page 2 ( 35 ) Std VII Our English Teacher & some other memories

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     Our Class Teacher in Std VII, Oomman Sir taught us English. He  was versatile.  He didn't confine to the teaching zone only, but rendered his contributions to the entire circle of students of our school.  In English we had  textbook, notebook and a copywriting book.  There were some simple poems by English poets.  But I can't remember any of them now.  However, his teachings were reconciled to the prescribed syllabus only.  I think it was because English was a difficult subject for most of the students in the class.  To make it easy, I always recited the newly learnt words and its meaning five times or ten times.  Then, on Saturdays or whenever I get some time, I would write the newly words  and its meaning  ten or twenty times.  By that time, I would have learnt that word !
     But there was little time to learn all the subjects. In my house, I had to endure my mother's talkative nature and look after my young sister.  I  saw the different stages of my  sister like crawling, sitting and standing.  In the evening, after bathing her, my mother would give her in my hands.  I would take her to the bedroom where a washed and dried undergarment would be kept.  After putting it on, I would take her to the kitchen, take some rice and curry made of jackfruit seeds.  I would make a ball of rice and add a piece of jackfruit seed and give her.  When she finished, I would take another ball of rice and give her.  This will continue for sometime.  Then I would think whether all the children of her age take that type of food or not.  If she had born in a rich family, she might have eaten other types of food.   She was a beautiful and sweet child.  Then, another thought would come to my mind.  There are thousands of children in this world craving for food - craving for a ball of rice - therefore,  don't think so.  At a particular stage, she would say, "no, no more please".  I would say, "one more", sometimes she would agree.  But when I say, "once more" for a second time, she won't  agree and I also wouldn't compell because I don' t like to be compelled by anyone.  Then I would help her to wash her hands and mouth.  She would instantly incline to my shoulder because she knew that it was the time to sleep.  At first, it was difficult for me to bear her weight because I was only eleven and half years old .
     I would sing all the lullabies I knew in order to put her to sleep.  After making her sleep, I had to begin my homework.  During this time, my mother would be drawing water from the well or taking bath, mumbling about many things.  My most favourite lullaby was a film song beginning with "aaraaroo aariraaroo".  After finishing aĺl my songs, I would touch her to know whether she had slept or not.  If she slept, I would slowly lay her down on the bed, slowly cover her body with cloth and return from that room.   Sometimes, when I lay her down on the bed, suddenly she would open her eyes.  Then, I would take her in my hands again, sing songs to  put her to sleep.
     When I take my books for doing  homework, my mind would be sobbing with great grief.  But noone would see my sorrows.  I would speedily complete my homeworks one by one.  Then there would be the prayer time. My father would return only after 08.30 p.m.  My mother would utter something and I wouldn't join with her.  She would curse me for that.  Then again I would start my homeworks.  At last my father would come.  He would knock at the door in a special manner and I would open the door.  Then my mother would go to the kitchen to serve the supper.  I would run to the kitchen, take a plate, fill it with rice and curry and return to my chair where I used to sit when I studied.  My mother would say that I had become an arrogant girl.  But I did so because my mother didnot  know how much rice and curry would I take !  I would complete the supper hurriedly and opening the kitchen door, I would go to the back verandah, where water was kept, to wash my hands.  My mother would say, "this girl has no fear, we should fear of robbers everyday".  I also had fear.  When I opened the door and entered the verandah, I would slowly look around to see whether there is a robber or a stray dog.  Then I would wash my hands and mouth speedily and enter the kitchen.  I did all these to get more time to learn.

     In the morning, I would get up only when my father call me loudly.  So, I would think that why would he not set the alarm to get up early.  I had seen my father giving 'key' to the timepiece to set the alarm.  But it was only  later I realised that my mother had  advised him not to set alarm everyday because it will  damage  the alarm clock.  After the teapot is removed from the fireplace, my mother would order me ro put the pot ( half filled with water ) on the fireplace.  Then she would tell me how much rice is to be added to the pot.  She would order me from the bedroom to wash the rice two times in the cold water and two times in the hot water and put it into the ricepot, in which the water would already be boiling.  Then I had to put the large firewoods in  the fireplace.
     After this, I would go the back verandah, sit on a korandi  and prepare the jackfruit seeds.  Then my mother would come with a sound of thunder.  She would ask, "who turned the fireplace on ?  All firewoods have exhausted.  But there is noone to put new ones in the fireplace.  If you don't know how ro push the firewoods and how to add new ones, why did you start the fireplace on ?"  I would be thinking, "how will I live in this house till I get a job ?  Perhaps I will turn insane by that time".