Professor Leo: The Monkey Theory (Fiction)
" Mr Gibson, not now, Please." Prof. Leo muttered to himself, not until the churning of Mr Gibson's heavy duty truck became loudest.
"To hell with you and your road-forsaken shapeless truck!" Prof Leo screamed amidst hitting the wooden frame of his king-sized bed. This made his wife stir a bit. A deep sleeper she was.
It was just 4:35am and the neighborhood was already getting noisy. The noise from motor vehicles; the clanging of plates from kitchens; the hitting of pestles against mortars; the opening and jamming of gates were few things that characterised a typical weekday morning in the neighborhood.
Prof. Leo switched on the lamp by his bedside, sat up and began his morning meditation. His eyes peered through every nook and cranny of his spacious bedroom as if he was looking for something. That morning seemed to be very unusual. He couldn't just place his fingers on the thing making him restless. With a quick turn, his gaze beheld the beautiful face of his wife still sleeping. He couldn't help but smile sheepishly.
His smile was short-lived by the thought of his 10-year childless marriage. The feeling of guilt enveloped him.
"Why can't I give this beautiful woman a child of her own?" He questioned himself.
"Or is she barren?" He continued
"Well, patience." Prof. Leo consoled himself. At 39, he still believed that there is no cause alarm.
The alarm on his wall clock began to ring.
It was 5:00am already.
Prof Leo brought out his laptop and logged in to his Facebook account. This was a way of keeping himself abreast of things happening around hi.
He began scrolling down his News feed. So fast he was that he nearly skipped a post made by a colleague at work. He picked an unusual interest to see what the post was about.
"21-year old Microbiology student commits suicide." The post read.
The picture of a dark-skinned girl greeted his curious face. The girl's face was a beauty to behold. Her white gapped teeth was alluring. Prof Leo couldn't help but to admire such a beautiful creature. It was so saddening that she was dead.
Prof Leo shook his head. He was already imagining what her parents will be passing through.
He was about scrolling past when something struck him. The face looked familiar. He tried remembering where he had seen the face, yet he couldn't. The conviction was so strong.
Prof Leo was almost giving up on his memory when he suddenly remembered.
"No! This can't be!" Prof Leo screamed, causing his wife to wake up from her deep sleep.
"This just can't be." Prof Leo was already loosing hold of his emotions. His memory became clearer. He could see the previous day's event playing before him. His eyes turned watery. The tears were forming. They weren't just forming, they started caressing his fully bearded cheek.
Sia, Prof. Leo's wife, couldn't believe her ears. It was her husband sobbing.
"Leo?" She called.
Prof. Leo on realizing his wife had woken up, started mopping-up his tears. The more he cleaned, the more they flowed.
"Leo, what is it?" His wife inquired.
When she realized she was getting no answer if she kept lying down, she sat-up beside Leo. Her eyes fell on the beautiful face of the suicide victim.
"Who is she, Leo? What happened to her?"
After so many months or probably years, Sia found herself showing deep concern for her husband. This was one of the few times she caught her husband crying.
"Talk to me, Leo!" Since couldn't bear the silence. Her tear-glands were already betraying her. She couldn't stand the sight of her husband crying.
"She was my student. A 100 level student." Prof. Leo replied his wife while trying to control his tears. He had always being a fan of the popular saying, 'Real men don't cry'.
"Oh! Is that so?" She asked mockingly. She gave a loud hiss.
"Is that what is making you cry?" She began to taunt him (as usual).
"Leo, you will not cease to amaze me."
"Stop it!" Leo confronted his ever-annoying wife.
"I'm just having a guilty conscience. Maybe I was part of the reasons she killed herself." Prof. Leo placated her (in what seemed to be like a confession).
Sia was torn in-between having pity for her husband and mocking him. She settled for the full gist instead. Reaching out for the laptop, she clicked "...see more" to read the full story.
"21-year old Microbiology student, Celine Hills, commits suicide as a result of fustration. Report has it that the 100-level orphan was fond of lamenting about the inability of her uncle to buy the necessary books and materials she needed for school.
"However, Celine took the decision to end her life after one of her evening biological practical classes. Celine was found dead by 11:20 pm in her room. Her death is believed to be caused by an overdose of unknown medicine-tablets."
The story began to make more sense to Sia.
"Leo, were you the one that took them on the practical class?" Sia inquired from her husband. Her husband only gave an affirmative nod.
"Leo what did you do to a poor innocent girl?!"
*. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *
(FLASH BACK)
3:52 pm, 9th November, 2009.
Prof. Leo hurriedly walked into the 1st-year Biology laboratory in wde strides. Checking the time on his wrist-watch, he realized the degree of his lateness.
"How time flies these days," he thought while using his white handkerchief to wipe off the bead of sweat that was forming on his face.
Within a minute, he was already settled on the podium of the spacious laboratory. The laboratory was one of the recently commissioned projects in the school. Painted in light brown colour, the white LED bulbs made the laboratory more admirable. The only fault the laboratory seemed to have was limited number of chairs. Some students were seen standing at some strategic positions in order to get a good view of the lecteurer.
"Good day, class." Prof. Leo boomed through the microphone with his husky voice permeating the air.
"Good day, sir." The students responded. There was a little upsurge of noise. Some students were taking final positions on their seats will some were arguing over ownership of chairs.
Prof. Leo checked his wrist-watch again. It was 3:58 pm. He was already one hour behind schedule.
"Please, I don't have time to waste. There are many things to cover this semester." Prof. Leo pleaded.
The students took a cue and all resolved to be quiet. There was drop dead silence in the laboratory.
"Before we continue for today," Prof. Leo began, "I hope everyone has his/her dissecting sets. Like I said in the previous class , the ones in the laboratory will not be enough for everybody. You have no other option but to get a personal one."
The class erupted into another round of noise. Too many people murmuring. It was a habit for students to feign unawareness whenever unpleasant instructions were given.
"Listen up!" Prof. Leo became charged. He wasn't ready to dance to the tune of the students this time around.
"If you don't have your dissecting set, please leave my class."
The rowdiness grew worse. Students started running to and fro the laboratory, probably to retrieve their dissecting sets from their friends. Some were making aimless noise, definitely to fustrate the effort of the lecturer.
Prof. Leo stood upright on the podium with a stern face, secretly admiring the students dressed in their white laboratory coats, and some over-excited ones wearing surgical face mask. He knew the perfect face to put up when dealing with rebellious students.
"At the count of three..."
"Sir please, we will get ours in the next class," some students cut him short with their plea. Many students soon joined in pleading
"Shut up!" Prof. Leo feigned annoyance. Deep within him, he felt a soft spot for their plea. The number of students that hadn't gotten theirs were few. He felt the urge to pardon them.
"I said shut up!" He thundered again . There was no way he was going to fall for some deceptive plea.
"Listen up. It's not my fault. I am not the government that has refused to provide enough equipments in the laboratory. If you don't buy your own, how are you going to learn ?" Prof. Leo's question had a way of making the students mute again.
"Sir please, we will get ours next week." The melodious voice of an average height dark-skinned girl standing by the far end of the laboratory responded to Prof. Leo's question.
Everyone turned their gazes towards her. The looks on the students faces seemed to applaud her of her courage.
Prof. Leo was enveloped with mixed feelings. The young girl's appeal sounded like an insult to his authority. He wasn't sure. 'It might just be the plea of a committed student', he thought.
"Young lady, what is your name?" Prof. Leo asked.
"Celine Hills" The girl answered. Fearless but with a humble look.
Prof. Leo had never been so confused in a long while. Such a beautiful girl. Her bluish eyes were bright enough to melt the stony heart of a tyrant king. He began envisaging such a beautiful damsel as his daughter.
"Our of my class!" Prof. Leo roared, banging his fist in the wooden lectern.
Prof. Leo was taken aback by his own action. He never meant to do what he did.
"Does it matter?" He questioned himself inwardly. "These students need to see me as a tough lecturer." He justified his actions.
Celine packed her books and made for the door out of the laboratory. She was already crying before she got to the door. Other students who hadn't gotten theirs joined her out of fear. Celine's friends and 'well-wishers' also followed her to console her.
Prof Leo was restless. The urge to teach left him. The laboratory now scanty. He checked his wrist-watch for the upteenth time. It was 4:15 pm. So much time wasted already. He sighed and started flipping through the pages of his book.
"Please, turn with me to page 16 of your practical handbook." The practicals started.
*. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *.
(PRESENT DAY)
10:30 am, 27th November, 2019.
It was another occasion of the Annual Matriculation ceremony of the university. The matriculants were seated, beautifully decorated in their matriculation gowns. The 3,000 capacity auditorium was filled to its brim.
Seated on the podium included the Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Registrar and Deans of various faculties. The matriculants were seated at the front rows of chairs. Parents and well-wishers were seated at the far end of the auditorium.
The ceremony had started in earnest with the Vice Chancellor giving his opening speech. This was quickly followed by the oath-taking by the students. The manner in which the students chorused the 'sacred lines' depicted their lack of understanding of what they were doing. But, who cared? It was more like a ritual to observe all protocols.
"Next on the line-out for today's event is a talk by Professor Leonard Adney," the emcee announced. From the way the students clapped and shouted, one would have mistaken the speaker to be a very popular personality. The students couldn't be blamed. Their joy was too much.
Prof. Leo walked majestically unto the podium. His steps were short and precise.He was claded in a black tuxedo and black Italian shoes to match. His head bore a clean shave - the type that reflected the light rays from the LED bulbs. His beards were more fuller than it used be. It was obvious he was mourning.
"The Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Registrar, Deans,..." Prof. Leo started reeling out protocols. He we had no papers with him with which he read from.
"It's with great pain that I stand to deliver this lecture (as I choose to call it)." Prof. Leo began his introduction. The atmosphere in the auditorium changed all of a sudden. Quietness soon enveloped everywhere. Some were curious - curious to know why a professor should be wearing such attire to a joyous occasion.
"It's been 18 days since a should-be matriculant took her life." Prof Leo addressed the matriculats. "My own student, under my very watch." He emphasized.
"To this end, I've decided to centre my lecture around this incident. I title it The Monkey Theory. Yes, the Monkey Theory." He reiterated amidst murmurs over the weird topic.
"Listen up," Prof Leo drew everyone's attention while moving away from the lectern on the podium in order to get a clearer view of his audience.
"Many years back, during my Masters degree program, I stood under an orange tree in the heart of the university's zoo. It was my usual spot each time I needed to meditate. All of a sudden, I saw a monkey swinging from one branch of the tree to another, right over my head. He was with a banana which he held preciously. He soon settled down and began munching it."
Prof. Leo paused his story to assess the level of attention he had garnered. Everyone was looking at him. They wanted to hear more more.
"Then, I began to wonder," Prof Leo broke the suspense, "how he got the banana knowing fully well that it is near-impossible for a monkey to climb a banana tree."
The students looked surprised. Some began to question the authenticity of Prof. Leo's revelation. Others keyed-in into Prof. Leo's revelation and tried solving his riddle.
"Listen up," Prof Leo called out again. It was obvious he couldn't do without telling his audience to listen up. "You will agree with me that the banana is the monkey's favourite food." The students responded with heavy affirmative nods. "In fact," he continued, "whenever you see a monkey, you are likely to see bananas by its side. But, how does it get them?!" Ptof. Leo asked with so much energy in his voice.
"As I stood under that orange tree that day watching the monkey, I heard the monkey say something. You know what he said? He told me, 'hey young man, stop staring at me. If you think I'm going to share my banana with you, then you must be joking. It took me a whole lot to get what I'm eating!". The students bursted into laughter at his illustration. But Prof Leo's countenance was not changed a bit. He meant every word he said.
"Listen up once again. My dear students, everybody wants to achieve success, but they fail to realize that it costs a whole lot.
"Wether you like it or not, the best things of life are seemingly almost impossible to get. It takes you something extra-ordinary for you to get there. Something different from the physical strength you possess. Something different from the norm!
"This led to The Monkey Theory I coined out. Here is what it says: 'SUCCESS IS SWEET; THE ROAD IS TERRIBLE; IF YOU PERSEVERE, YOU GET THERE.
"This was what Celine Hills, the suicide victim, failed to understand. You are all seated here happy to have gained admission into this great institution. But one thing you shouldn't fail to understand is that it is never going to be easy.
"There are times you will fall. There are times you wil perform poorly. There are times you will feel like giving up. There are times you will be fustrated. There are times you will be down financially. There are also times you will feel abandoned. If only you can hear the voice of the monkey. It is asking you, 'why can't you persevere just a little more?'
"We, your lecturers, want the best for you. Nobody hates you.
"And before I drop the microphone," Prof Leo took a long pause. His emotions were beginning to take over him. "I want to implore my fellow lecturers to see to the welfare of these students. They are ours. Let us be a part of their success story. Thank you."
Prof. Leo took a bow and started going going down the stairs leading to the podium. Everyone in the auditorium stood on their feet to cheer him. The ovation was louder this time around.
THE END.