Marks and more.(17)

    

              I did decide not to pester you with my story on a Sunday morning , but convince my self that you would be magnanimous enough to tolerate me.

              Marks are out . Not that bad. Top in some ,average in some ,still lagging in Hindi. Here I would like to share an experience. First time I had submitted a class work in Hindi . Next day my note was not there with the corrected ones. Do you know where I found it. On the notice board . Each and every line underlined in red. Humiliated and with angry tears I decided  "I'll show her." I did by the year end. Probably this was the reaction she expected. Anyway at that time I could not forgive her.

           The others too do okay. My younger brother  Babbu gets noticed at school and is to go to Jaipur/New  Delhi as a representative in January. We are all pleased and happy for him. Now I start noticing him as a person and not just a younger sibling. 

              I am invited by a classmate for a birthday party at her house. I get to see first hand how she lives. We go to the terrace and I find  that she lives in a palace  ,interconnected  with other palaces all large and roomy.Here I had been thinking our house was huge.. Some anthakshari songs and then it is mehendi session. First time I had intricate designs . Not our rounds and dots for them. All sorts of goodies are served . Naturally as Bikaner is the birth place of Haldirams.  We do justice to all. 

                 Mehendi is a constant feature there. Even our drive at home has henna hedges. The other constant is ber or elandampalam . These thorny bushes are every where. Only used as cattle feed.

              Appa goes often on 100 km walks. Jaisalmer or somewhere near the Indo- Pak  border. Sometimes he goes for parades in regimental regalia , wearing a pagadi . We can't help laughing. When the pagadi is washed and hung I find it is the same length as a saree. Now why do I notice such things.

              The boys specially Babbu who always likes to be well dressed  has  noticed something else. The commandant, a Bengali colonel has a young son. He wears very trendy shorts.The boys have the usual Madras policeman half pants that can accommodate one more person. No they are not indulged. Why wear tights when you can be air conditioned they are advised.

               The army sports and games events are in full swing . Half yearlies are over. We are regulars as spectators. We are bitten by the sports bug. Already we have the usual badminton court, but now we go the whole way. We borrow, shotputs, discus, javelin, boxing gloves from the army sports department. A full scale tournament is on with just 4 participants and one spectator ,the orderly 's 5 year old son. Chalk powder lines for track events.  Boundaries marked for field events. Court for games. Then a only boys,  boxing event on a sand pit. Amma strictly says a no no to my boxing plans. There you lost a budding Mary Kom. 

We come first or second only as per our seniority. The younger two get tied .

Last day of the games and Amma as the chief and only guest gives away our cups and shields. We then have a Bara Khana in the true army style. 

             New year is approaching , what does it hold for us.

Appa 4th from left in picture.