Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Succession
    The Succession
    The Succession
    Ebook81 pages59 minutes

    The Succession

    By Besa Mwaba

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    School head teacher Thomas Jefferson- a Scottish expatriate seconded to Zambia- must choose a successor to fill the soon-to-be vacant post of headmaster at his mission school. Three ambitious senior teachers see this as an opportunity for their own career advancement and they engage in a fierce and often humorous suitability context in order to catch the attention of the appointing authority. Only one person can grab this position.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBesa Mwaba
    Release dateFeb 17, 2013
    ISBN9781301290970
    The Succession

    Read more from Besa Mwaba

    Related to The Succession

    Related ebooks

    Classics For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      A True Calling

      Jul 8, 2022

      A True Calling
      4 min read

    • Article

      The University of Life

      Aug 18, 2022

      The University of Life
      2 min read

    • Article

      John Marsden Teaches Courage

      Aug 1, 2018

      John Marsden Teaches Courage
      19 min read

    • Article

      Riding High

      Jul 17, 2019

      Riding High
      3 min read

    • Article

      Welcome!

      Oct 1, 2020

      One of the best aspects of working on that’s life! is the number of inspiring people whose amazing stories we get to share. Plucky Alison Jones, who lost her sight in a workplace accident in her teens (Page 6), is a great example. She hasn’t let blin

      1 min read

    • Article

      Boarding Abroad

      Apr 2, 2024

      Boarding Abroad
      3 min read

    • Article

      Immersed In Reo

      Sep 25, 2023

      Immersed In Reo
      4 min read

    • Article

      Full Circle

      Sep 2, 2022

      Full Circle
      2 min read

    • Article

      A Standout Year

      Aug 3, 2021

      From kindergarten to eighth grade, I attended Sacred Heart School in Aurora, Ill. Most of my teachers were nuns. One stands out above the rest: my seventh-grade teacher, Sister Agnes Joseph. She was a petite woman, towered over by some of the boys; o

      3 min read

    • Article

      Just Like Home

      Jun 12, 2019

      Just Like Home
      3 min read

    • Article

      Sharing Stories Of Top Women In Africa

      May 20, 2023

      A workshop facilitated by Eve Thompson, an American human rights lawyer who has met fascinating people all over the world, will tell the stories of African women leaders. The Knysna Writers Club will be hosting the free writer’s workshop, “Stories we

      1 min read

    • Article

      Sharing Stories Of Top Women In Africa

      May 20, 2023

      A workshop facilitated by Eve Thompson, an American human rights lawyer who has met fascinating people all over the world, will tell the stories of African women leaders. The Knysna Writers Club will be hosting the free writer’s workshop, “Stories we

      1 min read

    • Article

      Sharing Stories Of Top Women In Africa

      May 20, 2023

      A workshop facilitated by Eve Thompson, an American human rights lawyer who has met fascinating people all over the world, will tell the stories of African women leaders. The Knysna Writers Club will be hosting the free writer’s workshop, “Stories we

      1 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Succession

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Succession - Besa Mwaba

      The Succession

      Besa Mwaba

      The Succession

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright 2013 Besa Mwaba

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold

      or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person,

      please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did

      not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to

      Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting my hard work.

      *****

      School head teacher Thomas Jefferson- a Scottish expatriate seconded to Zambia- retires in three months’ time after serving in Africa for eighteen years and must recommend his successor to the board. Three ambitious senior teachers see this as an opportunity for career advancement and they engage in a fierce and often humorous suitability competition in order to catch the attention of the appointing authority. Only one position is up for grabs though.

      *****

      CHAPTER ONE

      FINALLY, head teacher Thomas Jefferson reached the main point for having called this meeting.

      "Fellow teachers, as you are all aware, the Board has accepted my retirement from my position as Headmaster of this school. I have served this school for eighteen years and am grateful for the opportunity availed to me. The Board has also communicated that it shall fill the vacant position in the next few weeks. There is no automatic replacement so this might just prove to be an opportunity for one of you.

      That will be all for this morning’s meeting. It is now nine o’clock and we must attend to our various classes now."

      As the twenty-six teachers rose from the old wooden table around which they had sat during the meeting, they clustered themselves into their usual gossip groups. Thomas Jefferson had a good idea of what the topic was, and as he rose from his own seat at the head of the wooden table, he adjusted his spectacles.

      Eighteen years earlier and straight from his native Scotland, Thomas Jefferson had joined this missionary school as a teacher of English. Before coming to Africa, he had been apprehensive of what the situation would turn out to be. He had suspected that lions freely prowled the streets in Africa at night. He had believed that a few Africans still wore tree barks to cover their buttocks, were extremely promiscuous, lazy and that they lacked common intelligence. And that they still worshipped false gods in mountains. Indoctrinating biblical teachings and values into the staff and pupils, and through these, to the rest of the community had been one of the prominent terms of his job offer.

      To prepare for the challenge of converting the people to Christianity and also to curb the promiscuity, he had carried with him nicely packed bibles and pamphlets. He had not altogether been certain on how he was supposed to curb the reported laziness of the local people other than through sheer physical force. To prepare for the anticipated harsh, primitive and unsophisticated African life, he had arranged two pairs of khaki shorts of surpassing ugliness, two short sleeved shirts and one jacket. For his transport, he had managed to find for himself an old VW which the owner had planned to incinerate after no one showed any interest in it during a local auction sale.

      Upon his arrival in Zambia, Jefferson had been surprised to find roads, buildings, bars, shopping malls, banks, night clubs, hospitals and all the latest vehicles that he had left back in Scotland. As a result, he had starkly stood out with his ancient appearance and transport mode, gaining constant stares and ridicule from curious local onlookers.

      He had proceeded to rural Kabwe where Sambililo mission school was situated. Again he had been shocked that the school had been built in a similar manner to the ones he had left in Scotland. He had felt uneasy as the teachers at the school had all dressed up to welcome him.

      He had only worked for a year as a senior teacher of English before rising to the position of Deputy Headmaster under Peter Graham. Three years later, Peter Graham had returned to Ireland, and Thomas had replaced him as school Headmaster.

      He had been at the helm of the school since then.

      As he hung his striped jacket onto his chair in his office, the issue of his successor came to mind. After working with them for a long time, he was aware that a good number of them had the necessary skill, experience and academic background and that one of them could emerge from the group.

      To his relief, he stumbled upon a realization that the task of choosing his successor would be much easier now than it would have

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1