Still Standing

Purposely omitted from my description of the track meet was the stoning event that took place between my high school and the near by high school (after my high school kept whippin’ up on them). In all honesty I could not tell one school from the next therefore I have no idea who technically won (the track meet or the stoning). I realize stoning people at your track meet (more importantly being stoned) makes you and the track meet even more hardcore, but hurting others isn’t a way to earn yourself into my hardcore record books. My students have been pelting dogs and birds with stones since they could walk. They are accurate and have a tremendous amount of power, especially when aiming at much slower, larger targets. After a week of talking about the “event” (as we call it at school) I can’t go without filling you in.

The stoning officially comes to an end today. How was this conclusion reached? Standing up, that is for sure. The meeting begun with cultural song and prayer, followed by introductions (all the teachers at my high school and the rival high school, both principals, the equivalent of a district superintendent, the police chief, and two other police officers), and an apology to me that this meeting would be conducted in Sesotho to make sure all points were clear. Ho-lo kee-lae! (It’s okay!) Before the Sesotho started the superintendent told us that is was our responsibility as teachers “to save these children from their animalistic ways.” Insert unnoticeable laugh here. The discussion was off. One hour in I decide it is okay to pull out my book, two hours in I decided it was okay to use the bathroom, three hours in I decided it was okay to write a letter, four hours I decided it was okay to take a five minute walk. Four hours AND forty-two minutes later the verdict: stoning will not be tolerated anywhere anymore. I have no idea what was said during the meeting. I’ll ask tomorrow. It is amazing how much you can learn from observing though. In the beginning it was rival high school standing on one side and my high school on the other (eying each other down, putting our game faces on, the site could have been easily mistakable for pre-battle). I laughed when others were laughing, and I looked up when select words were spoken in English. The best part of the meeting was the closure. Post battle we were all holding hands in one big circle, rotating my high school, rival school, my high school, rival school. Touching. As we all held hands a teacher from the rival high school made an analogy to the coronary artery. He said (in ENGLISH!!!), “holding hands in one circle with no ends symbolizes the coronary artery. The coronary artery supplies the heart and if there is a break in the coronary artery the heart can’t beat.” I could not have put it better myself. Effort was noted. This quote was followed by a singing of kumbiya or a more local anthem (sung in English!!!): “If you and I believe, Africa will be saved. The Holy Spirit will come down and Africa will be saved.” Repeat three times.