The Known Dance Steps
"A woman is never old when it comes to the dance she knows." ~African Proverb
The new session just started and the students all missed Dr. PET. Dr. PET whose full name was Prof. PHILIPS EMEGHERIDEMA THOMPSON was the substitute professor who took over while Dr. Benson Pato was on sabbatical leave. But unfortunately for the students, Dr. Pato had an accident and ended up with multiple fractures and could not come back to the school. After undergoing series of operations the school was informed to look for another substitute professor as Dr. Pato requires at least one-year rehabilitation to be fit for work.
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The students were relieved, not that they were a bunch of evil students but relieved that there is a chance that the much beloved Dr.PET would be brought back to teach. But that was not to be as he had returned to his school. The Senate of the University of Mendes had an emergency to look for a substitute to fill the gap left by the incident. The name on the lips of most of the members was Dr. Ben Dorson. He was around 80 then. An erudite scholar with a passion for teaching. It was put to a vote and all votes were in favor of him returning on one year contract subject to renewal at the end of the year.
The next week the old Prof Ben was driven to the school on his old Mercedes 200 Benz with the very good engine but which body had seen better days. He had been driving himself for more than five decades. So he did not understand it when his children and grandchildren insisted on driving him. He usually refused their offer and obstinately continued to drive himself.
The prof was very proud of his students especially the brightest among them. Paul was one of his students who graduated just before his retirement. When Paul heard that the prof had accepted to return to the classroom, he saw an opportunity to repay him for all those years of guiding him through the principles of calculus and electromagnetic theory even though he did not have to. So he visited the professor and presented him with a gift of a new car with a driver whose services Paul paid for, for life.
It was an almost new Mercedes-Benz 200 just the same model as the professor's old car. The professor thanked Paul for his thoughtfulness, kindness, and magnanimity but regretted that he must reject the car because it was too new. Paul was not about taking no for an answer, he had a car mechanic transfer the engine and other parts of the new car to the prof's old car making it as good as new.
Before this time, Professor Ben Dorson was regularly bashing other people's vehicle on the road due to his failing eyesight.
On the first day, the old Prof. was chauffeur-driven to the school. The short walk up the two flights of stairs took him a while. He rebuffed the help offered by the driver who tried to help him.
"Daniel, I think I am not so old as to require a babysitter to walk up ordinary stairs!" Indignation clearly written all over his wrinkled, fleshy face.
Old age must have done that to him because a picture of him some thirty or so odd years ago presented an elegant looking man. But aging comes with some things, one of which was his spotless white beards and surprisingly dark hair on his head. The rumor may be true that he dyed it. But looking at him he is not the type of man who would waste time on such frivolities as coloring his hair.
He was clutching two big textbooks which though old is still in surprisingly good condition. He walked into three hundred level class and you could have heard a pin drop.
He stopped and motioned for one of the students to help him pull a table close to the blackboard where he slowly put down the prized books he was holding. On the edge you could see written in words yellowed by age Electromagnetic Induction and Motors.
In a surprisingly loud and clear voice he said, "Hello, my name is Ben Dorson. We shall be talking about Electromagnetism. What's the course code for this course?" he asked.
"EEE 301," came the answer in a chorus.
The professor paused, "I have been doing this since your parents were in kindergarten, so cut me some slack if my memory is not what it used to be." He smiled at the last part.
The students were all quiet throughout that brief introduction. That was a legend they have often heard about but never saw. He was one of the pioneer founders of the faculty of engineering at the University of Mendes. He had been honorably retired 8 years ago. They have heard of his exploits and intelligence. Seeing him live was like finally meeting the Instagram celebrity who you have been liking her photos for the past three years!
His voice was loud and clear, belie his age, a trait borne of experience of someone who had been in the teaching profession for a while. But in his movement, his age showed. It was slow and calculated.
Standing about a foot away from the blackboard he started to write. The old Prof had severe myopia, the only way he could see what he was writing, was if he stood that close to the blackboard. His hands though shaky produced an outstanding good handwriting.
"Electromagnetism," he wrote. Then wrote about the discovery of electrical and magnetic properties of matter. He wrote about Electromagnetism. As he wrote, he talked conversationally to the students bringing in discoveries, names of scientists, experiments, and laws. This continued for about forty-five minutes until there was no space on the blackboard. His picked up something to wipe the board when the students realized that the lecture had already started. Majority of them were waiting for the professor to take one of the great textbooks he brought to class without knowing the that the lecture was halfway through.
The lectures continued that way. Every day, the class is filled with both his students and students of other faculties who just came to see the legend in action. Thankfully, his eyesight was so poor he did not notice the ever-increasing number of curious students piling into his class to watch the old Prof teach.
About six months in, the Prof after his class walked out of the classroom and walked in the direction of the parking lot where the driver usually parks. After walking about unsuccessfully trying to see where his car was parked two of his students noticed the Prof pacing up and down the car park muttering under his breathe. One of the two asked him, "Hello Prof, anything the matter sir?"
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"I could've sworn that was where he parked when he dropped me this morning. This was where he always parked. That was quite unlike Daniel to leave without me. I can't seem to find him or the car anywhere."
"Sir, have you tried calling him?" The same student asked.
"Of course, that was the first thing I tried doing when I noticed he wasn't here. His number was unreachable."
"That is not a problem, we just finished for the day and we are about heading home, care to join us so we could drop you off at your home?" The student offered.
"Well, you know how you young men drive, I'd rather wait for my driver to come back. No offense to you boys, I still prefer arriving at my home in one piece." The Prof replied.
One of them started to say something but thought better of it and instead wished him luck in finding his driver and walked away.
Daniel woke up and realized he had been sweating. He wondered how he was able to sleep with all that heat. He really needs to sleep more often but the situation at home makes sleeping very hard. How long did he sleep? He hurriedly unwound the car's windows and picked up his phone to check time. He then remembered his phone's battery was dead and he did not remember to come out with the car charger, there had been power cut due to his growing debt to the Electric Board.
What could be taking the Prof so long in the supermarket? He decided to check. He walked in and looked at the big wall clock positioned so it was the first thing you see on walking into the supermarket and was horrified. He had been parked in the front of the supermarket for 3 hours! He looked through the supermarket and the Prof was nowhere to be found. He walked up to the boy working the door.
"Hello, did you happen to notice an old man wearing a black suit with a red tie?"
"Oh, the one wearing glasses with bright yellow rope support?" The young boy asked him.
Daniel nodded
"He left after about 20 minutes of shopping. I remember him quite alright as he tipped me generously and reminded me that I should be in school!" He laughed at that.
Daniel was able to borrow a charger and was able to make a call. A furious Prof Ben picked and asked him why he had to leave after dropping him in school knowing fully well his class is just less than two hours.
Daniel apologized and told him he was on his way to the school now. It was later that it all made sense to Daniel. He dropped the Prof at the supermarket, Prof went in to buy some things. He slept off and the Prof finished his shopping and forgot that he came with a driver. Took a bus to school and delivered his lecture. Came out and found the driver and car "missing". It was his memory playing tricks on him as the driver never drove him to the school.
This was the beginning of his memory failing Dr. Ben Dorson. He still manages to teach. But at the end of his one year contract, his memory had done a lot of things to him. He sometimes forgets things in the middle of the lecture. But once he is reminded of it he would pick up. Finally, the school management got wind of this and paid him in full and terminated his service.
He had already set the questions for the examination by that time. It was handwritten, yet to be typed.
Two weeks after this retirement the news of his death arrived in the school. It devastated everyone who knew the kind old Prof.
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As a sign of tribute to him, his questions were never typed. It was simply photocopied and distributed to the students.
Who knows if the classes he attends every day that kept him for that long. He truly loves teaching and lived for it. But like most things in life we would never know.
Dedicated to all the little heroes of life. Your work, however little, is appreciated.
