The Service Chronicles 3: The Girlfriend.

I ran to my phone. It was almost impossible because of the distance of my phone to me. Like I had to do a high jump over the pool of bodies seeing a movie, answer a question from a huge obstacle of a person and beg for everybody to be quiet; that was the one that was very hard but in the end I travailed. Why fate had decided I would not answer the call I would not know until I picked up the phone.

It was QES (Queen Elizabeth School) pest. You know those people that have made it their life goal to call you every two hours and really have nothing to say, those people that just want to hear you breathe. Those annoying guys that make you wish telephones were never created. Well this was one and I did the best thing these EVIL pests deserve. I won’t even bother to tell you how I met him. I ignored it and slowly limped back (I had gotten a sprain from the high jump. I’m too short to be trying myself like that) to where I was daydreaming.

When I felt the need to get up and go to work was ten thirty, Sound of Music is bae. 

The adjective to describe the level of fatigue I feel has not been created. I am tres tired. For the past two days I have been working like a banker. Almost six hours with little or no food, writing numbers and calculating scores. I don’t have a brain for numbers so it is a mystery how I have not started to see things. I really hate digits only if they are in my alerts or bank account or purse. You get this. Only difference between me and a banker right now is I don’t earn quarter of how much they do. If anybody had told me grading and recording scripts would have been this herculean in nature I would have thrown a car at them; before I proceed to beat them for uttering such a fallacy.  But here I am nursing a sore arm, sore eyes, sore butt, sore brains and a very sore and angry stomach. If I had gotten hit by a car I would understand all this soreness but it’s just scripts I’m marking. This has managed to increase the level of respect I have for teachers. They really do try. After trying to decipher the rubbish one may have written they will still have to fight with their conscience and give marks higher than you deserve.

So here I am neck, shoulder and head deep in the river of one hundred and twenty five scripts; honestly wondering why I ever agreed to serve as a teacher, when my phone rings. Expecting it to be another unwanted call I didn’t aim for it with as much enthusiasm as I have been doing recently.  Lo and behold it was Boye (Zonal meeting guy), I didn’t have time to bust a move, that will be saved for after the call, so I answered in the most non-committal way. We can’t have him thinking that I have been waiting.

I promise you that it was the first best part of yesterday. I was so excited I think I mistakenly added some marks to some students. Abeg it is their luck. Still riding on euphoria I came home and got a shocker.

Earlier in the day before Sound of Music, right after I ignored the call from QES pest I had a rift with someone. Now I know how this might sound, I had a rift with another person just on Wednesday but you really can’t blame me if people keep annoying me and I honestly felt bad for the things I said on both occasions.

Now this recent quarrel was not a big deal just people with completely different attitudes clashing. For crying out loud I live in a Corpers’ Lodge with about forty four other people, such things are bound to happen. So I had completely forgotten about it, only for me to come back from my shift at my teaching job that seems like that of a banker’s. I greeted the person in question and met a wall of steel. I can be very irrational at times and it is not a good thing, but I need an Achilles’ heel and this is one. So I flew off the handle and refused to say sorry, after all it was a really silly issue and she annoyed me too. Long story short I apologized. I am also a good person (this is very true).

Later at night I got a bombshell. Remember that Boye knows someone at this lodge. Well I was asking about him from this fellow in particular and he let it slip that (ladies at this point grab your tissues) Zonal meeting guy; Boye has a girlfriend, to make matters worse. I know her.  

Your comments will be highly appreciated.  

Nkem Oyaghire.