The Greener Pasture

Episode 3 : At my kindergarten

  It was a newer phase of my life.  From the chaotic pieces of memories collected from here and there asynchronously, my memories begin to be coherent and clearer.  So was my life. It had started to involve a sort of discipline.   The third year of life was much important to me.  I started realizing who I am, what I could be.

I would open my eyes morning, albeit reluctantly, to the cartoon "Courage the Cowardly Dog"  played in the TV above.  Though I didn't understand anything of it. (I still never know what was the story in most of the episodes)   I would get a bath, drink filter coffee and munch on something made by Thathi,  and after some time, would have my breakfast.   I liked Dosa and disliked Idli.   That continues even today.   I still love Chapati with tomato roast.   I liked porridge with the potato stir fry.  I didn't have much of a taste for rice that time, but I gradually developed it after eating a variety of dishes, over time.  Amma used to insert the food into my mouth those days. 

Thatha used to drop me to school.   He would carry me, show me flowers and interesting things, so that I do not cry and feel sad about going to school.  Sometimes I would want to get some really beautiful and unique flowers (hibiscus of different colours, a blue flower that bloomed at the point of bridge) or munch on Jambu apples or play with the touch-me-not groups.   But as soon as I would reach the junction near the school, I wanted to be "dropped" and wanted to walk, as I didn't want other children to see myself being "carried" to school.   Only a few children came with their grandparents.  I was fortunate enough to go with thatha.   But as I would reach the class door, my eyes would start becoming wet.  I couldn't help it.   Still, I learned and managed to control that over the days.   But it seems the lady in the neighbourhood rumoured to Thathi that I was still crying, when she met her in temple.

The main teacher for Arun course (a parallel course to LKG) was Siva chechi.  The room was on the left side of the main room. (where Uday, the UKG course, was being taught under Ganga Chechi)   The room was a bit dimmer than the Uday room.  When we entered in the school, we first entered the main room, where Ganga chechi and sometimes other children would chant "Namaste Kiraṇe".   This was the procedure for each child coming.  After all had come, the prayer would start.   The prayers were the Sanskrit ślokas, the ślokas like Yā kundendu tuṣārahāradhavaḷā yā śubhra vastrāvṛtā ...  Śuklām brahma vicārasāraparamām ...   Most often the prayer ended with these.  Also, there was the national anthem sung daily.

As I had heard Thathi and Amma chanting Sanskrit ślokams in home, Sanskrit was much closer to me.  I loved chanting the ślokas but wanted to know the meaning.   I was reluctant to ask the meanings though.  I was however clear that the ślokas were for Sarasvatī, the Hindu goddess of knowledge.  One interesting thing I found was the Yā kundendu śloka ended like "Sā māṃ pātu sarasvatī bhagavatī niḥśeṣa jāḍyāpahā", and my Thathi-Thatha names were Sarasvatī and Bhagavatīśvaran.  It was fun.  But I should admit I did feed proud that thatha and thathi had their names in śloka.  

After the prayer was over, the Arun students were expected to relocate with their bags to their classroom on the left side.   The trend those days was a bag carried by hand.  The particular rubberish scent of its parts still lingers in my mind.   I have not encountered that scent for so many years, so that sort-of remains as a connector to the days I spent in Śrī Śaṅkara.  Other than the lunch break, there was a small break to eat snacks which I did not know in the first day.  Neither did Amma know.   So, I did not eat any snack that day, while other children were opening their snack-boxes.  Ganga chechi and Siva chechi noted this; they did not want me to stay like that.  They asked the children nearby to give me their biscuits.  I was reluctant to accept, but the teachers were forcing me.  I couldn't disobey them.  I ate one or two biscuits offered by nearby child under the supervision of chechis.