Oh Papa and Mom! It’s my first day@ School

 Oh Papa and Mom! It’s my first day@ School

Just a couple of months ago when I celebrated my third birthday; little did I know that there was lot more in store in the next few months.  Oh! You may ask what I am doing writing stories about myself that is because my papa and mom love to see me writing and want to know the fun that I have at my nanupa’ s home.  I love to gobble chocolates brought by my papa.  I gorge on vanilla Ice cream, an absolute joy during the blazing summer. While I always fiddle with the water tap and splash water in the verandah, nanuma runs behind me asking me to drink a glass of milk and eat some khaku (food). I tease her and make her run behind me.  And when she comes closer and admonishes me, I embrace her legs and tell her that ‘Geney is a good girl’ and ‘Geney loves mummy’ and then magic unfolds! Nanuma picks me up in her arms and gives me a peck on my forehead and cheeks and I wrap my arms around her.

Papa says I am very naughty & mischievous as was he when he was my age. He tells me not to create nuisance and hassle nanuma and nanupa but papa what to do, running around the verandah in the backyard is what I love to do the most. You remember when I was a toddler, I used to pester you and mom to give me a ride in the car every night and only then I could sleep! But then I didn’t want to hassle you papa. Last night I pinched Sant mama’s leg and he shouted in agony. What a little menace I am. I am very fond of teasing him and running away with his pencil box and books. He he he! Last week I tore out some pages from his favorite book. He was very angry at me and ran towards me but I ran away to the other room to ritu mausi.

Oh yeah, why we are here and you are reading this is because - sometime back nanupa told me that I will go to the “bade bachhonn ke school.”  And as a result I was taken for shopping ; yes tell me about it, I have just learnt to hold my own cutlery and now this,  they took me to the shop where I saw bright and nice school uniforms, apparently you have to have a uniform in order to go to school. Nanupa asked the shopkeeper to show us the Don Bosco uniform and out it came ‘the red and blue chequered dress’’. Man, my eyes were fixed on the uniform as I wanted to wear it. The shoes had to be black and the one that shopkeeper showed us would not fit into my tiny feet; yes, talk about problems of growing up, everyone in the shop struggled to find the right fit for me.  I didnt quite like the fact, because I wanted the new shoes alongwith the uniform. We were asked to come the next day for the shoes. I reluctantly agreed and told him I will come with Sant mama.

It was very hot last night and nanuma, wiping the sweat on her eyebrow, while rustling up soup for me said,” Geney - kal tumhe big girl ke school jaana hai, so come over eat quickly and off to sleep.” It was incredibly hot and didn’t feel like playing with my (“bhubu” – toy dog). Although, I was tired but was very excited for the next morning.  I woke up in the middle of the night and asked nanuma, “is it morning? Can I put on my new school uniform?” She gently stroked my curly hair much the same way mom used to put me to nanhu (sleep)! Oh! Papa, “ab mai badi ho gayi hoon”. I will go to big girl school.

Voila, the sun is out early today and it’s another blazing hot day but nonetheless a glorious start to a new chapter in my journey as your daughter! The little orange bird with a feather on its hood sat on the loft above the verandah making a quirky noise as if talking to me and telling me to get ready for the big day. A gust of wind swept across my face, and I closed my eyes. The air was cool, a rare moment of comfort in an otherwise scorching summer. I could see both of you, papa and mom, and I saw that I was sitting in my pram in a garden full of resplendent flowers - red, white, orange, purple, green.  I could also hear the cacophonous voice of children playing in the park. I have springs in my feet today and I am jumping around in excitement to wear my new school uniform, the chequered dress big blue checks with blue pockets on the front. It’s a lovely dress and I quite like it. The home is abuzz with excitement. There is a discussion around me for fetching the camera, getting the dress ironed, making my hair and to top it all I finished my glass of milk in a jiffy - Hah... everyone was taken aback!

Ritu mausi  helped me take a bath and put on my new uniform. I said jay jay to bhagwaan ji as nanuma told me to fold my hands and pray. Then it began, oh the photo session in my new uniform. They told me that when I will be grown up, they will give me the photos’ – ok I believe them. Mausi asked me to pose a little and I obliged. The session went on but my heart was just set on the arrival of the autowallah.

Oh! Papa, all of sudden I hear that the auto has come and I must rush to reach the school to meet my new teachers, new friends, and a whole new world that awaits me. My excitement is fever high and I can’t wait to get into the auto. As the auto made its way out, I saw gulmohar trees on both sides of the road and a group of pigeon not far away near the road. Pigeons are my friends ever since I came into this world. I love them so much. They winked at me and fluttered by as the auto whizzed past them.

When I reached the school, I entered a big blue gate and a huge red building, like the one I have never seen! I am nervous as this is my first day at school away from home. I saw a bunch of dogs (bhubu) outside the school gate and immediately clutched on to my bhubhu toy that I carried to the school. You know that he is my best friend! I love him and he loves me too. I was very happy to see some of my old friends from the play school but they didn’t come with me to my classroom as they went away to another classroom far from where I was. I just followed my new teacher’s instructions.

When I entered the classroom, I saw that other children were crying and wailing but I did not cry though I felt uneasy and I held mausi’s hands to comfort myself. I watched around with nervous curiosity and saw the teacher in the other corner of the room. I looked at her while she tried to pacify a few children who were constantly crying. Then I froze for a moment as the teacher came right infront of me and asked my name. I took a moment and muttered my name…She asked me again and this time I shot back “Ilvikaa Narayan”. What’s your Father’s name,? I said “papa” and on hearing this she burst out laughing as a smile ran across my face too. I gathered myself and said “Pradeep Narayan” and Meeta mom is my mother !

For the rest of day, I played with the other children and filled color in apple and banana in the color book not much different to what I used to do in my play school; just the old stuff that I am used to. After some time, I felt hungry and ate out of the lunch box given by nanuma. I drank from the Mickey Mouse water bottle that you brought for me, papa.  A boy pushed me from behind and I stumbled and almost fell down. I turned back and leapt at the boy but then the teacher came to us and stopped us from fighting!! I would have taught him a lesson if not for the first day..

As the time to go back home approached, I felt happy as I wanted to be home and sad too as I was enjoying playing with children and my new friends. Mam asked all of us to come back tomorrow and I nodded and ran across the little playground infront of the classroom with other children following me to the big Iron Gate. I saw nanupa standing outside the big gate to take me home in our red car! He gave me my favourite chocolate and I was pleased to bits.

Nanupa honked the car as we reached home and I saw Sant mama and Nanuma were waiting for me at the gate, I ran to them excitedly and leapt into the arms of Nanuma. She asked me whether I ate from the lunch box. I said yes and I also told her that I went to the toilet alone and made new friends. Sant mama asked me if I liked my teachers. I was really happy to be home with everybody around. You see I am just a three-year-old and very tired at the end of a long day but a memorable day at the school. A day I will not forget and will always remember!! Papa and Mom, I love you so much and writing about my first day at school makes me proud of both of you.