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( 10 )
Gandhi Jayanti ( the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation), was celebrated on October 2nd, in our school, by cleaning our school and its surroundings. We were given instructions to bring coconuts from our houses to prepare a dish from Avil (flat rice). To make it tastier, coconut and molasses are needed. On that day, I went to school with a coconut in my bag. The women from the ordinary families near the school and some of the parents were present in the school. They prepared Avil for us. We were given different duties. The school, its courtyard upto the end of that uncultivated land in the main road were to be cleaned. We participated in the activity vigorously and at noontime we had a treat of Avil.
One day, when I was returning from school with a group of students through the rubber plantation, one of our Teachers, Sukumaran Sir was coming from the opposite side. He told me that in the coming Exhibition which was being organised in the Government Upper Primary School, Kadayiruppu, I should be there and explain various items to visitors. I shook my head but hesitated whether I could do it or not. When I reached home, I said this news to my parents. My mother said, "Oh! You are going to explain the things ! How would you do it ?" I was disappointed. At the same time, another thought came to my mind, "how does my mother speak continuously during the daytime and upto the bedtime at the night ?" This fact had begun to trouble me for more than six months. On the day of Exhibition, I was moving with some other students, watching everything. Then we reached the pavilion of our school. To my surprise, I could see Bindu and other students explaining everything to visitors ! I crept in through under the desk and reached near them. But I couldn't say anything to visitors because when the Teacher explained the items, I was not there. I returned home, with a disappointed heart.
We all joined together in the ground to perform various sports items, one day. "Each student should be participated in the race so that we could find out whether there are any outstanding performer in the class. Remember ours is a Lower Primary School", said one of the Teachers. Each and everyone were called for the competition. I was shivering at that time because I knew that I couldn't perform in it because of my shyness. Then I got an idea. I ran to the uncultivated area near the school and hid myself, behind a thicket.
I remember Sukumaran Sir who taught us Social Studies. On a particular day, the topic was India's "Unity in Diversity". Our country, India, consists of different states. One of them is Kerala. We had studied many facts about Kerla. He taught us about our neighbouring states, Tamilnadu and Karnataka. Then, Andhra Pradesh,Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh etc. There were very short descriptions in the text. "Now we can go to Meghalaya", he said. I got interested because I hadnot known anything about it. He used simple language and we got an attractive picture. "Then to Mizoram", he said. I was in another land. My mind wandered along with his words, near the Himalayas - on the banks of the rivers - Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. "Eventhough the languages are different, we are one", he stopped his teaching.
In the Arts competition, one of my classmates, Liji had sung a song which attracted me very much. I had heard that song many times earlier. It was a dramatic song which depicted the sorrows and troubles of the poor people. The song goes like this. "There is an empty space over the head, below there is the wasteland....." When I heard it I felt some changes occurring in my body and mind. They had radio in their houses to hear songs. But I have none - sadly I thought.
One Sunday, I and my cousin Maji were returning to our houses, after Sunday School, at noontime. Cousin Maji asked me, "who is the top scorer in your class in School ?" "Dinesh", I answered. "Then you can love him", saying this she laughed loudly. After hearing that, I couldn't move for sometime. She had told me the love stories of many students in her school. But this - I could 't suffer, I began to cry. Then she became soft, she consoled me by saying that it was a joke and forget it. At last, we reached her house. There, uncle Yacob and aunt Leela wouldn't allow me to go without taking meals. Seated in korandis,we were taking food. Suddenly, tears rolled down my cheeks and I began to cry. Everyone was embarassed and asked me what the problem was. I explained everything which Maji had told me. Hearing this, uncle Yacob became very angry. Taking a stick, he gave three hard beatings to cousin Maji so that she cried loudly. I became afraid when I saw the manner in which she cried. While crossing the paddyfield and going to my house,I was thinking like this,"will she talk to me in the same manner in which she behaved till today ?"
( 10 )
Gandhi Jayanti ( the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation), was celebrated on October 2nd, in our school, by cleaning our school and its surroundings. We were given instructions to bring coconuts from our houses to prepare a dish from Avil (flat rice). To make it tastier, coconut and molasses are needed. On that day, I went to school with a coconut in my bag. The women from the ordinary families near the school and some of the parents were present in the school. They prepared Avil for us. We were given different duties. The school, its courtyard upto the end of that uncultivated land in the main road were to be cleaned. We participated in the activity vigorously and at noontime we had a treat of Avil.
One day, when I was returning from school with a group of students through the rubber plantation, one of our Teachers, Sukumaran Sir was coming from the opposite side. He told me that in the coming Exhibition which was being organised in the Government Upper Primary School, Kadayiruppu, I should be there and explain various items to visitors. I shook my head but hesitated whether I could do it or not. When I reached home, I said this news to my parents. My mother said, "Oh! You are going to explain the things ! How would you do it ?" I was disappointed. At the same time, another thought came to my mind, "how does my mother speak continuously during the daytime and upto the bedtime at the night ?" This fact had begun to trouble me for more than six months. On the day of Exhibition, I was moving with some other students, watching everything. Then we reached the pavilion of our school. To my surprise, I could see Bindu and other students explaining everything to visitors ! I crept in through under the desk and reached near them. But I couldn't say anything to visitors because when the Teacher explained the items, I was not there. I returned home, with a disappointed heart.
We all joined together in the ground to perform various sports items, one day. "Each student should be participated in the race so that we could find out whether there are any outstanding performer in the class. Remember ours is a Lower Primary School", said one of the Teachers. Each and everyone were called for the competition. I was shivering at that time because I knew that I couldn't perform in it because of my shyness. Then I got an idea. I ran to the uncultivated area near the school and hid myself, behind a thicket.
I remember Sukumaran Sir who taught us Social Studies. On a particular day, the topic was India's "Unity in Diversity". Our country, India, consists of different states. One of them is Kerala. We had studied many facts about Kerla. He taught us about our neighbouring states, Tamilnadu and Karnataka. Then, Andhra Pradesh,Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh etc. There were very short descriptions in the text. "Now we can go to Meghalaya", he said. I got interested because I hadnot known anything about it. He used simple language and we got an attractive picture. "Then to Mizoram", he said. I was in another land. My mind wandered along with his words, near the Himalayas - on the banks of the rivers - Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. "Eventhough the languages are different, we are one", he stopped his teaching.
In the Arts competition, one of my classmates, Liji had sung a song which attracted me very much. I had heard that song many times earlier. It was a dramatic song which depicted the sorrows and troubles of the poor people. The song goes like this. "There is an empty space over the head, below there is the wasteland....." When I heard it I felt some changes occurring in my body and mind. They had radio in their houses to hear songs. But I have none - sadly I thought.
One Sunday, I and my cousin Maji were returning to our houses, after Sunday School, at noontime. Cousin Maji asked me, "who is the top scorer in your class in School ?" "Dinesh", I answered. "Then you can love him", saying this she laughed loudly. After hearing that, I couldn't move for sometime. She had told me the love stories of many students in her school. But this - I could 't suffer, I began to cry. Then she became soft, she consoled me by saying that it was a joke and forget it. At last, we reached her house. There, uncle Yacob and aunt Leela wouldn't allow me to go without taking meals. Seated in korandis,we were taking food. Suddenly, tears rolled down my cheeks and I began to cry. Everyone was embarassed and asked me what the problem was. I explained everything which Maji had told me. Hearing this, uncle Yacob became very angry. Taking a stick, he gave three hard beatings to cousin Maji so that she cried loudly. I became afraid when I saw the manner in which she cried. While crossing the paddyfield and going to my house,I was thinking like this,"will she talk to me in the same manner in which she behaved till today ?"
