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My African Students - Moses Howard

Page history last edited by Henry Hamburger 7 years, 1 month ago

 

In Africa, my students often came to tea at my house. They asked me to explain lessons, but they were more interested in personal relationships. "What is this dating?" "Do most boys have cars to drive around with girls as we see in the movies?" When they discovered I was approachable, the questions got more personal. They were always respectful and seemed convinced they could ask me anything and get a civil answer. 

 

I tried to give honest answers. I felt every exchange was a moment of teaching and learning. I was learning and teaching and so were they. I am sure they asked me questions they would never ask their British or even African teaching masters. There is usually a stilted reserve between teacher and student in Africa. With me somehow it was different; I was an African American, they were curious, they lifted the barrier and connected with me.

 

Their queries mirrored both curiosity and concern about me and my adjustment to living in Africa. They took a special  effort to educate me. So when they learned from Sandeg, my friend the Surveyor for the road builders in whom I had confided that I had found a girl I wished to marry, a student from my sixth form, named Kajubi, came to talk with me about it. He began in a formal manner as he would if he were asking questions on a lesson we had in chemistry.

 

"Sir, we know you are an accomplished science teacher, sir,"

I said, "Yes," looking into his anxious eyes.

I wondered where this was going.

"Yes?"

"Your parents were farmers in Mississippi."

"That's right," I said

"Were they successful, sir."

" Moderately so," I admitted.

"Please explain 'moderate' as it applies."

"Well, sometimes they succeeded and sometimes they failed. It depended upon factors such as seeds, weather, seasons, planting, rainfall, soil, err..."

 

Here he shifted abruptly...

"You were married in America before coming to Africa, sir?"

"Yes  ..." I  hesitated, then added, "The marriage didn't work."

 "So you are divorced now, sir?"

"That's correct."

"Does that mean your marriage failed, sir?"

"Yes, a divorced  marriage means that marriage failed."

"Is marriage like farming, sir, sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing?"

"No. A marriage should succeed so that a couple remains married for life."

"But you said your marriage failed, sir. Does it means you did not know how to marry."

"To an extent I think that's correct."

"Have you studied marriage sir, so now you know how to marry?"

"Yes."

"You failed before, sir." he reminded me.

I nodded my head.

"Yes."

 "Do you now know all about success in marriage?"

"No... I don't. I don't know everything about marriage."

"You admit this, and yet you intend to do it again."

"Not everything."

 

"I am still asking, sir" which meant he had questions on a related topic.

"All right, go on."

"When is your uncle or some other close relative coming to help you?"

"No one is coming."

"Sir, How will you get the girl's parent to agree for her to marry you? Who will speak for you?"

"I have no one to speak for me."

"Where are your cows, sir?"

"Why do I need cows?"

"Sir, don't you know about the Bride's price? You must give a number of cows in order to marry a girl..."

I stood before him puzzled. I had heard about Bride's Price, but I had not yet reached the point of proposing.

"Sir, do you already have a plot of land?"

Before I had a chance to answer, he said,

"Sir, have you built your house, yet?"

When I paused:

He then offered, "These are questions my father would expect me to answer promptly, sir."

Kajubi shook his head.

 

 

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