Let's talk about embarrassments

Let’s talk about embarrassments.

What’s the most memorable embarrassment you’ve had to suffer?

I remember an event that happened sometime ago in secondary school, far-away from home, FGC, Ogbomoso. It’s one of my most memorable embarrassing moments.

Each time I reminisce on this event, it brings a mix of laughter and shame.

It happened that on this day, that the previous night, I was at the school clinic to get some medication for fever, which explained why I overslept into the next morning and was late for the assembly. 

I jolted up from the bed, upon hearing the shouts and running around in pandemonium. 

It took me a few minutes to access the situation as I was still feeling the drowsing effects of the drugs I took.😪

Getting up, I saw the SS3 students also in chaos, trying to flee the hostel. This got me worried. 

It was strange to find senior students who were busy with WAEC exams bother themselves about staying back in the hostel during normal school activities.

I asked one of the senior students then what was happening, and I still remember his words that day,  “Mr.Fawale is coming, run!”

If only you knew who the person in this case was!

I’ve spoken with different students of different schools who share same experience with their intro-tech teachers having this alluring stance. They have their way of projecting fear into students and Mr. Fawale in this case, was no exception. 

Students feared him! Such was his stance😈

I tried asking again, how that is of any concern to an SS3 student like him but he just wasn't having any of that discuss.Then i walked up sluggishly to another ‘jungling’ senior in the hostel. We used the word ‘jungling’ as an act of a student leaving his own designated hostel to live in another hostel.

So, back to the story, I remember asking this senior to at least let me hide in his wardrobe. Because of the haste involved he agreed easily. I made my way quickly into his wardrobe and sat at the base layer comfortably. I had this calm feeling and was only waiting for all the drama to be done with.

Not long, the whole hostel was silent as a grave yard. Those who fled were far gone by now and maybe off any danger.
While I sat there, lost in thoughts, I heard footsteps in the room. Still wondering who that could be, there was a loud wicked grin, judging the voice; I knew it was Mr. Fawale. I wasn’t at all bothered, knowing I was locked up in a wardrobe.

The sound of the footsteps became louder and this time, I could see through the tiny spaces of the wardrobe, the legs approaching. He made way to other wardrobes, opened them and picked some items in them, still laughing and talking to himself.

He did that till he came directly in front of the very wardrobe I was in. He took a pause, then I began wondering why he was still fixed to the spot?

The next thing I heard was the sound of the unlocked wardrobe been opened. What!!

My heart was racing so fast at that moment, I was done for! I had sat there in full hope that the senior who led me in was wise enough to use the padlock.

Alas, while still in thoughts, I saw a man’s face looking beneath the wardrobe and smiling wickedly. I still remember his words, “come here, hahahaha (devilish laughter)”

I stepped out in my lanky frame in shame!😖

I wished the earth would swallow me up for the embarrassment I felt.

He asked what I was looking for in the wardrobe; which I tried explaining that I wasn’t feeling too well. He responded back asking if the wardrobe was a clinic facility and told me to head straight for the assembly ground.

I was thrown off balance! I mean, I was just in my singlet and boxers!

Go where?! “It must be that I heard wrongly” I said in my head😨

I pleaded to this man; he wasn’t even interested in hearing what I had to say and kept making jest of me.😈

Immediately, he led me outside the hostel, told me to start walking towards the assembly ground.

I took baby steps forward, took a pause, looking so pitiful and almost in tears, still begging.

He went ahead, turned to his left and made way for the next hostel, which was the Niger house. After some fifteen seconds, I dashed back into the hostel and that was how I escaped something more serious than that level of embarrassment.

Can you try and imagine a student on underwear on the assembly ground?

That’ll have been talk for the school in a while.

I don’t think I would have survived the shame if it happened.

Everytime I think of this day, I just take a sigh of relief; O God! I thank you!😌

You’re free to laugh! Hahahhahaha!!😂

How do you cope remembering yours?

Any lasting scars?

Does the memory still trouble you?