Dozing in and out of consciousness, I struggle to stay awake in my
psychology class.
I hate this class with a passion. I am tired of listening to the voice
of my teacher. I rarely come to this class, to begin with, that’s why
I have an F now. I heard we have a test today. That is the only
reason for my presence.
Dr. Banks is a boring lecturer. He sees my head nod back and forth
and wakes me up. He instructs me to see him after class. My
classmates laugh and throw paper at me.
Ten minutes later. The bell rings.
I stroll up to Dr. Banks’ desk. My stomach is in knots as I approach
his desk. I don’t know what to expect. He pulls out a sheet of
paper.
“I’m sorry for sleeping in class sir, I have a lot going on at the
moment in my personal life.”
“Son, you have barely come to class this marking period. You are
at risk of flunking. The only way you can pass this class is if you
complete a special assignment I have created.”
He hands me the assignment.
It reads:
“Death is the price we pay for living. When humans die they usually
give birth to their legacies. When you pass on, what will be your
story? How will you be remembered? There is a war going on inside
each and every one of us. Two people reside in you. The true you and
the person you reveal to the world. They constantly clash as they
both battle to rule your perception. This battle has been going on
since the beginning of time.
Assignment: Write a story portraying the clash within you. You
say you have a lot going on in your personal life. You say you are
also misunderstood in all aspects as well. Help me understand to
the best of your ability. Use your imagination. I am a tough critic,
so you better wow me son. Help me understand the thoughts that
young men deal with on a daily basis in this day and age. Bridge
the gap of communication between our two generations.
Be descriptive. This is a PASS or FAIL assignment. This will be due
next week. Good luck.
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a
perspective, not the truth.
-Marcus Aurelius
Damn. Now I have to type this stupid paper because I was absent
one too many times. Whelp here goes nothing. I hope I pass. I
hope he understands.
Excerpted from “TWO PEAS” THE ASSIGNMENT: PASS OR FAIL, by Jamal Brown. ©2020 Jamal
Brown dba BrotherBrown Publishing.