A teacher retires - primary school days

 A teacher retires - primary school days

First image of teacher I have is of Achatu Janaki teacher and thinking of her makes me smile.Our primary school was at farthest point of our village. She called on my grandparents and got me enrolled in her school. She used to fetch some of us on her way to school. We were a flock of fifteen by the time we reached the school.

She retired when we moved from II to III standard. A farewell  function was organised. We were told to bring gifts for her.

The farewell function was in the open and we were all seated on the ground. Couple of tables were laid out and Janaki teacher was seated with headmaster Anthony master beside the tables.

One by one,  we got up, said namasthe to Janaki teacher and handed over our gifts which other teachers piled up neatly on the tables.

Nothing can be carried to the nether world. If such a possibility exists, Janaki teacher would still be using the bathing soap cakes we gifted ! She would have run out of talcum powder packs.

I always wondered how she took the pile of soap cakes home. Nobody had a bicycle.  May be other teachers carried her gifts and deposited them in her home over a period of time. 

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