we were supposed to complete our homeworks every day,the boy never found with incomplete homework though I was.
Defeat of Memorable Memory Power
Day before yesterday my mind was thinking deep about my son's career,now he is in 10+2 standard,and not doing so well,I got a little bit anxious but stopped there.The next momemt my mind flushed with a memory of my school days.In my childhood I was appearing in pre-high school tests,so many boys and girls gathered at the exam centre,some along with their parents.I noticed in the scattered gathering one well dressed,simple and sweet boy always studying and talking about the possible questions and answers in the next exam paper.It seemed to me strange but admiring, I thought,"how good manered boy he is"! because he was able to follow the teachings of his parents and teachers and I was never so obedient to parents regarding study,the study meant boring and unnessary exercise to me,again after studying for months under the raised fingers of parents it naturally gave me a chance to stay away from study atleast for some times,as I was not accompanied by my parents.I remained listeninig their discussion for a while and experienced inferiority complex .I tried to keep aloof myself from these things,I did not attract anybody's notice as I was sabby dressed and ugly looking.The examinations were over in few days and all of us came back home,but could not forget the boy.I have passed the entrance test and took admission in class-V in our nearest high school,in the first day of attending the class again I saw that well dressed goodlooking boy sitting in the first row curiously listening to the teacher,a wish prevailed to become like him,but it was not possible for me.I was less articulate,less humourous,ugly looking,having lost the childhood early,inferiority complex deeply imbedded.Some days went like this way,Gradually and slowly became familiar with others.I was somewhat better in maths,and it brought me closer to that boy after a few months, and started to sit in the first row besides him because study was everything for him,my ugly appearance,sabby dress did not deter his mind.He used to discuss mathematics with me.That friend of mine,I have seen had extraordinary memory power,he could recite long poems,could memorise long pages of history and english.Our english subject teacher was on long sick leave,When he joined the duty it already three months over of that academic session.He used to assign several pages as homework to complete the syllabus in time.One day my beloved friend somehow made mistake in marking his text book for home work,he left to mark two pages, full of difficult english words.
It was a practice in the schools to have 5-10 minutes gap between the two lectures.He came to know that he has forgotten to memorise two pages of the homework of english class, he knew this fact just before the english session,I was sitting besides him gossiping with the boy sitting on my left.There was only 8-9 minutes left before the teacher would enter the classroom,The teacher was very strict,I have seen with my eyes open,the boy speedily going through the unfinished homework of two pages of english words and got the same finished by the time roll call was over by the teacher ,he closed the pages and fluently reharshaling the content before his terms came for reciting the same.With great astonishment I have observed that those two full pages he commited to memory without any omissions.I had no words it choked my voice,it would have taken atleast one hour or more than that to me to memorise those pages and definitely with some broken sentences.I was spellbound,what to say,I could not decide,I did not express my astonishment before him but it remained deep in my mind so bright till today.Our days went on in the school,I never thought of overtaking that boy in any exams.I was having great regards for him,though I did not express the same in front of him,jealousy might be there.He continued to stand 2nd in the class,the story of our class topper was different ,that I am not touching today.I never thought ,even in dreams to replace him in ranking.In the eighth class half yearly examination keeping aside all the guessings, he failed to score pass marks in maths,whole class got astonished,His 2nd position got replaced by me though unknowingly.A cloud of depression also engulfed me.It was strange circumstance,a mystery still remained untold.and unexplained.In later days I did not allow him to recapture his lost reign,this way we have passed 9th standard.Then came the fire test in SSC,the boy miserably failed to secure 1st division.This thing baffled not only us but also our teachers who were in the teaching line for several years.
From that stage we became separated,we went to two different colleges at different cities for 10+2 standard, he did not complete this level, better he decided to become the Farm Manager of a few piece of his ancestral land,we used to meet now and then and this also became scarce gradually.
By chance after a gap of fifteen years, one day we met in a bus,we ruminated a lot on our school days,my station was coming nearer,suddenly I asked him how he was feeling his life,he replied with his old copy of sweet smile and added "I am happy with my wife , two issues and my small farm, my elder son works with me,I did not send him to school after primary education,we work in the field,we feel hungry and enjoy our meals ,sleep soundly,I dont pay much to doctors",also added "had I shortened my schooling years,it would have been added a few more acres to my small farm".A long breathe came out of my chest and realised that my living in a meto town with all its amenities has no real value.He is living a peerless life. It baffled me more because I was unable to go back to my farming life.
It was a practice in the schools to have 5-10 minutes gap between the two lectures.He came to know that he has forgotten to memorise two pages of the homework of english class, he knew this fact just before the english session,I was sitting besides him gossiping with the boy sitting on my left.There was only 8-9 minutes left before the teacher would enter the classroom,The teacher was very strict,I have seen with my eyes open,the boy speedily going through the unfinished homework of two pages of english words and got the same finished by the time roll call was over by the teacher ,he closed the pages and fluently reharshaling the content before his terms came for reciting the same.With great astonishment I have observed that those two full pages he commited to memory without any omissions.I had no words it choked my voice,it would have taken atleast one hour or more than that to me to memorise those pages and definitely with some broken sentences.I was spellbound,what to say,I could not decide,I did not express my astonishment before him but it remained deep in my mind so bright till today.Our days went on in the school,I never thought of overtaking that boy in any exams.I was having great regards for him,though I did not express the same in front of him,jealousy might be there.He continued to stand 2nd in the class,the story of our class topper was different ,that I am not touching today.I never thought ,even in dreams to replace him in ranking.In the eighth class half yearly examination keeping aside all the guessings, he failed to score pass marks in maths,whole class got astonished,His 2nd position got replaced by me though unknowingly.A cloud of depression also engulfed me.It was strange circumstance,a mystery still remained untold.and unexplained.In later days I did not allow him to recapture his lost reign,this way we have passed 9th standard.Then came the fire test in SSC,the boy miserably failed to secure 1st division.This thing baffled not only us but also our teachers who were in the teaching line for several years.
From that stage we became separated,we went to two different colleges at different cities for 10+2 standard, he did not complete this level, better he decided to become the Farm Manager of a few piece of his ancestral land,we used to meet now and then and this also became scarce gradually.
By chance after a gap of fifteen years, one day we met in a bus,we ruminated a lot on our school days,my station was coming nearer,suddenly I asked him how he was feeling his life,he replied with his old copy of sweet smile and added "I am happy with my wife , two issues and my small farm, my elder son works with me,I did not send him to school after primary education,we work in the field,we feel hungry and enjoy our meals ,sleep soundly,I dont pay much to doctors",also added "had I shortened my schooling years,it would have been added a few more acres to my small farm".A long breathe came out of my chest and realised that my living in a meto town with all its amenities has no real value.He is living a peerless life. It baffled me more because I was unable to go back to my farming life.
