Never a dull moment

 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 t...

  Subramanian Subramanian   < subbu1906@gmail.com > Sat, Jan 16, 12:21 PM to  Sarojini I was a reluctant school goer in primary school. Reluctance largely due to my close friends in neighbourhood were at Rama Menon primary school with holidays on Saturdays and Sundays while I was in Govt  Primary school with weekly holidays on Fridays and Sundays.  I used to accompany Janaki teacher to school in the first couple of years and we were around eight students by the time we reached school. When in third standard, Janaki teacher retired. How to send away a beloved teacher empty handed ? We all carried "gifts". After all ceremonial gestures of retirement which we watched seated on the ground, we made a bee line to pile up the "gifts" on a couple of tables arranged for this purpose. Pray, what were these "gifts" ? Mostly bathing soap ! I carried four cakes of Rexona, Some gifted "Lifebuoy" and "Chandrika". There were some tins of talcum p...