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When my lessons started in Std X, an idea struck me. Our Teacher and especially the ' Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad' had advised us not to learn by heart but to understand the meaning of the part of the lessons and learn. Therefore, I read the lessons with concentration and understood everything. But then, I didn't learn them by heart. Therefore, I felt that in the class tests, I was going backwards. Then I understood my mistakes and rectified them. Another problem was the delay of getting History textbook. The students who always got the textbooks of their neighbours or relatives escaped from this. But I was away from all of them. I & a few of my classmates got the History textbooks almost towards the beginning of 1st Terminal examination. It happened because of some technical problem, I think. But this affected my 1st Terminal examination results, definitely.
I don't remember who came in the 1st position in 1st Terminal examination. Was it I ? No, there is no possibility, but I don't remember. Then, Nitha ? Or Eldhose ? Whatever it might be, during the ten days of Onam holidays, I didn't waste my time. I made a rough time table and took each textbook, read them and tried to learn them thoroughly. Here, I want to reveal one thing. I was weak in Mathematics. The high scorers in Mathematics were Praveen, Sarath, Ramani etc. Our Mathematics Teacher Ms Leelamma had advised us that the next year we would be in the College for Pre degree and the medium of instruction would be English. In our textbooks, in every heading, in the brackets, the English word was also given. So, the Teacher's advice was to learn the English word also along with the Malayalam word. This advice was always in my mind. Therefore, I tried my best to look into the English word in brackets also along with the Malayalam word. This has helped me very much when I entered College, next year.
I didn't waste my time on Saturdays and Sundays. I would go to the rubber plantation during the daytime for learning the difficult parts & for the whole week's revision. I had a desire to learn English language because the next year I would be in the College. The second reason was the English Medium School , which was the nearest school to my house. Therefore, I thought that it was my duty to prove that the students in Malayalam Medium are also excellent in English language. So, I wrote each new word I studied five or ten times , like a small child in English Medium School. At the end of each lesson, there would be some exercises and tasks. The Teachers usually mention the 1st part - the exercises that can be done easily. Then the last ones - in language texts, some conversation tips & in science textbooks, some experiments that could be done with the help of the Teachers - they were ignored. The reasons were (1) they had to complete the syllabus within the time limit (2) they thought that the students in rural areas are satisfied without the complicated exercises, it is enough for them.
I didn't waste my time on Saturdays and Sundays. I would go to the rubber plantation during the daytime for learning the difficult parts & for the whole week's revision. I had a desire to learn English language because the next year I would be in the College. The second reason was the English Medium School , which was the nearest school to my house. Therefore, I thought that it was my duty to prove that the students in Malayalam Medium are also excellent in English language. So, I wrote each new word I studied five or ten times , like a small child in English Medium School. At the end of each lesson, there would be some exercises and tasks. The Teachers usually mention the 1st part - the exercises that can be done easily. Then the last ones - in language texts, some conversation tips & in science textbooks, some experiments that could be done with the help of the Teachers - they were ignored. The reasons were (1) they had to complete the syllabus within the time limit (2) they thought that the students in rural areas are satisfied without the complicated exercises, it is enough for them.
I was ready to work everytime. But what made me sad was that I had to rise up early in the morning . As usual, on Saturdays, I gathered small pieces of firewoods and placed them on our back verandah. My father used to set alarm in the timepiece. But when my classes started in Std X, my mother declared, "you don't set alarm everyday. It would affect the durability of the timepiece". Then I wonderfully watched my father who placed the timepiece on the table, without setting alarm, silently. The timepiece was the only luxurious thing in our house. I didn't know how to set alarm on it. I was even afraid to touch it. Sometimes, I had watched carefully, when my father took it and set the alarm. But I couldn't learn it. So, in Std X, without the alarm, hearing the abusive words, I got up everyday, shivering with fear.
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