I did not like Sunil that much. This was when I was in the primary school. Sunil was my classmate. You must be thinking that Sunil might have been rude to me. No, he didn't know what rudeness meant, sweet fellow. Was he bigger than me and hence used to bully me, no - we were equally anemic. Was he better than me in studies, no - he never used to get double digits. Yes, surely, my problem was not with him but with Bharati teacher, his mother ! I used to hate her !!
To my bad luck, Bharati teacher had to pass through my house to reach her home after returning from school. And she would invariably stop by and tell my mom "do you know what "Sundar" did in school today?" As if the state government had instructed the teachers to do this service also, to better groom their disciples. I would have been happy if those daily updates were good things about me like - he completed his work in time, he meticulously noted down the names of all those kids who spoke loudly when he was asked to monitor the class in her absence, he never went out and played with those other non-studious kids during interval in the near-by paddy field (my soiled shirt and trousers would well indicate that, but then I could tell some other story to my parents ! ) etc.
There were many updates from Bharati teacher, but this one I would never forget.
I used to get stomach pain on a daily basis. That too in the evenings, after returning from school. I was sure it was not because the very thought of prospect of Bharati teacher updating once more for the day ! I didn't know the cause. My parents couldn't make out either. I was given ginger juice for a few days. I was given "Ashtachoornam" that Ayurveda powder made out of 8 ingredients for a few days. Stopped heavy, oily food. But no respite, the pain continued to be at such levels even I could not hide it from my parents to avoid those bitter and pungent remedies. Then one day, thanks to the very Bharati teacher, the reason behind my pain came to limelight, in a painful way !
Those days, in government school, there was a US aid program called "CARE". Do not ask me the expansion of it, I didn't care that acronym then. I don't think it is relevant even now. What that program used to do was to provide free "broken wheat" to the poor children in the schools. "Uppuma" out of that broken wheat would be "under-cooked" at the school, many a times by the seniors in the school itself. Because the designated cook would invariably be absent in most of the days. The strong aroma of that "uppuma" would instantly make my home lunch tasteless, laboriously prepared by mom and cautiously carried by me. I used to join that group stealthily at the kitchen like shed, at back of the school , to eat that uppuma as much I could, after throwing away my home lunch in the dust-bin ! But that day I could not hide. I had a taken a rather full mouth and about to chew, Bharati teacher appeared in front of me from no where. She just stared at me. I immediately knew what would be the evening news headlines for the day and what would be after effects of it.
Sunil, - in case you had forgotten about him by now - Bharati teacher's son - wanted to accompany me as usual while returning home. I disliked him much more that day, I did not even bother to join him. I was rushing home alone, thinking of various means of getting prepared to face heavy onslaught that day. I was quickly climbing down those stone steps connecting the elevated main road and the approach road to my house. Exactly half way through on the 8th step I slipped and fell down. I didn't remember any thing till late in the evening. I still do remember a few things I realized or made me realized, when I regained consciousness.
Two important teeth in the front row were damaged, one was protruding outside that had to be extracted soon. There were quite a few bruises on my forehead. My upper lip was swollen like a baloon. I had been taken to near by "Menon's" nursing home to dress up the wounds and administer a few injections, good that I fell unconscious. Bharati teacher visited me and she could not resist the temptation of updating my new eating habit to my parents even after seeing my pathetic condition. The cause of my mysterious stomach pain was understood well by me and others ! The dictum was made clear to me - no more "CARE" uppuma, no ginger juice or even Ashtachoornam !!
A few takeaways from this uppuma incident and the "free fall" there after.
However, I continued to enjoy group lunches with those friends. I did enjoy every moment of it. I continued to join them for lunch in that shed, but taking food from my own tiffin box from home !!!
To my bad luck, Bharati teacher had to pass through my house to reach her home after returning from school. And she would invariably stop by and tell my mom "do you know what "Sundar" did in school today?" As if the state government had instructed the teachers to do this service also, to better groom their disciples. I would have been happy if those daily updates were good things about me like - he completed his work in time, he meticulously noted down the names of all those kids who spoke loudly when he was asked to monitor the class in her absence, he never went out and played with those other non-studious kids during interval in the near-by paddy field (my soiled shirt and trousers would well indicate that, but then I could tell some other story to my parents ! ) etc.
There were many updates from Bharati teacher, but this one I would never forget.
I used to get stomach pain on a daily basis. That too in the evenings, after returning from school. I was sure it was not because the very thought of prospect of Bharati teacher updating once more for the day ! I didn't know the cause. My parents couldn't make out either. I was given ginger juice for a few days. I was given "Ashtachoornam" that Ayurveda powder made out of 8 ingredients for a few days. Stopped heavy, oily food. But no respite, the pain continued to be at such levels even I could not hide it from my parents to avoid those bitter and pungent remedies. Then one day, thanks to the very Bharati teacher, the reason behind my pain came to limelight, in a painful way !
Those days, in government school, there was a US aid program called "CARE". Do not ask me the expansion of it, I didn't care that acronym then. I don't think it is relevant even now. What that program used to do was to provide free "broken wheat" to the poor children in the schools. "Uppuma" out of that broken wheat would be "under-cooked" at the school, many a times by the seniors in the school itself. Because the designated cook would invariably be absent in most of the days. The strong aroma of that "uppuma" would instantly make my home lunch tasteless, laboriously prepared by mom and cautiously carried by me. I used to join that group stealthily at the kitchen like shed, at back of the school , to eat that uppuma as much I could, after throwing away my home lunch in the dust-bin ! But that day I could not hide. I had a taken a rather full mouth and about to chew, Bharati teacher appeared in front of me from no where. She just stared at me. I immediately knew what would be the evening news headlines for the day and what would be after effects of it.
Sunil, - in case you had forgotten about him by now - Bharati teacher's son - wanted to accompany me as usual while returning home. I disliked him much more that day, I did not even bother to join him. I was rushing home alone, thinking of various means of getting prepared to face heavy onslaught that day. I was quickly climbing down those stone steps connecting the elevated main road and the approach road to my house. Exactly half way through on the 8th step I slipped and fell down. I didn't remember any thing till late in the evening. I still do remember a few things I realized or made me realized, when I regained consciousness.
Two important teeth in the front row were damaged, one was protruding outside that had to be extracted soon. There were quite a few bruises on my forehead. My upper lip was swollen like a baloon. I had been taken to near by "Menon's" nursing home to dress up the wounds and administer a few injections, good that I fell unconscious. Bharati teacher visited me and she could not resist the temptation of updating my new eating habit to my parents even after seeing my pathetic condition. The cause of my mysterious stomach pain was understood well by me and others ! The dictum was made clear to me - no more "CARE" uppuma, no ginger juice or even Ashtachoornam !!
A few takeaways from this uppuma incident and the "free fall" there after.
- Never dislike somebody unnecessarily. The cause of dislike may origin from something related to him but he may not be part of it at all. I could have spared that poor Sunil !
- Too much a worried condition can invite accidents, including free falls
- Things can reshape in a better away, even after getting damaged badly - my teeth !
- Certain food will smell good, taste good - but it may give me stomach ache especially if it is not cooked properly or it is not meant for me, or if I am not used to it.
However, I continued to enjoy group lunches with those friends. I did enjoy every moment of it. I continued to join them for lunch in that shed, but taking food from my own tiffin box from home !!!
haha now ur giving points about how not to be .But kids are kids, i can relate it with my daughter who fell in anger with one girl in the park for no reason .I guess because of that anger only u can remember it until now right ?
ReplyDeleteI agree.
ReplyDelete