19. Science Exhibition

In Search of Swami series. Semi-autobiographical work about my school days. Sri Vidya Mandir, Salem.

As of now ‘legally’ bunking classes had become a routine for me. I was in school scoot team, Yogasana team, doing stage shows etc. All these activities helped me to skip classes; it was not that I didn’t like to be in the class, it was like exploring different facets of the schooling.

Being a hosteller, it gave me freedom, since I don’t have to ask permission from my parents before participating in an activity. So in the same like of legal bunking the class, what will you do if you get a chance to be out of the class for three days? You’ll grab it right away, yes, I double grabbed it.

This time the call was to participate in a science exhibition. The event was organized by the hostel management and only hostellers can participate. Anyone who can show a simple science experiment can participate. I and Vino were made as a pair. We digged-out our science book for an experiment and zeroed in on to a simple one. All it took was a Horlicks bottle, 2 candles and 4 match boxes.

We explained on how and why the burning candle drops dead, when the bottle is closed on it. We had to perform it whenever people visited our stall. The experiment was simple, but not many gave the exact answer. I must have explained it for over hundred times and so I started to blabber it in my sleep. Senior boys built big models like dam, lakes, irrigation projects, wind mill, rail roads. The three days was fun, the only catch was to keep standing and explaining to the visitors the same thing again and again.

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Epilogue

After leaving the school\hostel, I haven’t met any of my friends. My mom expected that I will get more marks, but I was still an average kid according to the marks. So she thought of cost-cutting and put me back to a school in my hometown. Since, she took this decision in the summer holidays, I couldn’t bid adieu to the people and the place.

At the era when having a telephone was super luxury, I didn’t even have my friends postal address, mobiles were yet to come to India, internet was still in BASIC, COBAL and FORTRAN level- So I didn’t had a chance to establish contact with my pals. All exists in my memories.

It looks like every year; the first Sunday of May is the reunion day at the school, which I knew just a month before. Hopefully, I can make it next year.

THE END

Previous Chapter- 18. The Grinder

Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

**Above image from the school website