizes (English, Science and Mathematics)? I walked to the
podium, as the congregation stood up to clap for me and with tears in my eyes,
I took my prize.
I knew it was his
handwork. My handsome teacher. Sometimes I call him handsome. I scanned the
room for him but he wasn’t there. Stepping out, I saw him still standing as I
ran towards him. He opened his hands and took me to his embrace then I felt the
cold water on my body. Uncle Sola was crying. What happened? “I cannot wrap my
head around not seeing you in this school again. You made my teaching life
worth the while and even though I don’t have a younger sister, I see in you my
sister. I will miss you brainy”
I showed him the
prize. Without uttering word, he knew what I was saying. “I actually did that.
I couldn’t imagine seeing you not having a prize to take home so I broke the
prize into three different categories”. I was stunned. I couldn’t utter a word.
Then he said “Olamide, I am super proud of you and I will miss you”.
Fast forward, three
years later, I was now in JSS3. We were on holiday and I went on an errand for
my peeps. As I was coming back, I saw a black Volvo tinted car parked in front
of me. I walked past without looking at the car twice then I heard my name. Who
could this be? Turning around to see who it was, I was stunned to see Uncle
Sola.
Unbelievable! I ran
towards him like i used to do back then and he took me off my feet. He must have
spent hours looking at me and wondering how fast I had evolved. Then he said,
“I have been looking for you brainy. Every holiday period, I come around to
your street to see if I can see you. I miss you so much and after you left,
teaching was not so much fun again so I left”. Oh my God. I felt like I was in
heaven already. My uncle. My adorable teacher. Handsome and neat but this time,
he was looking more handsome and wealthy.
We talked about
everything. Maybe not everything. I bade him good bye and left.
It’s been 21years
since I saw him last. I still wish to see him. I tried getting his contact from
Ayodeji Olawumi but he just wouldn’t give me. I heard he’s a senator or maybe
honorable in Abuja or Maybe one wealthy popular man like that.
Oya, Ayodeji, please
give me his number, for where, he refused just because he still believes we had
something together and that robbed him of his own first position 29years ago.
There is no time Ayodeji doesn’t accuse me of dating my teacher. (I know its
“Painment” thing for him) and because of this, he has refused to let me have
his contact.
Hubby
too thinks, I should not have his contact (Jealousy is a bad thing sha)
Anyways,
if you see Ayodeji coming up on my wall to abuse me most times, its’ not
because of anything but because of uncle sola’s case.
Issorait
sef, what is the long and short of the epistle? There are good teachers, who
will not defile a child, who will genuinely love a child and train them to be
the best. Uncle Sola was one of them. Glad our path crossed.
