Memoirs of a Schoolgirl - Part II

Continued from Part I

Nagercoil is a little town situated half-an-hour from the southernmost shores of Kanyakumari. I walked into my new school looking rather skeptical. The classrooms were tiny and on looking in through the windows I noticed a maximum of ten students in each. The ancient thatched roof could barely manage to hold the creaking fan. The dingy room had just one bulb that seldom performed its task of lighting up the room. The kindergarten section seemed cheerful enough with the toys, colourful building blocks and paintings. The enthusiastic principal led me into the 8th standard classroom where I'd be studying. Was surprised to see a teacher explaining the intricacies of the human body in the midst of this rustic setup. In front sat six students, who turned in my direction with a welcoming smile. I held my nose up, looking mighty snooty, as I missed my old friends. Then I was taken to a small library that held a great many books. Only that seemed exciting enough.

My classmates were simple people who didn't nurse ambitions of becoming world-famous cardiologists. Most of them didn't think ahead and seemed quite content in the confines of their little town. Nice and simple, they let me believe that the world was full of goodness. Never once did I have to deal with a selfish gesture or a mean comment. All was well.

My music came in handy. From being part of the choir I graduated to becoming choir leader and soon I was giving solo performances in various functions. Because there were only a handful of students, everyone knew everyone else. Birthdays and festivals were much-celebrated events. For that matter, no one needed an excuse to get together and have fun. Eventually Mom also got used to seeing a bus-full of my friends coming home uninvited.

My mediocre theatrical skills were put to test as well while I was there as everyone got a chance to act in the inter-class dramatics competitions. I directed a different version of the much-loved fairy tale Cinderella and even played the prince. Meanwhile, I attended music classes and practiced lines from The Merchant of Venice (my principal felt he could help with my poor acting abilities). I was happy here as I was doing so much.

But after a year we moved again. This time to Chennai. After an entrance exam, I joined a Brahmin-dominated school in Chennai. After a happy one-year stint in a tiny school, I was now completely in awe of the bigger buildings. As soon as I walked past the gates, I noticed a sea of unfamiliar faces (I also imagined they were staring at me). I knew I wasn't going to like this very much. But Mom gently pushed me into my new classroom, where the students were already busy with Maths. Nervous, I chose to stare at the only familiar object in the room - the fan. (Months later, a friend asked if I was from a village where no one had seen fans).

Life in the new school revolved around Maths. During PT class, you'd find students sitting around completing difficult sums. The only subject I liked (English) didn't seem important to them and so the marks weren't either. I hated the surprise Maths tests and the study of the direction of the winds. I found Biology interesting and Physics bearable. But I hated Chemistry, History (I am bad with dates) and Maths.

The class was divided into two. You were either a Maths genius aiming to study in IIT or a disco freak who knew about the latest trends. I was neither. So I shuttled from one group to the other hearing either, "Oh, this sum is so interesting" or a "guess who is going out with him." There were a couple of singers and actors in class as well and none was allowed into their territory. So when I was once offered the chance to sing, I was made part of a huge chorus.

Life was bearable till the 10th standard, until it got really bad in the 11th and 12th. A good percentage in Science got me thinking that I was an Einstein. Also nursing ambitions of becoming a dentist, I decided on the Pure Science group. From one book on integrated science, I'd graduated to two books each in Biology, Physics and Chemistry. A strict class teacher didn't make life easier either. The sadistic Maths teacher loved giving 500 to 1,000 sums for homework. So while I struggled day and night with these difficult sums, he made it a point of humiliating me in class by giving me sums I couldn't ever work on. Most of my classmates were super brains, who lacked in the basic niceties of life. It gave them pleasure when they saw someone who wasn't as good in Maths. The fact that I wrote far better essays and enjoyed poetry didn't mean anything.

Phew... but I got lucky eventually. The years passed by with great difficulty and I was out. The last time I went there was to collect my board exam marks. Rather nervous, I walked to the board with my mom at my side. First I scanned the list for my name. "I can't see my name," I screamed helplessly. "There it is," came my mom's assuring voice.

After another round of scanning, I saw my name and a great "PASS" beside it. Sighing with relief, I decided to check on my marks. I'd managed a decent 80%. Screaming with excitement, I danced out of the gates, deciding never to return. But I did, a few days later, to show my marks to all those teachers who had helped ruin my spirit by telling me repeatedly that I wouldn't get through. Then I left the place for good. I never saw those teachers or classmates ever again. But four years later, I believe now that perhaps I needed a few years in a place like that as well to realise that there were all kinds of people in this world.

Nagercoil got me nice, decent friends. And the school in Chennai broke all notions that the world is full of only nice people. For the first time, I came into touch with reality. I realise that there are different kinds of people and thanks to the lot I met in the Chennai school, I can say proudly that I'm a nice, decent individual without a trace of malice. (For the moment, I choose to ignore my other faults. *wink*)