Chastity: My Most Embarrassing Moment

Chastity: My Most Embarrassing Moment

I used to think chastity and infidelity are synonyms. I was quite intelligent growing up and I became too confident in my abilities. It was so bad that I didn't re-read my answers when writing exams.

When I was 13 and in JSS3, I received what was probably the greatest embarrassment of my life. We had a subject at St. Mary's CRI Secondary School called Catholic Doctrine and we were taught by an Australian reverend sister, Sr. Shirley Aeria. Sr. Shirley paid attention to details that it became impossible for a tiny error to escape her severe gaze.

I smile whenever I remember those days

Sr. Shirley gave a pop quiz one day. It was something regarding marriage and divorce. I think the questions asked to state what Apostle Paul said on divorce. I wrote what I knew!

I was young and dumb

I failed the test. But as someone who has read a bit about racism, I felt Sr. Shirley was being racist towards me. I spread the word. A few people tried to explain to me that I truly failed because I said the opposite of the answer, but I was having none of it. I felt they were not on my side for two reasons:

1. They were also envious that I used an English word they were not familiar with.
2. They were Catholics and, of course, cannot think a reverend sister, poster child of all things just, can be racist.

This flower I shot looks innocent, I was not.

In any case, I continued my campaign until it got to the teachers.

Miss Sarah (as she was then), my English teacher, came to the class and decided to teach Vocabulary Development on words associated with religious life. In the middle of the lesson, she dropped a word, CHASTITY, and asked if I knew its meaning. Of course, I do!

How I look at my younger self now embarrassing himself

Finally someone is seeing the issue, I thought to myself. I stood up and said “chastity is the act of unlawfully having intercourse with someone who is not your lawfully married partner.”

The class fell silent. My friends refused to meet my gaze. They too are afraid that Sr. Shirley failed me unjustly, I thought.

“No!” Miss Sarah thundered. She handed me a dictionary and asked me to find the word, if I can, and read out the meaning.

I did find the word! “the state of abstaining from immoral relationships outside of…” my voice trailed off. Everyone turned to look at me, my closest friend, Joseph, with a smirk on his face!

I have been wrong all along. I wrote that the Apostle Paul said one cannot put away his wife/husband on any ground except chastity. I still don't know how I mistook “infidelity” for “chastity”.

Standing right there with all eyes on me, I wished I could perform a disappearing act. I was beyond embarrassed! I was so wrong with pride.