My. Former Learner and Me: A conversation

I wasn’t planning on this one, then life happened. Something whispered document this conversation. You know what it is with a writer who thinks the business of the writings on the space owned by him or her are unpopular opinions.

Without delving into this one, allow me to apologize for breaking the vow. Today’s topic reminded me how awful I am at following social media personalities. I may do for a time but just like weeping my interest goes with the new day. But I promise to continue following what happens on your blog space.

Some other times I was contracted to teach at multiple schools in multiple areas. It was an interesting experience observing them learners playing the same tricks we played when we were at that level. I didn’t mention age but level. Why? Because I have seen people thought to be of old behaving like their classmates because they’re classed in the same  category or grade. This I think applies to the young ones if grouped with people of older age. Psychologists and sociologists will help on these disparities in human behavior. This isn’t my motive.

Mine is to tell you how I met this former student of mine who happens to be my ghetto mate at the moment. The student has grown up to be an amazing lady. Wooooow how they grow!

So I accompanied the student to wherever she was going. This obviously caused an utter disruption of my schedule. I was intending to read my new David Cook and David Rubadiri edited poetry anthology from East Africa to acquaint myself with the place in case I got an opportunity to be in Uganda lol. But the disruption later became sweet because it finally ended with this piece.

This student of mine is acquainted with the knowledge of me having turned down a second offer to teach at their school when she was still there. I don’t know how learners came to know the affairs of the schools, worse still their former teachers. So I think she viewed that act of mine as a silly move from a teacher who has increased to the statistics of the unemployed in the House of Stone. She obviously failed to understand my logic. So we had to discuss with my learner who now has a voice of an equal. After all the learner is now working, probably the reason why we have become ghetto mates. She is a few houses away from my place of residence.

I tried to reason with her about the situation in Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans know how it is here. Unimaginable levels of inflation, with prices going up on a daily basis. My former employer that is my former student’s former school wanted to pay me the exact amount I was paid two months prior to the failed reunion. I failed to understand the logic then so I opted for sleeping and reading waiting for pop ins of some documents for editing. Yes I am an editor if you want one for your upcoming books, dissertations or any other manuscripts.

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It was my turn to be lectured on how it is better to be at work than being idle, how I’m grown up to own up my life.

How enjoyable was the conversation. It got me thinking, if it’s about getting a job for consuming what people think is idle times or is being where you get at least the least of your expectations and the least of respect. I don’t have an answer to that

The talk of growing up led to the inevitable subject: marriage and it’s expectations. After all my learner was going to enquire quotations of sleeping beds from one of the entrepreneurs operating in the field from our ghetto. So yeah I became a novice because what I thought of was to buy a small book cabinet for my small but growing library. I love the romantic affair with my hard copies, so I’m buying at a small pace.

I asked my learner some few questions I have been asking a few people in the past but it was beyond the learner’s comprehension. Therefore allow me to ask you

Why do people marry? Remember I asked the why part not how, where and when.

If you’re a woman do you want to arrive and think you are starting a life with someone who has started already… That is someone who owns a house, a bed, blankets etc etc.

How do you relate to someone you think is taking time to get married?

Whatever me and my former student discussed I liked one thing: hope and positivity. I met the learner during the most exciting times of life where the adrenaline is used to entertain dreams. It is that time one thinks of the car, house and other goodies to have. The fantasying is at its peak. So now I am praying that life continues to be good to all my learners with energy and dreams. I pray that they don’t pass through the reality roadblock where we others are delayed in attaining goals if they are to be attained anyway. After all has been written, discussed and debated, the Advocate subscribes to Thomas Hardy’s line in The Mayor of Casterbridge “Happiness — was but an occasional episode in a general drama of pain” at least for some.