Recalling my past during my primary school days, I dreaded
the moment when I stepped onto the school campus after my friends had already gone
to the opening assembly.
With class monitors wielding more powers than necessary, my lack
of punctuality was their opportunity to mete out any kind of punishment on me,
taking into consideration that I wasn’t one of the obedient chaps at school.
The school premises would be dead quiet as all pupils were
at one corner of the institution. Knowing that the class monitors were always
located on the boundaries waiting to pounce on anyone who came late, I temporarily
employed a way of beating the system.
Wait for my
colleagues to leave the assembly then as soon as the monitors are leaving their
posts, I would dash towards my classroom’s door to join the rest. It wasn’t any
close to being a wise idea. I got caught on several occasions and punished.
But there is a day I will never forget in my life. Having
arrived late (again) I noticed that the class monitors were nowhere to be seen.
I smiled and quickened my step towards the only classroom block that separated
me from the assembly point.
I peeped from where I stood and was rest assured that if I
turned into a “professional athlete” for a moment then I would manage to join
my class queue right at the back. By the way, from the direction I was to come
from, no teacher (no matter how good they were in spotting offenders) was going
to see me.
One, two, three..I counted then leaped towards my
destination then alas, a coarse voice from the middle of the gathering erupted
into a song “OH GOD BLESS OUR”…then the whole group followed…”LAND OF MALAWI…….”
The rule was clear, upon hearing the national anthem you are
supposed to stop where you are, throw everything down, stand straight with
hands on the sides. And on top of that entire requirement package, you were supposed
to join in song.
My bad, I had been caught between the rock and a hard place.
I quickly threw my books down and stood there motionless. My voice didn’t come
out audibly because I was shaking terribly. I don’t remember how many lines of
the anthem I had sung along when it finished.
My initial sprint had attracted some attention and my
isolation from the rest of the group during the anthem caught the eye of some
ruthless teacher whose name I can’t remember. Another bad day it was and I was
going to get punished (again).
The etiquette surrounding national anthem did not change a
lot during Bakili Muluzi’s rule only that we had the freedom not to stop, not
to sing and not to care.
However, one thing I miss about the anthem is putting my
hands on the sides. Why on earth did Bingu wa Mutharika change our posture when
singing our sacred song. Did he justify why we have to put our hand across the
chest?
I miss those Kamuzu days..”OH GOD BLESS OUR LAND OF MALAWI”,while
my hands are relaxing on the sides. May be we can change that as well if we
really had respect for Kamuzu Banda.
Honestly, Bingu was changing some things just to nurse his
ego
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