The two letters.(15)

             The first interesting letter is actually a bombshell.  Finding their hands forced the Santhome school retaliates in a way it knows will hurt most.  All three children are to seek admission elsewhere in the next academic year. 

             

              Even before we can gather our wits about us we get another letter. This time from Appa.  He is to get his peace posting.  Bikaner in Rajasthan. Saved by the skin of our teeth. 

                

                   Now we have to relearn Hindi , a language we were speaking in our infancy. We three elder children were born in Meerut and Mathura . All that we now remember is probably ek, do , theen , char man Patole our famous family song.

                     My elder brother and I are to go for tuitions at Moosa Sait street . From school we reach T nagar bus stand , nearby which the lady teacher's house is.  Though the main anti Hindi agitations are over ,there are still some small tremors. We have been going to this class for a month or so when a crowd gathers in front of the house demanding that tuitions be stopped. We are on the terrace of the house holding our heads down. The teacher has gone down to pacify the crowd leaving us with an assistant. To this day I remember her teaching. Write down she says , lal means red .The text clearly says "hey mere  lal". Classes are naturally stopped and with this high grade Hindi knowledge we are to face the world.

                      Not everything is about studies and jobs to be done. We are allowed some movie time too. Our favourite haunt is the Rajkumari at Pondy Bazaar and Elphinstone on Mount Road. The whole world is talking about Hatari. . One Sunday afternoon we are at the ticket counters , no luck. Do we passively go home. We wait for three hours and buy tickets for the next show. Grandly we take a taxi to return home . Time is 8 O clock.  Frantic Amma has been sending people right , left and all over.Luckily we meet one of them at the Doraisamy gate on his cycle. We are grounded. But worth it I think.

                   I have one most endearing memory from that period. I would always read my elder brother's school library books. Some times I would not have finished it by the due date. Since the boys have to go a long distance they have to start early. My elder brother would then  read out aloud the last few pages as I am eating or getting my hair plaited. As we grow older of course we lose all those endearing qualities.

                  TC time. As is usual in our family no adult accompanies us. We each have a letter from Appa to present at school. Only now the school office wants 10paise for the form . I go home get the 10 p. Fill the form go home again  ,get a parent's signature and again return to school to submit it. I feel ill used. Next day my friends cheer me up by getting me a parting gift . Contributions are short by ,yes again 10paise which I fortunately have and am the proud owner of a small white purse.

                  Now we are ready to take on any challenge the North throws at us.