Oflow!! - A First Day in Augusco

“What is Geography?” That was the voice of the teacher in my first ever lesson in St Augustine’s. Mr Riverson was a young ambitious teacher who was soon to leave us for a more lucrative job in a company in Tema.

“Geography is the Science that deals with the Earth as home of man” he said I still remember that definition, though sadly, I struggle even now, to know what it actually means.

Then there was “What is history? What is Science?” and so on as our new teachers came one after the other and introduced us, in as dramatic a way as they could, to secondary school education. There was Mathematics and then French. The next lesson was to be English and while waiting for the teacher who had been a bit late, we had stood in little groups chatting and still getting to know each other-which famous schools we had attended and what score we had obtained in the Common Entrance Examination. The class prefect also used the opportunity to continue the distribution of the Mathematics textbooks he had collected from the bookshop earlier.

“Class stand!”

With all the mayhem, Mr Hooper, the English teacher, had walked in without anybody noticing. He was a tall elderly man. When he spoke, sprays of saliva would often emit from the corner of his mouth which he intermittently wiped off with his handkerchief. We all lept up, frightened by the sudden aggressive command.

“Sit!” We sat down

“Stand!” We stood up

“Sit!” We sat down

“What subject do you have?”

“English Sir” Quartey Pappafio, our class prefect answered

“So why are you distributing Mathematics books? Why are you not reading something in English while waiting for the teacher?”

“We were…….” Pappafio attempted an explanation

“You have not come to this school to learn to be rubble rousers.” Mr Hooper continued, as we all looked around, eager to know if there were some clever Johnnies among us who actually understood what he was saying. Thankfully there didn’t appear to be any.

“You have come here, I believe, because you aspire to be the undeserving beneficiaries of the best secondary education anywhere along the west coast of Africa.” He continued, as I noticed this strange mixture of fear, excitement and anticipation among my mates. “But if it is trouble you want, I have plenty in my pocket to dish out free of charge!”

He uttered the free- of- charge with such emphasis, that a generous spray of saliva gushed out which he wiped off yet again with the tip of his handkerchief.

“Here in St Augustine’s,” he continued “our aim is to give you a strong foundation. For when the foundation is weak, the building cannot stand.”

Good old Mr Hooper. We later found out his nickname was “Oflow” because when students struggled to speak English fluently in class, he enthusiastically urged them on; “Let it flow, let it flow!”

And as we spoke to the seniors, we realized this was a yearly ritual, a kind of initiation for the first years, much like Richard Gere’s experience in the Air Force camp on his first day in the film, The Officer and a Gentleman. We loved Mr Hooper. In the third term in form one however, he had walked into the class one day and had an announcement to make.

“I am sorry to have to leave you wonderful students midstream.”

We were all shocked.

“I have just gained admission to the University of Cape Coast to pursue a degree Course in English.”

We looked with surprise at each other. Oflow? Going to the University? Who could be better than our famous teacher?

“It is a four year programme, so you will be preparing for your General Certificate of Education O’level exam by the time I return. I would be glad to be of some assistance then. I wish you all the best in your studies.”

There had been a few tears. Over the months, our initial fear had gradually turned into warm affection for the man from whose lips English flowed like the river. As he went out of the class room at the end of the lesson, we had all followed him;

“Oflow! Oflow! Oflow!” we continued as he made his way unto the quadrangle and into the staff room, a broad smile on his face.