The Ride

The Ride

There was a little girl who loved going to school. And yes, this was true. All of six, she was immensely popular among her peers and teachers alike. Then all of a sudden, her mother decided to enroll her into a new school, The Alexandra Girls’ English Institution. It meant saying goodbye to all her dear friends and teachers. She was distraught and protested the decision but to no avail. Well, she obviously had no idea that she had just hopped on to the most magical ride in the journey of her life…

    Her new class teacher was patient and gentle. She assured her parents that their daughter would soon feel at home. But she never did…Instead during the lunch breaks; she sat forlornly staring at the huge iron gates, waiting for her parents to come and fetch her. Sensing her loneliness, they requested the teacher to help her. The teacher intervened and gradually all her classmates befriended her. She forgot that this was once the place she wanted to run away from.

    Her friends were inevitably part of making the ride such a magical one. There was this one girl who seemed to be the uncrowned leader of the second grade. She took our girl under her wings. There were times when they fought bitterly and times when they laughed uncontrollably. Sharing lunch-boxes and notes gave way to sharing their best-kept secrets and most ridiculous apprehensions. She was lucky enough to be blessed with the gift of friendship, really, for in the years to come she made other close pals too, each as precious and unique as the other.

    The routine of school life was as consistent as day and night. Wake up at seven, get ready by eight and there you are at school by nine. And then, my dear friends, you’d spend the next six hours studying a variety of subjects that tease and trick the brain until it finally switches off. But thank God for Physical Education, Music and Drama. It was remarkable how euphoria and misery were components of such a simple equation. A single good remark from the teacher was all it took to brighten up the day, while a scolding had you crying all the way home. The world became an unfair place! Her first year rolled into the next and so on it went. Before she knew it, she’d reached secondary school. Half the ride was over!

    Over the years the little girl had developed an inexplicable bond with her co-passengers, which was warm and comforting. It emboldened her to take on any stage or contest fearlessly. Her school had a volley of activities, singing, dancing, drama, athletics, painting, you name it! And although she seldom won in competitions, they did wonders to her self-confidence. How else would you explain, someone who can’t sing for nuts, going up on stage and doing just that? It was an unforgettable experience.

  She had to, of course, face flat tires and breakdowns and this one takes the cake. In the eighth grade, during the exams she got caught while helping a friend. She was summoned to the Principal’s office and heavily reprimanded. Her world came crashing down-- how big is your world at that age? She had disappointed her teachers and failed her parents, and all she wanted was to disappear from the earth. Alas, she didn’t! But yes, learn, she did… She learnt that mistakes make us human and we shouldn’t let them break us.  Her teachers were gracious enough to forgive her and a couple of weeks later; with their support she regained faith in herself.

  In the last three years of her ride, the terrain became particularly rugged. It was now her turn to be the senior .The pressure was mounting - studies, events, competitions, added responsibilities and of course, the ever-intruding exams. It was really part of the ride’s magic, how in spite of seeming insurmountable, these very challenges brought out the best in the students.

  It was finally time to bid farewell….to her seniors. A team of four students, including her, were in charge of the games department. They sat for hours along with the teachers, thinking and planning, and planning and planning. Those were some of the most exciting and fulfilling days of her ride. They thought they had planned everything to the finest detail and nothing would go wrong. Well, it so happened that everything that could conceivably go wrong did! The dust bins to be used for a game all broke, the cards for another were forgotten at home and finally, when the Treasure Hunt was going smoothly, a group of students ended up smashing a class door! The memory of that day and its comical errors only evoked peals of laughter and was forever, inscribed in her mind as the best one ever. It taught her that whether or not the show is successful, what matters is you enjoy putting it up…

    As they neared the end of school, the students brought their year books for friends and teachers to fill. When she read her teachers’ wishes and kind words of praise, she felt a unique sense of elation. To be encouraged and loved by someone whom you have regarded with a sense of awe and admiration truly surpasses every other achievement in life!

  As improbable as it sounds, towards the end of her ride she felt she’d had enough of rules and regulations, of living from one exam to another. The prospect of having none of these lured her and she decided she’d never miss this place. Her farewell would be the best day, and she would obviously not cry….And finally on that day, against all her expectations, she did not cry, she wept…

She wept for all those little joys that had made her smile and all the silly reasons that had made her cry, she wept for all those wonderful years gone by, and finally when it ended, she wept to relive the magical ride!

                   

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The little girl was me and this is my story. But with a few alterations it could very well be yours, couldn’t it?





PS: I've read this piece many times and feel there's something missing but I can't really point it out..It seems I've lost all sense of objectivity. I hope you, as the reader, can help:)