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The school re - opened after the mid summer vacation in the 1st week of June, 1980. On the first day, I sat in the 1st Std, eager to go to the IInd Std, like all other classmates. The Teacher called the names of the students who had passed from the 1st Std to IInd Std. Everyone went out of the class one by one, with the Teacher. At last, I only remained there, alone. Fear entered my mind and alas ! I thought, "Did I fail ? Failed in the 1st Std ! How can I pass all the classes and acquire a job ? Did the Teacher call my name ? Perhaps I wouldn't have heard". I sat there in a confused state of mind. Suddenly I heard footsteps outside. I heard the sound of my Teacher. She found me in the corner of the classroom where I was seated and produced a sigh of relief. "Here she is", she said to other Teachers. "I am greatly relieved", she continued to say. She asked me,"Why did you not come and made us so much worried". Oh ! how can I describe the relief I experienced. Quickly taking my basket, I followed her. When I entered the IInd Std, it was full, I was the last student to enter the class. I still remember the anxiety I experienced and how much anxious my Teacher became on that day.
Near the house of Mallika, there lived uncle Narayanan and aunt Shantha. Their son, Gopu joined the 1st Std, that year. Aunt Shantha told us ( Mallika & I ) to take care of Gopu, always. Therefore, during the intervals, I and Mallika ran to the 1st Std, to enquire about the welfare of Gopu.
It was in the IInd Std that Rani became my best friend. She sat beside me and led me in many things. She frightened me by saying that her father was a policeman and if I didn't obey her, he would come and arrest me. I became afraid of her and as a result I did anything she ordered to do. This particular kind of relationship made restlessness in other students. One day, at noontime, after having lunch, she asked me to come with her to her home. First I resisted but yielded finally because there was no other solution before me. We started from the school, journeyed through different roads, mud roads and tarred roads. I was frightened and sometimes I felt I was being abducted. At last, we reached her home. I don't remember how her household received us, but somehow or other, we returned soon. By the time we reached the school, the session after noontime had already been started. The Teacher questioned us about our late entry to the classroom. The answer to the Teacher's question came from the whole class. All the students unitedly said that I and Rani were very close and I always carried out the commands of Rani. Hearing this, the Teacher changed our seats in the class. I looked at Rani, frightenedly. I was afraid to look at her eyes. Many times I had thought about speaking frankly to my parents, about Rani. But I was afraid that they would scold me for keeping such a friendship. "Sometimes I am very courageous, but here I became afraid of another girl", I thought. All these things appeared as an irony.
The school re - opened after the mid summer vacation in the 1st week of June, 1980. On the first day, I sat in the 1st Std, eager to go to the IInd Std, like all other classmates. The Teacher called the names of the students who had passed from the 1st Std to IInd Std. Everyone went out of the class one by one, with the Teacher. At last, I only remained there, alone. Fear entered my mind and alas ! I thought, "Did I fail ? Failed in the 1st Std ! How can I pass all the classes and acquire a job ? Did the Teacher call my name ? Perhaps I wouldn't have heard". I sat there in a confused state of mind. Suddenly I heard footsteps outside. I heard the sound of my Teacher. She found me in the corner of the classroom where I was seated and produced a sigh of relief. "Here she is", she said to other Teachers. "I am greatly relieved", she continued to say. She asked me,"Why did you not come and made us so much worried". Oh ! how can I describe the relief I experienced. Quickly taking my basket, I followed her. When I entered the IInd Std, it was full, I was the last student to enter the class. I still remember the anxiety I experienced and how much anxious my Teacher became on that day.
Near the house of Mallika, there lived uncle Narayanan and aunt Shantha. Their son, Gopu joined the 1st Std, that year. Aunt Shantha told us ( Mallika & I ) to take care of Gopu, always. Therefore, during the intervals, I and Mallika ran to the 1st Std, to enquire about the welfare of Gopu.
It was in the IInd Std that Rani became my best friend. She sat beside me and led me in many things. She frightened me by saying that her father was a policeman and if I didn't obey her, he would come and arrest me. I became afraid of her and as a result I did anything she ordered to do. This particular kind of relationship made restlessness in other students. One day, at noontime, after having lunch, she asked me to come with her to her home. First I resisted but yielded finally because there was no other solution before me. We started from the school, journeyed through different roads, mud roads and tarred roads. I was frightened and sometimes I felt I was being abducted. At last, we reached her home. I don't remember how her household received us, but somehow or other, we returned soon. By the time we reached the school, the session after noontime had already been started. The Teacher questioned us about our late entry to the classroom. The answer to the Teacher's question came from the whole class. All the students unitedly said that I and Rani were very close and I always carried out the commands of Rani. Hearing this, the Teacher changed our seats in the class. I looked at Rani, frightenedly. I was afraid to look at her eyes. Many times I had thought about speaking frankly to my parents, about Rani. But I was afraid that they would scold me for keeping such a friendship. "Sometimes I am very courageous, but here I became afraid of another girl", I thought. All these things appeared as an irony.
As a child, I had no playmates to play with, in my neighbourhood. I don't forget that there were Peter and Basil - but they were very rich and I was very poor. I agree that the differene was there, always. Both Peter and Basil had tricycles to play with, in their homes. In Peter's house, there was a long verandah and it was an interesting and funny experience to run that cycle there. I won't forget the fact that I also had got opportunities to sit and drive ( slowly, a small distance only ) in those tricycles.
My memory again travels to the past. One day, I and my mother went to Puthiyaveettil Mr Johney's house. Ms Kunjamma seated me in a korandi ( a miniature form of a table which was used in Kerala,to sit over, do jobs and also to take food). Near to me, Basil was also seated in another korandi. Kochechi ( I called Ms Kunjamma, by that name ) served rice and curries to both of us. My mother had strictly ordered to me that I should not waste the rice served by her. Remembering this, I had taken the whole rice, without making any waste. Kochechi was impressed by my behaviour and she told Basil to look at my plate & surroundings and learn how to take food. Eventhough it was a casual talk, I was hurt when he began to cry and also because he was one year younger to me.
I had also taken food from Puthiyaveettil Mr Johnson's house. I don't remember when it happened. It was at the time of taking food that I and my mother reached there. All the labourers had gathered there to take food. All of us were seated in the kitchen in the korandis. The rice was served and the curries, kaalan ( a curry made from curd ), sambar ( a vegetarian curry popular in South India ) & the papad. The rice was the sweetest one I ever had taken. "The rice I take in my house has no taste at all", I thought. It was the rice which was grown in their own paddyfield ie, it was not bought from the market. And the curry from the curd....that taste is still there in my tongue. I thought, "If I get this everyday, I am ready to take two or three plates of rice".
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