an old memory

Mum calls," it’s time for school, you'll miss the bus..." regretfully I drag myself down the dreaded 90 steps and out the door. Sling the newly purchased backpack on my shoulders and walk to the bus stop. Awaiting there amidst of 20-30 kids I find my group..ooos & ahhhs later we compare our newly acquired items..just like last year. My backpack (thank you mum) is the latest..Do they know how ziddi I was to get it? :) back then I always got what I wanted!!

Bus arrives..we get on in and on our way.. the bus makes several stops to haul in some more kids..finally we arrive at school...our school. Barely on the edge of the city, our school shares a common wall with a cemetery where my grandparents and countless other relatives are six feet under(rip)...I don't think it ever scared me. I would often find myself wondering where my grave would end up. I had a spot picked out...under this huge Imlee Tree...wonder if the tree still stands there?

Our school was huge...3 stories high and it was KG-12 grade...and was it noisy...
Today the smell of everything new engulfs me...
New Uniforms
New Backpacks
New Shoes
New Socks
New Books
New Canteen & Lunch Box
New Pens, Pencils... I got Sheaffer Pen, a Pilot & a boxed set of Pen & Pencil too.. and offcourse my favorite Natraj eraser too!

Meet & greet, see the boy I have had the biggest crush on and avoid him. New strategy this year. Let’s see if he notices...he did!

Assigned classed & roll call...oh! It was so boot camp like...regular routine...assignments of classes, teachers, lunch hour and phy ed...pretty soon it was 6pm…and time to haul on to the buses again. I hated routine and still do...unfortunately school was essential to me, for me, for my existence. Even at that young age I had plans…plans to leave and never look back...and I didn't!


Translations:

Ziddi= Stubborn
Imlee= Tamarind