Why I will not be stepping in any Lab any time soon

mwalimuandrew@gmail.com
School laboratories always fascinate me. Perhaps this is because the secondary school that I attended had no lab. If you remember, I touched a pipette for the first time in my life during my KCSE Chemistry practical exams – at a neighbouring school. For four years, we only learnt theory as we had no facilities. During chemistry lessons, our teacher always talked of how some chemicals reacted to produce a pungent smell, while others generated a white precipitate.
“Unfortunately, we do not have a lab, so I can’t show you ‘live live’. But if you are lucky one day to enter a lab, try out these things and you will remember you can try these reactions.”
During our KCSE exams, we trekked some 15KMs to the neighbouring school for the practicals – with our teacher spending the first half an hour teaching us the difference between a burette and a pipette! I scored a strong D in Chemistry – a record that was only broken recently. I would have scored an A- if our school had been well equipped.
So when I was sent to St Theresa’s to invigilate KSCE, I looked forward to the practical exams since I planned to try out some of the tests I was taught long ago – but which I never got an opportunity to observe.
The first practical exam was Physics. Physics and I were a case of hate at first sight. I dropped it in Form 1 week 1 – although I continued sitting for physics exams for two years – writing only my name in many of the tests! Physics wasn’t that tough for me but I never saw any way pendulums were going to add any value to my life!
On the day for physics last week, we were served early lunch a few minutes after the practical sessions began and we left the physics teacher to handle the exams as our food was getting cold. Even if we had attended the entire session, I doubt we would have been of any help.
Next was Biology practicals. Biology initially interested me since my father always wanted me follow Alfayo’s footsteps. Alfayo is our neighbour and village doctor, who used to move around with his bicycle injecting kids with Procaine for every ailment. He was very respected by our parents. Layer I learnt that Alfayo had been a messenger at the District Health Centre – during which time he had learnt how to use a syringe. On hearing this, I gave up my dream of being a doctor, and lost interest in Biology.
I did not even move near the lab during the biology practicals. My day was Friday, the day for Chemistry practicals. I arrived at school early morning, and found Madam Kagendo and two other students in the lab preparing for the exams. It was a scene to behold: well arranged burettes, Bunsen burners, test tubes etc. I loved the smell of mixed chemicals, and the sight of the colourful flames.
“We shall be ready by 9 o’clock for the first group,” said Kagendo. We ushered in the first group of students at 9.20. With Madam Kagendo and the lab assistant around, we left for breakfast. I left the other invigilators still taking breakfast, the woman complaining that the smell in the lab was nauseated her.
“I don’t want to miscarry,” she said
I arrived just as the first group was finishing. Three students, including Annastacia, came in to prepare the lab for the next group
Once we gave them the papers, I joined the lab assistant in his office, partitioned from the main lab using card board. There were many chemicals all over, in pretty bottles.
Just then, a student’s test tube broke and the lab assistant went to assist – leaving me in the office alone. . Here was my opportunity to carry out a few tests. Next to me was a bottle that when I opened had some two solid particles. On the bottle was written K, and I assumed the Lab assistant had marked the bottles alphabetically as I could see H, N, O etc.
I decided to mix the contents in the K bottle with Spirit to see what happens. Somehow, I felt that these could be a dangerous reaction so I decided to try with water. There was water in a basin nearby so I opened the bottle, and dropped the contents from Bottle K into the water. I can’t remember well what happened next, but I remember hearing some explosions followed by huge flames and fumes. I jumped out of the lab as the flames and fumes increased. The students who were doing the practicals ran away – as teaches and the lab assistant rushed to the room.
The school gate keeper poured in a pail of water in the room, but this only increased the flames. The fire was only put down by the lab assistant using a fire extinguisher.
“What happened?” Madam Kagendo asked.
“I don’t know, but Potassium Metal accidentally came in contact with water,” the lab assistant said - shaken.
“Do you know potassium exothermically reacts with water causing explosive flames?”
“I must have forgotten it uncovered,” he said. With no one suspecting me, I joined the other invigilators in looking for the candidates - some of whom had run away with the exam papers when the fires began.
Afraid of the fires, we only gave out the papers and sat far away from the labs. As for me, am not returning to any laboratory any time soon.