Last Monday, it was Children's day and I called up my nephew, a Fifth grader to wish him after returing from office. The conversation was light and innocent and it led me to the reminiscences of the vivacity of my school days. I went back through my personal diary of those days, when I had just graduated from school and joined junior college. Here is one of the writings that I found:
Getting up early in the morning and preparing for school was something that I always hated. The cool breeze at the dawn, the chirping of the birds and the occassional voices of the shaggy lady cleaning the roads tempt you to sleep for another hour or two. This was the time when I covered myself in the sheet from head to toe. The bed seemed to be the most cozy place in the world and I swear I was always ready to pay any possible price for letting me to sleep for one more hour - just one hour is all I asked for.
With eyes half-closed, I used to peep out of the sheet that covered me like a shroud and then convince myself that I could sleep for ten more minutes, then five more and so on. Anyways, I had to go to school. I used to get up reluctantly with eyes closed cursing the Sun, the morning, the school, and everything around me including the washbasin, toothbrush and bathroom. After getting ready, I used to drag myself to the school dreaming all the time of the day when I would be relieved of this hellish duty.
Things have changed since then. Its been almost a year since I last got up early in the morning to go to school. No. Not because I have been kicked out of school, but because I have graduated from school (and I have fetched good marks as well), and I have joined junior college where I don't have to reach early for classes.
For the first few days after the board exams, I slept very happily in the morning with absolute peace. But now being in the bed till late causes anguish. I get up early to go out and feel the cold breeze, to hear the chirping birds and to see the shaggy yet complacent women cleaning the roads and singing to themselves. Now I quite often feel the longing within myself to get back to school.
Reminds me of my school days. My school started at 8 in the morning, and I had to get up at 6 (or was at 6:30) to reach school on time. I was not very averse to waking up early, except during winter mornings. Winters in Calcutta can be quite cold (compared to Pune), and your description of covering yourself with a sheet from head to toe evokes deja vu :).
ReplyDeleteI can also identify with the longing to get back to school. Even now. Those were the days. Carefree and fun. Ironically I didn't appreciate my school or the teachers therein when I was in school. It was after I left school that the realization dawned on me that my school was indeed special, and that we had some very dedicated teachers teach us. Why do we need to lose something before we can begin to appreciate it?