The School by the Pond

Unlike the primary school where I started formal schooling, the school near my ancestral home had friendlier people. I was shifted here for the second year of schooling. Teachers were kinder and the kids were more friendly. There were vast stretches of sand between the makeshift classroom structures. Some class or the other were out playing, running about in the sand all the time. On the southern side the vast temple tank bordered the school. Vines carrying faintly fragrant pink and white flowers hung on the eastern wall. The gate was on the western side of the school and it opened to the street that went to the mainroad. School children went home in throngs happily chatting during afternoon breaks and school closings in the evening. Unlike the high school that was two kilometers away, this school never had much of a reputation for academics. Nevertheless the teachers somehow commanded a sense of awe. Children ran about freely; sun or rain, the school shed a gentle, autumnlike golden glow that held me safe. In summer the school held an annual fest after so many years. I participated in many contests and won some prizes too. Sweetest of all memories was the practice for the action song-the pink satin dress and the makeup smelling of candy. The performances lasted late into night. After my performance and collection of all the prizes I walked home with mother, aunt and uncle under the moonlit skies.