Times are hard. Especially for the teachers and the most disliked ones. We have colleges that impose dress and language codes. We also have colleges that allow laptops, tank tops and mobile phones. This is an anecdote from one such premier institution.
She taught one paper from the (humanities) “life sciences” course. Touching 30, she maintained a justifiable distance with the 20 plus boys and girls in her class. For reasons too slippery to either pinpoint or analyse she was not her students’ favourite.
One morning, a stupendously beautiful day with an azure sky and white spongy clouds, the hero of our story woke up with a dazzling idea. The very first hour was hers; the excitement associated with the idea was the steam that propelled him to the “acad” block a full 20 minutes in advance. He pottered with a screw driver in his classroom and was ready and heady by the time the class assembled.
She walked in, marked attendance and began with her lessons only to be interrupted by a single pathetic “meow”. With the exception of our hero and his co-conspirators, people were startled!
“Is there a cat here somewhere?”, she queried. “Sounds more like a lost kitten,” added another helpful soul. “Oh, okay, lets move on,” she said and tried to get on with the lesson.
However, another “meow” interrupted her and four such repeat performances had her suspend the class and go looking for the janitor. She was convinced that a cat was lost in the labyrinth of the Air Conditioner’s air vents.
Upon her departure, our hero came forward and gently removed his mobile phone from one of the vents.
The “meow” ring tone was so visibly tired after having responded to all its callers that it snugly and thankfully disappeared into the shirt pocket for a well deserved nap.