Week 3 Story: A Curse from the Past

         John Abraham was a high school AP Biology teacher. He had been teaching this subject material for thirty two years, and he loved every minute of it. He was a man that put everything he had into the learning of his students. He was a single man. He earned a decent living on his teacher’s salary and had relatively few obligations outside of his teaching subject. As an avid lifelong learner, he was constantly looking for the next challenge in his life to continue his mastery of the subject. One particular interest he had taken was in the medicinal side of biology. So, as a sixty two year old man, he made the decision to give up teaching and pursue medical school and a career in medicine. He wanted to spend the later years of his life learning about his lifelong passion.

            Mr. Abraham started on his quest by completing the few missing pre-requisite courses at the local university. He then went on to study for the MCAT and prepare his application. As a teacher with subject mastery, he was able to score exceptionally well. In fact, he was almost a sure-fire medical school candidate. He submitted his application and promptly received an interview for the medical school at his local university.

            Everything appeared to be going well for Mr. Abraham until the day of his interview. When he walked in, he greeted everyone with a smile and a handshake. But there was one person, the dean of admissions, whose face popped out from the crowd and haunted Mr. Abraham for the duration of the interview. The dean of admissions was none other than Carl Johnson, one of Mr. Abraham’s students from years ago.

            That year was a particularly trying time for Mr. Abraham. A severe teacher shortage forced him to take on multiple classes. On top of that, his personal life took a hit as he was going through a divorce. This was the one year that Mr. Abraham was not devoted to teaching. One student, Carl Johnson, was constantly wearing thin on Mr. Abraham’s nerves. Although he had technically done enough to pass his course, Mr. Abraham decided to give him a failing grade on a technicality due to a late assignment. As far as Mr. Abraham knew at the time, this would be his last encounter with Carl Johnson.

            At the conclusion of the medical school interview, Carl Johnson pulled Mr. Abraham aside.

“Do not think I forgot how poorly you treated me,” said Carl. “You will never gain admission to any medical school around here if I have any say in the matter.”

            Mr. Abraham is devastated. His worst nightmares have come true. He knows that his predicament is the result of a curse placed on him many years ago, when he did not teach to the best of his abilities.

Author’s Notes: This story is very loosely based on an excerpt from Narayan’s Ramayana Part A. When Rama is forced into exile, Dasharatha knows that this terrible situation is the result of a curse placed on him long ago, when he killed a man. I took the theme that sins from your past can and will haunt you in the future, and I wrote a story with completely different characters and plot. However, I held constant the theme that your past can haunt you. This is true in the story of Mr. Abraham, who finds his dreams to attend medical school crushed due to treating a student poorly long ago in his past.

Bibliography: Narayan's Ramayana Part A 

Dasharatha