Sometimes, people surprise you in ways you never expect. There are moments when someone you think you know so well suddenly does something so different, something you never imagined they could do. It makes you imagine, How comes?
This happened to me with someone I knew during my time in higher institution. A friend of mine. We were in the same department and I never thought he would be the one to shock me the way he did, not just me but my department.
Back then, when we just got into school, there was this guy (Joseph) in our class. From the very first day, you could easily notice him not because he was loud or friendly but because he was the complete opposite. He was the very quiet type. He don’t talk much and when he did, his voice would crack and shake like someone who was afraid. Many people saw him as shy and maybe even a little slow. To be honest, we didn’t think he was very brilliant either. He always sat at the back, avoided eye contact and stayed on his own most times.
In our first and second years, nothing about him changed. He had many carryovers and his grade was bad. Even in group discussions, Joseph would rarely say a word. If he was asked something, he would either stammer or just shake his head. That’s why what happened in our third year came as a complete shock to me and many others.
One day, we were grouped for an assignment. Our task was to create an improvised rechargeable light using an old or damaged one.
The damage rechargeable light
Usually, I and a few others always represented my group during presentations. But this time, I felt it was time someone else different from we usual to take the role. I asked the rest of the group if anyone wanted to represent us. Nobody answered. Everyone remained silent. So I decided I would choose someone myself.
Out of nowhere, I picked the quiet guy. The same guy who never spoke much, whose voice cracked anytime he tried to talk. The moment I called his name, the whole group started complaining. Some said he wouldn’t be able to do it, others even laughed. But I stood my ground. I reminded them that no one offered to represent, and as the group leader, I had the right to choose.
We worked on the project together and even though he didn’t say much during our meetings, he was always present and paying attention. Then came the day of the presentation. The hall was full, over a thousand students, with lecturers. Honestly, I was nervous for him. I kept praying silently, hoping he wouldn’t freeze or run off the stage. Then he stepped forward. He took the stage and looked at the large crowd, and to everyone’s surprise including mine, he began to speak. His voice was clear and steady. He spoke like someone who had been standing in public before . He explained the concept of electricity, breaking everything down in the simplest way. He showed the steps we used to create the rechargeable light and everything made perfect sense.
The improvised locally made rechargeable light
The entire hall was shocked. The mouths of many wer open, eyes wide. Even our lecturer stood up from his seat, amazed because the guy is known in the department as the very quiet, shy type. When he finished speaking, the whole place erupted in claps. That day, we were awarded the highest score among all the groups.
But that was not even the end of the surprise. A few weeks later, our semester results were released. I looked through mine, and out of curiosity, I also check other people's result.. This same guy who had more than five carryovers in past semesters had now passed all his papers. Not only that, his grade point went up significantly. He was no longer among the last in the class.
One day, I couldn’t help but ask him what caused the change. I expected him to say maybe something happened that pushed him. But he just smiled and said, Nothing… just like that. And I was like, how could someone move from being shy, silent, and struggling academically to standing confidently before a huge crowd and passing all his exams just like that? He just smiled and said he doesn't know what happened to. I kept thinking about it and came to realized that people are not always what they seem. The quiet person in the room might be the one with the ideas. The shy one might have the strongest voice when given the right moment. And sometimes, we judge people too quickly, forgetting that everyone has a story and a time for their light to shine.