“When Cooks Cooked a Rat”

Some of us are now “Old Boys” as compared to the current boys. The difference between us and the current boys is that they are much younger than or is it that we are much older than them? Whichever way you look at it, the difference is the same. We all have a childhood, at that age, we all do or long to do the same things as others of the same age do or did. Just a few days ago, I was disheartened to hear that, students of Ntare School (probably the only school among the three popular schools to have stood the test of time) had gone on strike. I really wonder what evil is taking society apart! Most of North African and Arabian countries are experiencing unrest; likewise, most of the otherwise reputable and stable schools are all experiencing strikes, very sad indeed! One would be tempted to think that, all these so called hooligans that are causing so many street protests in many countries studied in the same schools? In our days at school, there was no point in arguing about scarcities or complaining about the raising prices of this or that; why complain if and even if the commodity cost zero francs or a million, you wouldn’t buy it! Take an example of sugar that was purely a preserve for the sons and daughters of the rich, we the commoners used to contend with a mug of “magma” (read porridge) for breakfast and another one for break. Despite the lack of sugar, the magma tasted as great as it could be! By the way, the main ingredient of our meals was maize flour! I remember, after a meal, we used to chant “God bless the maize farmers, long live the maize farmers”, how else would we have fed without these God sent farmers? As I was saying, a few days ago, Ntare students went on strike, mbu, NTARE School in Mbarara municipality has been closed after students turned rowdy following failure to participate in the Ankole regional COPA Coca-Cola championships. Many years ago, in our days at St. Leo’s College - Kyegobe, the cooks either accidentally or by intent cooked a rat(s) or fed us on it or them. Many of us had consumed the bulk of the food when one student noticed a rat tail in the bean soup bowl on their table! Of course hell broke loose, we had to pour what remained of our lunch and rushed to the caterer’s office to seek compensation. The caterer was a one so called cadre (military trainee), and therefore could not easily be intimidated. However, we fell short of damaging any school property! An impromptu assembly was called amidst some students throwing up or inducing themselves to do so in a bid to express how aggrieved they were! Of course Amooti Mulengwa (the headmaster) flanked by his bursar, Stephen Nzabakirira (Rest In Peace) came running, they addressed us and regretted the incident. By this time, the cooks had all scampered for safety in the Gweri neighbourhood! We were given an instant “Public holiday”, after all, who could attend classes on an “empty stomach”? The Bursar had to mobilise the funds for “Gnuts” and some “minekes” to be accompanied by real Tea! The concessions were not done yet, they prepared for us real “nyama” as well; we had not had meat in a long time! Who wouldn’t have wished that, the cooks kept cooking a rat at least once a week? mfashumwana@fastmail.fm