Grandfather studied first standard with Grandchild again…!

This story is about my childhood, which is very special in everyone’s life. And being a single child to my parents and one and only grand-child to grand- parents. If I say this much you would know how much they pampered me with love.

I was born in heaven. It was a small village in Karnataka. I don’t remember much of childhood days. But when I started going to school I remember some of the stories. That time I didn’t go to neither LKG nor UKG. Everything whatever they teach in LKG and UKG, mom had taught me in home itself. So there was no use of going to LKG and UKG.

It was time for me to start going to school. My home was in-between the heavy jungle. And there was nobody who can accompany me to school, it was so scary to go alone in those tightly covered dark jungle. Sometimes elephants and tigers use to roam around there. Even the transportation was not good as now. So my parents thought to leave me in grand-parent’s home for going school.

For my parents it was difficult to leave me. But I was going to stay at grandma’s home. Because of that they felt little relieved. For me also it was difficult to be away from my mom and dad. It makes a difference staying occasionally and year long. But there was no other option I have to go school anyways even though I was scared of school master.

Even my fear about school master has some reason behind it. Ours was joint family, containing around 11 members. My uncles used to scare me by taking school master name if I don’t listen to elders sometimes. It was affected me so badly that I won’t even come outside if any guest comes to our house. I use to hide myself behind the doors.

It was finalized that I will be staying at grandma’s home to attend the nearby school. And I had some people who were going to the same school who can accompany me.

I couldn’t take any opportunity to stay at home. Nobody listened to me and my drama’s. So my dad took me to Grandma’s house the day before school is going to start with all my luggage. Next day morning I got ready and my dad also accompanied me to school as admission needed to be done. Admission procedure over in no time. It was time for me to sit in school, dad was going home. And I started crying it was my first day at school, moreover I was scared of school master. Luckily school master told my dad to take me home. I was so happy, and after dropping to grandma’s house dad left to home.

Next day I had to go to school, I cried and took grandfather with me. It continued for almost three months. He had to sit with me in school. Everybody use to laugh at me that she is teaching ‘ABCD’ to her grandfather too. After so many days I got little familiar with school master and he was also very friendly, he used to teach us music. Then I started going with my friends instead of grandfather.

It was only half an hour walk from home to school. But we use to take almost an hour sitting in between, playing, searching for fruits (many types of fruits and gooseberry trees were there in our way to school). If it was rainy season, then playing in the rain water which comes in the road. Until we reach home dress would be wet. If it starts raining, then it won’t stop for two or three long hours. Not like modern rain…! 🙂 you know what I mean.

Till I reach home grandma use to keep some snacks ready for me. Either peanuts, dosa, or biscuits something would be there. After having snacks, I would finish my homework, then play or would be talking with my grandparents. Grandfather is very good in telling stories of ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’. After dinner every day was booked for stories till I get sleep. Life was so beautiful without any TV, mobile, internet. Only radio we had that time to listen to news and some good songs. Only the rich people had small colour TV in their house…!

Ohhh… I forgot to tell one more thing…! One cat was there in grandma’s house. Daily it would wait for me to return from school.

It will never allow me to eat alone, with the snacks I use to hide myself with the rug somewhere in the house. And it would find me, ‘meow’ sound near me would be enough proof that cat found me. I will put a little snack to cat, and again I sit in some other place. It would follow me till the snacks gets over.

However, many years passed now. But when I think about my childhood, my primary school, the first thing I remember is taking my grandfather with me to school… 🙂 Who will get the chance to learn when grandpa sitting beside in school..? 🙂