WEIRD SOCIAL HABITS. Quit Staring At Me, Old Lady!

This old lady at the school where I teach, the school matron, she also sells at the school tuck shop. This afternoon, I left my lodge (within the school premises) dressed in a jersey and shorts to go buy some groundnuts from her.

She was sitting outside when I got there, and I greeted her, went into the shop to pick some groundnuts, then returned outside to hand her my money. As she got up to get me my change, she winked furtively at me and motioned for me to go into the shop with her. 

What now? 

While inside the shop, she pointed at the fly of my shorts. It wasn't well fastened and as a result, my underpants were a little exposed, especially whenever I raised my arms and my top got raised above my crotch. 😬😬

I was mortified. 

Now, the zip was actually worn out and I had crudely attached some press-buttons as fastener instead. It was quite a messy job but I did not mind at all since my tops were always long enough to cover up the iniquity underneath. 😂

Anyways, after the matron pointed out my peeping panties, I began to fiddle with the press buttons. I couldn't quite fix them right, and on time. Not under the intent gaze of the matron. 😒😒

I didn't want her to see that I was wearing 'patch patch' shorts despite all my shakara. 🙈

Within the thirty seconds that all of that happened, I felt different emotions simultaneously. Shock. Embarrassment. Adrenalin pump. Anger even. Why did she keep staring at my crotch as I tried fixing myself? She should look away na. 😒

Eventually I got it right. But by that time, I was already at the brink of leaving it altogether and walking away.

Now I know what it means to point out an error to someone, and keep breathing down their necks over it, without giving them the chance or privacy to fix it by themselves. 

You know how we ask our little ones something seemingly as simple as "what is 5 times 4?" and they say for example, 24 (which is wrong but not too far from the correct answer), and after  getting so much pressure and threats from us, they begin to come up with ridiculous answers like 5 or 200? What do you think is responsible?

You guessed right. The perceived threat, the pressure, the boring gaze. They become flustered. We all do. 

Another thing I learnt. It's rude to stare while someone is struggling with an embarrassing situation. Your gaze will not be minded much if and only if you're helping out. I knew this before though, only that now, I understand it on a deeper level. Been there and it didn't feel good😂. I'll always remember never to do that to anyone. 

Moreover, I've learnt not to expect perfection from people immediately after pointing out something needing correction. If you keep looking over their shoulder to get them to do it right, and if by chance they aren't getting it right (and they most likely won't under such circumstance anyway), they just might buck and damn you and your concern/suggestion altogether. 

I'm not sure how to end this now, but I'd like you to always remember this: Don't Stare!

11.07.18