Assignment - lesson 2

"Mama ^note1, ID?"

Farhana rummaged through her purse, but in vain. "Sorry Mama, I left my ID at home." She mumbled, out of the security guard's audible range.

"Isn't it better to put it on before you enter the university campus?" A booming voice hit Farhana's eardrums. Her blood froze as she found herself face-to-face with Jahan Ara Hossain, the vice-chancellor of the university.

"I...I'm sorry Ma'am. I'll remember to wear it everyday from tomorrow, I promise." Farhana's deep brown eyes reflected apology as she looked directly into the eyes of the elderly lady.

"I'll excuse you today, but please bring your student identification card from the next time."

"Thanks a lot, Ma'am. Have a great day!" Farhana scurried off; she didn't want to be late for class.

She rushed up as fast as her feet would possibly allow. The tiled stairs felt slippery under her feet.

"Oh! I wish I could use one of the elevators, but all of them are full. Oh, well." Farhana said to herself, scanning the whole area with her eyes, in search of a particular room. Finally, she stopped in front of a door with a steel board on it. The board had '4010' carved on it, in noticeable, bold, black numbers.

She was relieved to find the door ajar. She pushed it a little, and peeped inside:

"May I come in, Sir?" Her usual, melodious voice sounded a tad shaky.

"You're too early for the next class, young lady!" The man standing in front of the lecturer's podium answered with a friendly grin. "Anyways, please come in." He added.

Farhana settled herself on one of the chairs in the front row. She quietly began scribbling whatever was written on the white board, in her note pad. English Literature was her favorite. Though it was one of those tougher Foundation courses where getting an 'A' was not such an easy job, missing a good grade was the last thing she ever wanted to do.

Cring...Ring! The ending bell sounded awkwardly loud. Farhana wanted to freshen up, so she headed towards the lady's restroom. On her way, she was welcomed by severely wet floor, a plastic sign containing the words "CAUTION - CLEANING IN PROGRESS" and a female cleaner mopping the floor.

She tiptoed towards the restroom door, and carefully went in. A huge trashcan occupied one of the corners. Girls were busy applying another fresh coat of lipstick. Some even had eyeliners and compact powders in their purses. Some were busy washing their make-up covered faces with branded face wash. Farhana untied her bushy ponytail, ran a comp with large teeth through her hair, and then tied the ponytail again with her favorite crocheted hairband. She splashed some water on her exhausted face, replied to some hi and hello, waved back at some of the familiar faces, and cautiously came out of the restroom. She didn't want to trip on the wet floor, or do any other clumsy things before the next class. It was going to be a long day!

Note 1: In Bangla, Mama is the term used to address a maternal uncle. In almost all the private universities of Dhaka city, university students address all the male security guards, cooks, and similar position staff as Mama. Our Mamas love us, and some of them call us mama too, irrespective of gender.