4 Alpha- Mental Alabahda

"Pam! pam! pah!"; the sound Mrs. Quaye's whip made on my upturned palm. It is Monday, the day every pupil in 4 Alpha dreads; the period is right after morning devotion; the standard drill, "Take out your mental books". 'Mental alabahda' (a term coined from the craziness of doing mental mathematics) takes place Morning mornings after devotion. Mrs. Quaye, our class teacher, dictates the questions with only a minute interval between questions for answers to be written down. The maximum number of questions, ten(10), were too much considering the fact that for every mistake made, you get a lash from the slim-lined whip Mrs Quaye claims as hers. The frequency of lashing eased some-what when a pass mark is set, and the setting of it did not start until we were in our second term in class 4. I remember envying the other class, 4 Beta, because their class teacher did not conduct mental mathematics drills. I appreciated Mrs. Quaye for it, though I will always hate the lashes; I learned focus and practise.

Mrs. Quaye would usually send me(sometimes accompanied by someone of my choice) to get her 'fufu' from my cousin's chop-bar during lunch time.

I ate pork chops for the first time in class 4 when I had lunch with Mrs. Quaye's daughter, Sheila. I also learned I was allergic to pork because I got skin rashes right afterward and again when I disputed that fact. So please don't be offering me pork chops or anything to food to do with pigs any time within my lifetime.

Next week: 5 Toniolies