Once in a while

A trip down Memory Lane

As life goes on in its usual rote, it is not often that you stroll down the memory lanes and re-live what you had once experienced. Somehow, all that remains is the good memories. I guess thats why people say that "Time is the best healer of all". As I try to remember things that happened at school, somehow even events that at that time made you feel anxious and scared, appear as light-hearted moments. It is these moments that I strive to recreate here.

The most telling memory of school is what I shall label, "The Big-Acid Incident". Thats what it exactly was. During a science fair in school five people from my class decided that they should have some fun. One of them had made a Voltaic Cell, by the virtue of which he had access to unlimited amount of dilute Sulphuric Acid. The school television, a very old one, was kept in the Lab during the scince fair. I dont know what went into them, they suddenly decided it would be fun to see what would happen if they poured acid inside it. Much to their dismay, the acid was very weak and didnt have any telling effects immediately. But the next day when the lab assistant, whom we all hated, switched it on it blew up. It was generally accepted that it was the acid which did it. We had our doubts though. We thought that the TV just blew because it was destined to blow that day. The acid was so weak, that it didnt even affect the plastic covering of the TV. Obviously strict action was taken against those responsible for it. They were suspended for two months. Dont think it affected them too much anyway. The next year, on a school trip these were dancing around the campfire calling themselves "Acid heroes".

That year school trip also saw the emergence of one another type of hero. We were on an over-night trek and the boys and girls had seperate tents (obviously). But there was this one guy who challenged that he would sleep in the girls tents that night. He pulled along two other guys and went into the girls tents to generally chat with them. Suddenly he fell sick in there and started saying that he was feeling terrible , and didnt want to go out of the tent. The girls of our class must have been very naive not to see that. They pitied him and let him sleep in their tent for the night. Obviously nothing happened, after all the girls werent that naive. It was nice fun to see the reaction of those girls when we told them about the bet.

The school trip the following year is what made our reputation. Our legacy was such that from the following year, school trips were cancelled. People went beserk. We had gone to a place called Kemmangundi. Very scenic and very beautiful. There werent any major events as such, but an innumerable number of small events. I remember the first line of the first Archie comics I read. It said, " Have you ever wondered how it is the little things in life that annoy you the most". Here are few:-
For starters, all boys of the class had to live in one hut, (we had to live in huts, it was some theme lodging). One guys Odomos cream and toothpaste were interchanged. He brushed his teeth the following morning without even realizing it. When we told him he said, "Thats why there was no froth when i was brushing my teeth."
One guy, pulled of the monkey cap of a really strict teacher while playing truth or dare. He didnt hear the last of it till he finished school.
The biggest thing was during campfire. We werent able to collect enuough wood for the fire. So as we ran out of wood , we started pouring perfume and other stuff into it. It started to burn wildly. The locals got very angry. We didnt care much for it, but our teachers had to bear the brunt.
This was also the time that boys tried to get "closer" to girls. I remeber that during the campfire there was one guy, not our class but from one of the other streams, who came to us very excited and told has how many boobs he had touched that day. We didnt believe him, but he was sure excited.
It troubles me that I am not able to recollect all of it. If only I had written them down as an when they had happened....

As is apparent, i stayed out of trouble for most of it. There was only one incident where I was involved. We were playing badminton near the head masters office and without realizing that we were hurling insults at each other. Not the usual insults that you hear but very creative and now when I look back at it, very despicable ones. I am mot sure we really understood what we were saying. But anyway, the head master was stunned to hear such language, called us into his office and slapped each one fo us four-five times and threatened that he would have us expelled if he heard us talk like that again. Needless to say that I was hell scared and pretty much stopped insulting people, at school at least.

All these insignificant incidents are what I cherish most out of school. I remember the amount of fight we used to put for marks and other stuff. I dont know if it was important or not. But for me school will be all about these and numerous more incidents which will stick with you for the rest of your life. Your parents keep saying, study, studies are the most important, etc. That may be true , but these moments of life are for me more important.

posted by Mahesh.R @ 7:44 AM