This was long ago. In my younger days.
By the second term, when I was in primary three, I had to change schools. My big brother who brought me back home after school everyday had just gained admission into high school. It was no longer possible that he went to fetch me daily and even my parents couldn't handle that. So, they opted to get us both enrolled in same school; one that had facilities for us both
SourceThere, at the new school, I had a crush on this very pretty classmate of mine. Babe was so fine, I always thought about her. At the mere sight of her, even just by the sound of her voice, my head spins, my stomach flutters and my heart races. Even my feet grow numb. She was always on my mind, so much that I'd compose songs in my head and put her name somewhere in the lyrics
A few times, I picture me and her as the lead characters of a romantic movie. And even when I watch any, in place of the lovebirds faces, I see mine and her's. it was true love.
Then something happened
Our basic science teacher, while teaching one day, asked a question from something he taught in the previous topic. Only my hand went up.
Eyes roaming about the class, he asked, "is he the only pupil in this class? Why is only his hand up? Joel, give us the answer."
The boy who sat two seats in front of me got up slowly and said, "no idea, sir."
Finally turning to me, he asked, "what's your name? Let's hear the answer?"
I got up, said my name and gave the answer.
He asked me, again, "where did you learn about that and when?"
"At my previous school and that was the last academic year," I replied.
Visiibly perplexed that although I wasn't with them at the time the topic was taught, still I was the only one who knew the answer, the teacher asked me to step forward. He handed me a cane and commanded that I give everyone two strokes each. I was not even settled well in the school and the man was out to make enemies for me.
But I could not disobey, so I got to work. Since it wasn't something I wanted to do, the pupils were looking at me with rage in their eyes, I had to thread carefully. I was careful not to lash them too hard and at the same time not to make it obvious. I the teacher noticed, then I will be in soup. Everything was going well until it got to the turn of my sweetheart, the love of my primary-3 life.
The strokes I gave her were as light as a feather. Teacher noticed the drama and asked me to make a repeat. The second attempt was a worse, dramatic flop. I raised the came so high, brought it down with so much momentum that would eventually turn zero just before the cane made contacts with her outstretched hand. Whats worse, baby girl couldn't get the game I was playing ,to as little as pretend that the strike was hard.
Well, the teacher noticed the foulplay and this time he did not call for a repeat. Rather, he instructed her to collect the cane and lash me instead. And she was to lash me four strokes...double.
I had expected her to return the gesture but she didn't. And every stroke tore my heart in shreds. I wept for love.
Tears kept rolling down my cheeks until around dismissal time. it wasn't even the cane that made me cry, it was the betrayal. The injustice of love. And I think the teacher knew this too. You know, grown-ups are easily able to read kids somehow.
Because, he, my teacher gave me some little money, patted my back and said to me, "be a man!"
Surely, I never spoke to her again. And fortunately for her, but unfortunately for me, I never got the chance to equalize.
Thanks for stopping by.
SOKA🖤