1. The Entrance Test (In Search of Swami)

I don’t know what made her to take this decision. She took me to this place (school) to write general knowledge test. Yes, that’s what my mother said when she took me to this school to write the entrance test.

We reached Salem after three hours’ drive in the bus. The city didn’t scare me. Still with my age and understanding, I was not in a position to know the difference between a city and small town. The test was easy, but the math part was little tough.

We came back in the evening. The rest of the summer, I was chasing the hoop made with the cycle tyre on the streets. So here I’m celebrating the holidays, eagerly waiting to go to 5th standard. But, all the enthusiasm was drowned with the letter (post) from Salem. It said I got selected!

As she read the letter, I asked her “Selected for what??”

“You are going to a new school”.

“Why.. What is wrong with the present school?”

“This is a better school”

“You’ll be coming with me.. ”

“Yes”

I never knew then I had been put into the hostel and I’ll be missing home for next few years.

After few weeks one Sunday morning, I and mother travelled to the same school, but this time with a trunk (big iron suitcase/box). The box was full with my clothes- shirts, thick half-pants or better called as knickers, t-shirt’s with funny cartoons, towels, face powder, hair oil, mirror, vibuthi, shoes, flip-flop (chapal), a pillow and bed sheet.

I never knew what was in the store. The next three years is going to shape my school life and for rest of my life time I’m going to carry the reminiscences of these years.

“In Search of Swami” is inspired by RK Narayan “Swami and friends”. I want to write about my school days, especially the hostel life and here I’m penning it after many years. 

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Next Chapter - Shutter Island

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

***Above image by the blogger