Take The Call

Two items on the to-do list: dentist at 8.40am and class at 10am. 

By 9.15am, still waiting for the dentist, with people ahead of me in the queue. Emailed the teacher, who happens to be technophobic. By the time I slipped into class 20 minutes late, my explanation and apology hadn’t been seen. Not an ideal start.

At 11am, full of redeeming zeal, I raise my hand to ask a tough question, combining motivational psychology with Marxist economics. The teacher pauses, then begins her reply. 

Bleep. My phone rings. It’s quiet, but audible in an otherwise silent classroom. The technophobic teacher’s unconditional ban on electronic devices in the classroom amplifies the awkward buzz.

What do I do? In the middle of the lecturer’s answer, as she stares in disbelief, I stand and walk out of the class.

Some explanation is in order. The call was from an HR manager, at a company I’m passionate about joining. The person had been trying to contact me for most of the previous day, to fill a position they needed ASAP. It was getting close to the “get in touch or forget it” stage, so I prioritized the call over the class.

Looking back, I should have ignored it and called after class, but after waiting so long the desire to answer it was unyielding. If I land the job and pass the class, it was worth it.