The stench in the class is worse. With no water in the village, the stream has turned from being the rejected stone to the cornerstone. My ordeal with the stream is better left untold.
I pop two mint sweets into my mouth and turn to the chalk board. I haven't made much progress with this class, and they are less than five months away from the mock exam. I'm not able to use the right textbook because most of them know nothing. I resorted to the textbook being used two classes lower.
The students look at one another.
I scratch my head. "Do you understand what you are reading?" I sigh.
A part of me wants to read it all but they need to learn to read. Most of them would end up on the streets of the village anyway. They will become farmers and traders like their parents. There's a slim chance, one, maybe only one will move on to college. For the sake of that one, I take a deep breath and look at Segi.
She looks at me. And I stare back sure she must have a headache coming like me.
I read it two more times. Then I tell them to answer the questions after the short paragraph. While they do, I contemplate the next paragraph they have to read. How harder could it get.
For the next thirty minutes, I pop mint sweet and endure the reading. I have to do it. The former teacher who taught English had cared less. I'd been told the last set of graduates scored 100% failure in English.
I can't save them all. But maybe one or two will pull through.
The class goes up in protest.
I pack my books and walk out amidst boos. They can't be blamed. Previous teachers taught them English in vernacular.