The Day
It was a fine summer day. The new sponge ball we had bought had created some excitement in us. With the dawn of the day we had had reached the fields, just as usual. The ground before our school was empty. After finishing with our daily routine, a few of us gathered to play with the ball. It was a fine summer day.
As it was the summer season our schools used to open in the morning those days. So by the time we finished with our excitement with the ball it was already time for the schools to open. Teachers had already got into the class. I knew I had to be in the class. So, for the last game, I threw the ball high up in the sky with as much strength as I had. The ball was up for about 15 seconds. It was very sunny that morning. I had kept looking straight upwards, eyes fixed at the ball. The ball was now coming downwards. It was good to see how high the ball had reached in the sky. I was determined to catch ball in my hands. As the ball came down something happened. It seems that I was enamoured by the height the ball had reached that day. Perhaps that was highest any ball thrown up by me had achieved so far till then in my life. Perhaps I was still measuring the height the ball had reached. Instead of coming into my hands it came down on my right eye. I had missed the catch! That was a real miss for sure.
The ball must have weighed more than 100 grams. The blow on my eye was real hard. When the ball reached my eye it was still wide open. So the blow was painful as it had touched the eyeballs as well. Both my hands went abruptly on my right eye. I fell down. Hands on eyes. Was thinking it was just a normal blow that should be over in a few minutes. Kept my eyes closed with hands on it. If I tried to open it up, I had to face the sunny morning which increased the pain that was unbearable to the bruised eye. So I kept it closed.
It must have been more than ten minutes before I thought of doing something else. I got up. With the other eye, I saw that the school was open and no one was moving on the verandah. This meant that the classes had started. I was one of students who would seldom miss a class in the school. I had not been home since I left early morning after I woke up the day. I was in knickers and sleeveless undershirts. This was not a proper dress for entering into school premises, entering a class was out of the mark. I could not go to home as I thought it would be too late. Besides, the first thing that I wanted was a place where the sunrays would be the least. The vast ground very sunny and it was giving me the pain in the eyes. Except for the school building on one side of the ground, there was no other building or place where I could get away from the sunrays. It was plain farms all around or mango orchids.
I was known as a good student. In fact I was the topper of the class and was also made monitor of the students. I thought of using this position of mine this time, and for the first time. I decided to enter my ninth grade class in the school.
I reached the class and asked for permission to enter the class. I was late almost half an hour to enter the class. The class teacher, one of my favourite teachers and the one who also liked me, greeted me. He was surprised to see me in knickers and sleeveless undershirts. As the class was in progress and he was talking about something, he did not remark on this just yet. But he gave me the permission to enter the class. As the monitor of the class, I always used to sit on the first bench in the class. Just in front of the teacher’s chair. But I thought otherwise today and took the third bench. I was trying to avoid any eye contact with the teacher. As my hands were still continuously rubbing my eyes, thinking that this will loosen the pain and bring it back to normalcy.
The teacher had noticed that I was trying to avoid him today. So breaking in between, he paused for a while to interrogate me. He asked me why I was in class in such a weird dress today, whether I lost all my clothes or I had no clothes to wear at all. As this was a government school in a village, there was no dress code or uniforms for students here. One just had to wear any proper clothes. But today I had almost nothing above my waist, being in a sleeveless undershirt!
So the teacher asked me why I came to school in such a way. I gave him the explanation that was a good example of being a good student. I told him that I woke up late today. And for relieving myself with the daily chores, I came to this side today as I was told by my grandpa to look for some farms in that area. I told him that as it took me sometime and I got late, I thought better to attend his class and then make a move for home. This was no short of buttering! He was pleased with this answer and told the class that this was an example to be followed by other students as well! I was happy that even though I lied to him, I was praised.
The sun outside the class was still piercing to my right eye. I had kept it closed most of the time since then. But as now I was in the class, away from the sun, I was recovering. By the time the class ended, it was coming to normal and I could open my right eye now. The class was over. The teacher left and asked me not come to the school ever again wearing this type of clothes. I promised him not to and told him this was only an exceptional situation and I will never repeat it again.
As he left, I also made for my home. My classmates were all asking me what happened. But I did not answer any of them. I just left the school and went back to home. The pain has softened now and I could open my right eye to face the sunlight. Although I could not keep it open for long initially, but gradually the period went up and it was coming to normalcy. After about 3 hours or so, I had achieved near normalcy in my right eye.
I reached home. I was too late for today. My mother was just wondering what happened to me. She did not know that I have already been to school. So I told him the same story as I told to my class teacher. I think she had guessed something fishy in it. But she could not find out what. I was acting very normal. She only scolded me for not coming for breakfast in time and going to school without books and proper clothes. I listened to her and agreed with whatever she said. After having my breakfast, I left home which was more like a harem, the place for the women in the family. I went to the dalan, where the men used to stay. Not many people were there yet as most of them were out for the job of the day. I slept to ease my eyes.
