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One day, in Std X, our English Teacher asked us to stand up those students who own grammar book of Wren & Martin. Two or three persons stood up and I was also included in them. Jacob Sir looked at me with wonder and disbelief. I got the grammar text like this. When I was in Std IX, one day, I declared that I needed an English - Malayalam dictionary as well as an English grammar textbook. The next week, my father went to Ernakulam. He returned with an English - English - Malayalam dictionary by Shri. T. Ramalingam Pillai and the grammar text by Wren & Martin. When I went through the books, I was satisfied. My mother asked, " how could you select these books? " My father answered that he went to Pullakkunnathu Mr Paily's house. It was he who advised my father to buy that particular dictionary and grammar book. I had heard much about Mr Paily but unfortunately, I haven't seen him because he was traveling in car. From the busstop near the English Medium School, when we walked to our house, after sometime, there is a road towards the right side. If you go through the road, you can reach Mr Paily's house. In my early childhood, I had gone through that road, I remember. But later, I haven't. Though the English Medium School was near to his home and he belonged to one of the branches of the Chittuparambil House, he sent his children to a boarding school in Andhra Pradesh, which is another State in our country. It remained as a mystery in my mind for many years.
Our English Teacher was a very strict man. When he entered the class, utter silence prevailed there. He said that there was a competition between our School and the English Medium School. I think he said so in order to concentrate our minds to our destination - passing the examination. Though he was teaching us English, his main subject was Biology. I am not sure about it. But there is an evidence for me to point out this fact. One day, he came to our class and taught how the XX chromosome and XY chromosome separate in the DNA of humans by drawing one or two columns and rows. It was done with the consent of our Biology Teacher, Ms Jancy. I don't know whether such a thing would happen in any other school. Our Chemistry Teacher Ms Somi once told us that she often went to her neighbour's house to clear her doubts as he was the Lecturer in Chemistry in St Peter's College, Kolenchery. Whenever our Mathematics Teacher Ms Leelamma solve a problem or a Theorem, I could understand easily and would look at her surprisingly because I was weak in Mathematics.
At this moment, I remember an incident which happened in our class. Usually, the classroom was cleaned by students ( not all students but girls only ) with a broom every morning. The task was done by the girls in the 1st bench in one week, then the next week, the 2nd bench ..........Our Class Teacher Ms Vaasanthi, who taught us Social Science, was giving us instructions about it. Then, suddenly, the questions which were hidden in my mind, came out. I stood up and asked, "then who will clean the boys' side ?" Now, when I write this, even I feel a shocking experience because I know that the society in which I live is dominated by malechauvinists. But when I asked that question in Xth Std, anyone was shocked ? I don't know. But the Teacher's answer was quite unexpected. She said that the boys' side should be cleaned by boys themselves. I couldn't believe it. But I knew that the Teacher's family had some progressive background. The next day, we cleaned the girls' side but the boys' side was left dirty. In the second period, our Malayalam Teacher Ms Joolie came. After sometime, she asked why the classroom was kept dirty. All the girls pointed towards our bench and said that we cleaned only the girls' side. Then I noticed her facial expression - she was shocked ! But she didn't say anything about it. The second day, I went to School very early in the morning. Then I could see Alan and Eldhose carrying a broom in their hands. They had completed their work earlier !
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