MR SHARDRACK

Mr.. shardrack

There were many things i did not like about Mr Shardrack. He used to talk too much

and create big issues out of small ones . Even when he had said nothing funny or amusing to anybody

he would laugh loudly and start another story about his antics when he was drunk.

“I remember one time back home , we had taken two full cups of sham each, then added a few bottles

of tusker, man i was walking from one side of the road to another…… singing circumcision songs vigorously” he would say

“ You should cut down on sham mister “ i tried to venture

“ you know that is the night i swam in bad water by the roadside” he went on

Shardrack never ceased to to talk about his crazy drinking escapades, he really liked his brew  than any thing else and his talks were usually sprinkled with politics. he could make good enough analysis of what was happening in the country although not good enough for someone with a degree in agriculture. may be what he did best was to teach mathematics to his uncomprehending students. I  used to tease him on that a lot.

“ Do you think your students like you Mr. Shardrack after the Greek you like teaching them every day?” i would ask innocently

He would look at me with a sly smile and retort   ‘no , every time i walk into the classroom , the faces become gloomy haggard and unhappy, these children hate the subject “

He would say this with a genuine sadness, which betrayed his claims when drunk that he didn't care whether they passed or failed , since as he used to say they would not fall in his door step. It really did make him sad that such young minds could not understand the subject he liked.

‘maybe its their teacher who is incompetent, don't you think ? 

“what is incompetence?” he would laugh loudly and accuse me of drawing hurried conclusions

“The subject is not for simple minds, that is why you chose literature right?” He would try to turn the heat on me , i would laugh and look for a suitable defense “someone has to teach them literature don't you think? not that they enjoy it that much….  but the beauty of it is sometimes they can see their lives and that of their parents mirrored in what i teach them”

For a moment he would go quiet and start another discussion on politics as he thought deeply about the relevance of his favorite subject to the lives and aspirations of his students. May be the subject should be structured in away that makes it enjoyable and less intimidating to pupils and students , i thought, is it so boring and is this why the brats locked Mr Shardrack in the toilet as he prepared to go to their class ? but that is a story for another day.