A MUST READ!
Affang Charity@charityaffang673024
5 months ago
In my second year, in secondary school, while myself and my classmates were all preparing for the WAEC/NECO examinations, we had a mental drill during one of the classes.
As is the usual process, everyone had their past questions (textbook), right in front of them.
A few minutes later, the school's principal walked into class and immediately ordered, that we should all write an essay, of 450 words.
We did and when the time was up, we all submitted in excitement, getting ready to move to something else.
But something happened!
In a class with quite a number, the principal decided to read the essays out, so he point out mistakes and encourage good writing.
The disappointment on some of the faces of the students were so visible and you could feel the classroom get tense
It wasn't like there was going to be some punishment or anything but the fear of being humiliated for not writing, a perfect essay was enough to humble everyone.
If you ask me, that was the real drill!
So the exercise started. I wouldn't bore you with the lengthy story but I'll highlight something.
The principal picked the first sheet of paper, sat on the chair in front of the class with his legs, crossed over the other.
He started reading, as there was pin-drop silence!
We all noticed that the man kept reading without a stop. It was more like he was the new Lil Wayne and that made some students giggle to themselves.
After some minutes, he stopped and looked up, sternly!
His gaze was enough to warn the students who had their white teeth flashed at him, to closeup and get serious.
Then, the tension returned!
Why wouldn't it?
The school's principal was just reading (literally rapping) and then, his face suddenly looks like he had seen a ghost.
"Who wrote this? Do you want to kill me?", his voice thundered.
We didn't understand what he meant. It wasn't like the essay was about the death of anyone, and definitely, it wasn't about his death either.
So, what was wrong?
"I ask again, do you want to kill me?", he repeated.
When there was no response, he stood to his feet, placed the sheet of paper on the desk and wrote something on the board.
"The Importance of Punctuation Marks!", was boldly written on the board.
Then, he turned to the class with his stern, grim look, gradually turning into a faint smile.
Perhaps, he knew that we were still lost and quite guilty for doing something wrong, even if we didn't know exactly.
"Any writing done without punctuation marks, is targeted at killing the reader ", he explained softly.
"Your reader is your audience and you shouldn't make them lose their lives while enjoying your work", he continued.
"Use the 'FULL-STOPS', 'EXCLAMATION MARKS', 'COMMAS, QUESTION TAGS', 'ELLIPSIS' in your writing and use them properly", he said
"Give me an opportunity to break, stop and catch my breath while reading. I was rapping the words because there was no indication in your writing that I had to stop", he ended.
That imprinted a message in my mind, forever.
No matter how short-timed I am, I'll never start writing if I don't get my tool box of punctuation marks with me.
I do that because I don't want to have my readers to suffer from a shortness of breath, while reading my work.
So, I ask you, Do you want to k!ll your readers or do you think they deserve a break while reading?
Yours in Writing,
Pen-Queen Affang.
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