So when was the Suez canal established?
The class erupted.
Otunba with his trademark black cap stands up without being called upon, ‘The canal which constituted a passageway for the malevolent and nefarious designs of the colonialists, reached that stage in an insipid process…’
He is hushed by the lecturer’s lazy wave of the hand. Otunba was just prolix like that. He never missed an opportunity to drop a big word.
Udoka raises his hands in a dignified manner. The class shushes in eager expectation of the answer.
He stands, dusts his suit and starts to speak through his nose. ‘When I hear the Suez Canal, what comes to my mind is a reign of steady encroachment, of pink faced men in their caravans loaded with ivory, of…?’
Finally, Cyprian answers the question.
I sit at the back all through this, calmly thumbing my blackberry phone. The Suez Canal was created in 1869. I know that. Answering questions is for show-offs. I am not that.
Well, that was question time in the political science class of 2010. An avenue for people to show off newly learned words and nasal accents. That did not sit down well with me. Sometimes the eager students were rewarded with a ‘What’s your name by the lecturer?’, and you could see their chest puff out in pride. I felt it is better to stay low-key and ace the tests, than holler and fail-a hollering failure that would be.
Well, school over and I am in the throes of application to foreign institutions. One thing they always request for is references from lecturers-three reference letters! I can imagine going to my lecturers to ask for such:
He adjusts his nose over the bridge of his nose. ‘Ehen Tafa, I don’t know you o! You were not active in my class…What did you score in my exam? ...Good, but I never saw you…Ah! That’s surprising’.
I really wish I was not ‘low-key’ back then, it would make the process of getting this reference letters way easier. So you are in a class now-holler the answer off when that question is asked. Recognition always pays.
