DEFENDING A PEOPLE: ADDICTED TO SUFFERING (1) by Miriam Yakubu

Many years ago, I wanted to be a nurse but requirement was to be a certified nursing aide with 3 months experience in hospital environment. So I register for a 2 weeks nursing aide classes.

I was new in town, don't know my way around and don't know a whole bunch of stuff.

I was late on my first day to class, because I mistakenly dropped two busstop short. And instead of taking the next bus with my day pass, I walked it.

Into a class already in session, I walked in front of the whole class, towards the teacher who was seated facing the door. I stood blocking the projector ray, and said "good morning Mrs. Givens." "Please call me Tina, get a seat and good morning" she gnarled, as she motioned towards empty seats at the back, and turned her face swiftly back to her slides.

MY THINKING:
Instead of walking quietly to a seat, I wanted to greet my teacher; good morning, explain why I was late, and apologise. And probably wait for her to decide whether to allow me join the class or send me back home. And I am quite sure, if she had asked me to stretch out my hands for two strokes of canes, I would have done it without a question. That's the life I know.

At the back, I sat close to Laura, originally from Long Island; NY. Somehow we became friends. We went for breaks together and we talked after classes.

Class was going great; or so I thought, until on the fifth day when Gina announced with much and very long apology, that due to personal emergency, the school will wrap up on the 7th day instead of the 10th day.

The whole class went wild except me. I didn't see anything wrong, even if she had said the school will close five days early. And even seven days early. Or no class at all, take your certificate of attendance and go home.

Their thinking:
But the class resisted and insisted we spend the 10 days or the school refund 3days registration fee. And boom, all other complaints followed suit.

"Why are we so crowded in the class?" Asked Laura. We have 30 students here instead of the 15 as stated on your website? She added angrily.

"For the past two days, we were given one break time instead of two breaks, for what?" Asked another student. "You talk too fast, you skip slides and you are not diligent, taken us for some shit?" Asked another. "You are a very rude person, look at the way you treated Miriam on the first day?" Added Laura. On hearing my name, I almost jumped out of my seat to fight Laura. But I was too paralyse with fear of what the teacher will do.

As complaints filled the air in the classroom, I was totally lost and very much upset with the class. How can they be so inconsiderate, I thought to myself. I couldn't see what the fuss was about.

Meanwhile, I was filled with gratitude, for I merely filled out form, paid a fee, and got admitted. Plus, I came in late, but Gina took me under her wings and not abuse me or demean me. The class is implacably neat. The chairs and tables are unbelievably sturdy and glossy. There are no cracks on the chairs to pinch my butt. No lose nails to snag threads off my clothes. The glossy walls wont stain my elbows. The rich coffee station down the hallway, the free cookies in the cookie jar on Gina's table, and the no smelly toilets. In fact, I ate part of my chocolate inside the toilet while I was hand washing.

To show my happiness, I could have carried Gina on my back and walked her home. I was full of pity for poor Gina to have to deal with such nuisance.

While I was lost in my wild thoughts, the class got crazier that Gina had to call in the supervisor. Who of course, agreed with the students wholeheartedly and agreed to all demands.

But for me, I stopped talking to Laura for been so bitchy to have started all these noise against a nice teacher. My stand startled Laura beyond words.

It is me, Miriam Yakubu Ikunaiye saying to Laura, forgive me for my standard of demands and accountability was very low some 25 years ago. I was a certified addicted sufferer, who belongs to a people contended with wallowing in misery.

Watch out for the next