In which I proctor a test and accidentally get revenge

It's March now.  I made it through February which EVERYONE KNOWS is the Worst Month of the year. That's why it's so short.  Otherwise we'd never make it through.

I started my week with one of the Worst Days Ever  (It was still February after all).  One of the other biology profs asked me to sub 5 tests for her.  It happened like this:

"Hey, what are you doing Monday?"  Her.

"Oh, nothing.  I don't have classes on Monday"  Me, saying the dumbest thing that I've ever ever said in my life.

"Oh, well, I wanted to passear in Maputo.  Can you sub my tests for me?"

"Sure, no problem"

There I go trying to be nice, and also not having the language-skills to say something like "Oh, I forgot I have to powerwash my deck on Monday afternoon, sorry"

Monday morning this Professora comes to my back door to deliver the test.  

"Here you go, there are only 10 copies, so they'll have to work in groups"  

At that point I was thinking "How the heck is this supposed to work?  The kids are supposed to do a TEST in Groups? And not cheat?"

But again, lacking the language-skills to fully express myself I say something more like: "Sure, ok, No problem"  There I go again, trying to prove I'm all competent and able to navigate the totally confusing mess of the Mozambican education system.

So five times in a row it goes like this:  I stroll into class in my bata, it's hot.  I'm sweating.  The kids are CRAZYTOWN and won't listen, won't sit down, won't stop talking, won't put their notebooks away.   After about 15 minutes (remember these class periods are only 45 minutes long) I finally give the tests out.

I make them do the tests individually.  Because after all, it's a Test. right?  That makes sense.  I'm a competent professor after all.

Of course this made my life HORRIBLY MISERABLE trying to police 60 kids who were sharing a test and not supposed to cheat? Whatever.  

Tuesday morning, Professora comes to my back door.  I had her a stack of 300 tests.

"What?"  she says, looking bewildered.

"The tests."

"You made them do it individually?"

"Yes, it was a test"

"They were supposed to turn in one per group"

"Sorry, you never said"  So turn about is fair play I guess.  Obviously it wasn't my intention to make more work for this Professora, but secretly, guiltily I'm glad...