Dating : In the Midst of His Fears

It was August the 26th––sunny and promising. The Spencer Hill auditorium teemed with large crowds of people. Every faculty had a representative and so did the Faculty of Health Sciences.

In the least of his expectations did Keshawn think he would be chosen by fate for this unimaginable task.

The Vice Chancellor and Deputy, the Provost, Deans, Faculty Heads, everyone of eminence within the school was there. The student body, probably over 4,000, were also gathered.

The Dean took the microphone and the chattering began to cease until it dwindled to absolute silence.

“Today, we as a University commemorate our excellence and diversity as a unit and as faculties in this annual lecture and presentation. Within each faculty is a department nominated to present a representative.

Without further ado I’m first calling Keshawn Mitchell of the Faculty of Health Sciences in the Department of Optometry for his lecture.

An applause reverberated among the audience as Keshawn stepped up the podium. He looked to see people in their thousands; everyone rightly staring at him. Denzel was positioned in the front row as they locked eyes.

In a moment Keshawn was frozen on the spot, absolutely mortified.

“Goo….d goo…d morn..”

He struggled to breathe. It seemed like his lungs were stuffed, like he was suffocating, no words could come through. Cold chills raced all over his body, goosebumps sprouted as his hair strands stood on edge.

He stood as if set in ice, a scene he’d become very used to. This was a huge make or break situation. Either he stepped out an overcomer or he walks a hopeless failure.

He looked to see Denzel motion up and down with his hands. He knew he should breathe, take in more air and be relaxed.

Denzel showed him his clenched fist. He knew he was strong, he’s African.

“Good morning ladies and gentlemen, all protocols observed” he said out loud cutting through the silence.

“Today, I came prepared to talk on the subject, Understanding Visual Acuity. But I won’t speak on that. Rather I choose to speak on a daily occurrence ignored before our very eyes; I choose to speak on the state of racial discrimination.

“I’m a black boy of many struggles, struggles all too peculiar to the black race among us. The stench of humiliation has become so hard for we African Americans to breathe. We’re marginalised, so clearly it is written on the face of this nation in inks of misery.

“If we must forge ahead as a University, if we must match forward as a state and make America a formidable nation hoisted on pillars of unity, inclusion and inalienable civil liberties, then we must strangle the ideation of racism that lives within all of us.

“Greatness is never known in divisions; it comes when we choose to bond irrespective of our varied differences. Today we must choose to set aside the pride of colour––white, black, brown ––whatever, and stick together as one.

“We must welcome the purity, the innocence, the dignity, bestowed on us humans by the Creator and trample self-engendered philosophies of race, religion and creed. This is what will set this nation, this state and this university as a city on the hill, a beacon of excellence…Thank you.”

A standing ovation erupted among the audience as they kept chanting “Keshawn, Keshawn, Keshawn.”

Denzel raced up the platform giving his friend the warmest hug.

© Valentine Nnebe 2020

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