The Best Days of our Lives

Abdul-Aziz Ali Omer

In 2003, autumn left its imprints on Gedaref university campus. Wet leaves were trodden under feet as some students hurried to their lecture halls. I leaned on the back of a wooden bench contemplating V,S Naipaul description of school children. Their bus never moved with their feeble pushes. Naipaul in A house for Mr. Biswas depicted them as ” tiny ants gathering around a big dead cockroach”. My contemplation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a guitar. Austaz Gilbert Ramsay ended playing on that musical instrument and then remarked , ” You look at us as immoral, but we look upon you as oppressive”!. I didn’t think about the depravity of the west or the repression of the East as much as I thought of learning and making new friends. And I won Gilbert’s friendship . An hour later, another visiting lecturer came to Gedaref University on an early morning of July, James Robin Hardy known to education -students as ” Jamal Al-Addin” , a lover of rhyme who spent there a good time. Jamal Al-Addin Robin and Gilbert Ramsay were two of the estimable members of Sudan Volunteers program, an organization that provided English teachers to Sudanese universities. A month passed. From the U.K, he came back to send me a mobile-phone text-message signed: Your brother, Jamal. In it, he wrote:” Now, I have returned to Gedaref, streets and people I know”. The main reason for his return was that he wanted to continue teaching English Literature. The college text books included the literary works of George Orwell, Wilfred Owen poetry and the play Macbeth. According to Jamal Al-Addin’s evaluative scale, such works of literature in university library were useful. First, they represented the universal values in all human lives. Second, they represented the dissatisfaction people felt in the British culture. The English dissatisfaction compelled Jamal to get himself lost in Kassab in the suburbs of Gedaref. His rural photo-album transformed his office into an impromptu exhibition. I stood before the internal wall of his office to meditate over the nice pictures. ” Sudanese people have a great deal of beauty, honesty and purity” Jamal Remarked. ” You should take hold of your lives” he added leaving to our class. In those days, he always put notices in his office, for example, ” Don’t approach. Danger!. He always wanted someone to share his humor , banter and initiate a friendly conversation. One morning, he wrote ironically: ” Yesterday, the college was empty of students. Were they abducted by the Jinn?!!!!!!. One of passing students left a reply:” Don’t worry, simply, it was Friday. It’s a free day. In the first lecture on an Introduction to Literature, Jamal Robin discussed ” Coming up into the Air” by George Orwell referring to him as one of the most pessimist writers. Jamal went on indicating that Orwell in an answer to ” What about the future?”, he replied,” If you want an image of future, you can imagine a boot stamping on human face. Later that day, I went to his college office. ” Excuse me, Austaz jamal. What about the future? I asked. Jamal smiled and answered:” Tomorrow is another day without a beginning perhaps without an end. The future? Is it brutal or meek? Is it here or is it there? Shall I wrapped in a friendship or stripped bare? I don’t care. Tomorrow is history, a crumpled torn page. At last, Jamal served refreshments to students when the actual day for departure came. ” We shall miss you” one student said. ” Please stay with us. Gedaref is a beautiful city ” another student added. Jamal said” Yes, I know” Jamal cheerily added ” If you want to discover vast oceans, you must lose sight of shores. Students waved their goodbyes. ” I shall give you this” Jamal said while he gave me a farewell present. It was ” The Road to Mecca”, the life story of Mohamed Asaad, an Austrian journalist who converted into Islam. I tried more than once to unravel the threads of Jamal’s discovery of Islam and his integration into the Muslim community. He didn’t confess anything for reasons best known for himself. Obviously, he wanted to satisfy my curiosity of knowing how he embraced I slam. It was alleged Jamal declared his Islam because of falling under the spell of a pretty Sudanese girl in a prelude to a marriage that never materliazed. It’s unknown whether Jamal Al-Addin has remained committed to the Muslim religion or has discontinued his practice of Islam. Jamal Al-Addin successor turned out to be Angus Smith , an accountant with passion for teaching. He considered it better than sitting in offices and series of long boring meetings. One afternoon after discussing ” Colored Lights, a short story by Laila Abul Ula, a Sudanese novelist in Scotland, Angus moved to ” A handful of Dates” by Tayeb Salih. He set up a committee of all male students to judge and determine which one of girl students whose ululations was most powerful and melodious. The girls were acting a scene from Al-zayn Wedding. After the end of that festive lecture, I asked Austaz Angus:’ Could you suggest a title for an article . I want to write something about our memories in the future. He thought for a moment and then answered :’ The Best Days of Our lives”. Thus, an idea for writing the story of a story began to share it only now. Michael Obama, the former U.S.A lady in a preface to her autobiography ” Becoming” wrote,” I have encountered a lot of teachers who filled me with hope” I think Jamal Al-addin Robin and Gilbert Ramsay are one of those hope-inspiring teachers Mrs. OBAMA is talking about in her diary. Gedaref university was a place conducive to study. There, we made new friends, watched others leave and learned something.