Love & Denial

Chapter 3

In class, Shemagh never attempts to respond to questions, not because she doesn't know the answers but because she hates being an object of derision. She believes that whether she gets it right or wrong, laughter will always follow from her classmates.

Prof. Akin arrived in class exactly at 8 a.m. Those who came late were left to stand outside, a rule he never breaks. Luckily for Shemagh and Lola, they overheard their neighbors talking about how strict Prof. Akin is; you dare not come to his class late or without writing materials, and you must dress appropriately. If he recommends a text, failure to read it often results in a class test. Ironically, when the majority of students read the text, he lets it slide. Prof. Akin hates silence as a response to his questions; it's better to speak unfounded points than to keep mute. This information guided Shemagh and Lola's behavior in his class—they never come late and they aren't planning to.

Prof. Akin asked a question and pointed at random for an answer. He first called on a student named Sani. Sani's response was not satisfactory, so he proceeded to the next person.

"Beautiful lady, let me hear your opinion," he said. Both Lola and Shemagh seemed confused as to whom he was referring because he was directly facing both of them. Shemagh concluded it must be Lola, as she didn't consider herself beautiful. To her surprise, it was she whom he was referring to. She stood up to answer the question, but when her eyes met Samuel's, who was standing outside, she lost her confidence.

"You're not deaf, are you?" he questioned.

"No, Sir." "I thought so. Go on."

"Expression," she whispered.

"Say it louder for everyone to hear."

"Expression," she said louder.

"An applause for her, everyone," the entire class clapped for her.

"Why were you scared of voicing your opinion? To all of you, this is a literature class. To enjoy it, you must participate.

Expression is what differentiates literature from other academic disciplines. The way you express yourself determines how you convince your readers and their reaction to your work. That's why most questions in literature are applied, and two answers will never be the same." He walked to the whiteboard and wrote, "Is holy communion a ritual?"

"Class, let's see examples through this question. If your answer is yes, state your point, and if it's no, do the same. Let the answers start coming."

A student from behind raised his hand.

"Yes, speak."

"Communion is a ritual because it's a religious practice."

Prof. Akin's facial expression showed he was not convinced.

"A good attempt." he said

" Who else has a contrary opinion?" Samuel raised his hand from outside. The lecturer asked the class if he should allow Samuel to speak. The class pleaded for him to be allowed.

"I will allow you to make your contribution, but you'll have to come into the class. Once you're done with your answer, you go back outside. Is that okay?"

"Yes, Sir." Samuel replied and walked in.

"Holy communion is a ritual because it involves a prescribed order of performing religious activities." Prof. Akin seemed satisfied with the answer but was still hungry for more.

"You in the white shirt at the back, answer the question." David stood up and began talking.

"Communion is a ritual based on my opinion. First, we need to know what a ritual is to make a clear comparison. A ritual is concerned with sacred acts, involving gestures and words, often including enchantments. It is performed by no ordinary men and includes worship rites of an organized religion to a god. Communion also involves religious worship to God, carried out by the priest in a prescribed pattern with the same scripture, customs, and words spoken." The lecturer nodded in agreement.

"Brilliant! This is what expression is. They all answered 'yes' but with different approaches. If I were to score them, I'm sure you know who would get the highest mark." He added a little explanation to what they all said and gave them an assignment before leaving the class.

It became noticeable that Shemagh was excited that David's answer was more accurate. She kept stealing glances at him and smiling.

"You like him, don't you?" Lola noticed how she was reacting.

"Who? I?" she said shyly.

"Who? I?" Lola mimicked.

"I can see it everywhere. Is that why you're not comfortable around him anymore?"

"I know he will never love someone like me, even if he did, it wouldn't be genuine. Look at me, I'm a lady, but my beauty is nothing compared to his handsomeness." She said hopelessly.

"Shemagh, why are you always pessimistic? Look, beyond your appearance is a beautiful, intelligent, and courageous lady who can face the world. Oh, here he comes." Shemagh became uncomfortable.

"Good morning, ladies."

"Good morning," they replied.

"Shemagh, you did very well today," he complimented. "Thank you. You also did very well." She forced the words out of her mouth, knowing she needed to say more than just thank you.

"Thank you too," he smiled.

"Don't let him deceive you; that was a lucky guess." Samuel came out of nowhere and interrupted.

"If you don't stop bullying this lady, you'll force me to report you to the school management. Please behave like an adult for once," David said angrily.

"Why do you always take the position of a savior in her life? A lady that is not even in your class. If not for the unmerited scholarship, she wouldn't even be here, not even in her dreams. I'm pretty sure that if her dad had his way, he would have used the scholarship for a huge investment." David couldn't control his temper when he saw Shemagh crying. He punched Samuel in the face and they started exchanging blows.

Shemagh and Lola stood dumbfounded. A few students rushed to separate the fight. Sani dragged David out, while Samuel and his friends left the class.