My schooling began at a small lower primary school close to home in Jawahar Nagar, a colony in Kowdiar, Trivandrum. Those were halcyon days indeed! Being the youngest of three daughters, my parents decided not to send me to the convent that my sisters attended, which was fine by me. Mine was just the second batch in that school and my nursery days were spent playing in sand, running around a big classroom, having lunch sitting on mats from tiffin carriers that maids used to bring (my mouth waters even now at the thought of the salted mango pickles), and the mandatory afternoon siesta time. There were just 10-15 students in each class at that time – the school grew in strength later. The staff consisted of my nursery teacher Mrs. Mariamma, the headmistress Mrs. Isaac, Mrs. Bharathi Kunjamma, Mrs. Leelamma Kurien, the only one Ayah (I can’t remember her name) and one peon. Later we had another headmistress who was also my fourth grade class teacher. The incident of the School Inspector’s visit and I being punished for singing a rude song to him is something that I can never live down in my family. I used to keep a watch out for visits from my favourite aunt and when her black Ambassador car used to pass by, I would immediately feign some ache and be taken back home by the Ayah. Needless to say, all signs of any discomfort would vanish on the way home, but the good soul that she was, the Ayah never breathed a word to the teachers. Being a primary school, we had to change schools after class 4 and I remember we had a farewell party, a very solemn affair indeed. We were very important, the senior-most students ! Oh, how we looked down upon and bossed over the junior kids!
And from there to Holy Angels’ Convent, where I was totally lost among a sea of babbling, giggling, rushing schoolgirls ! Class 5B Sr. Raphael who collected stamps, who flew into a rage at the slightest provocation, who pulled the long plaits of girls, who could be placated only with offer of foreign stamps – indeed, there were many girls whose fathers were abroad and who regularly kept stamps with them just for calming Sr. Raphael. But her music was just divine. Many a time, I have sat on the steps of the Singing Hall and listened to her play the piano. Sublime!! Class 6B Sr. Verna, so soft-spoken one could hardly hear her over the cacophony. Class 7B Sr. Theodora where we were made to learn cursive writing again in four-lined books, where the lyrics of the prayer hymns were written in beautiful calligraphy and hung in frames. Class 8B (can’t remember the name of the class sister) by which time we had become so boisterous and uncontrollable that the dreaded ‘Public Punishment’ was meted out to us – having to stand before the entire school and be caned ! I think most of us were overcome more by laughter than grief or remorse. Class 9 when our division became 9A instead of 9B – under Sr Audrey who was considered the strictest teacher and the right person to bring us back to heel. She turned out to be a lamb in wolf’s clothing – how nervous she was when the School Inspector visited !! The lesson for the day had been drilled into us earlier so that everyone spouted the right answers ! The Inspector must have thought us really Angels !!! Little did he know! Then Class 10B Sr. Violet, that most remarkable lady who brought history to life, whose English classes had the students hanging onto her every word ! Her one look could quell the most adventurous during class, but at other times, one could talk to her about almost anything in the world. And Sr. Rosemary, our amazing Science teacher who passed away suddenly that year! We were all quite shattered…
Sr Raphael, Sr. Theodora and Sr Violet had taught both my sisters and so I knew of them. I dreaded the times when one of my sisters used to drop in to meet them – so mysterious about what they would report about me back home!
I met Angel, Ambika and Shanthi in Class 5. Angel was in a different section but we took part in a dance during School Day- where we had to bounce tennis balls while dancing. The Sisters certainly came up with unique ideas! I think Ambika left for Ernakulam after that and joined back in Class 9 maybe. She topped our school in Class 10. Shanthi and I shared a bench in Class 9 and have been friends since. I remember learning logarithms and not understanding head or tail – she was the one who managed to make any sense of antilog and log and mantissa and characteristic and whatnot !
Though I had a very enjoyable time at the convent, today I would recommend coeducational environments for children to help them establish and build strong and healthy social relationships. The kind of safe cocoon I had built around me could have been the reason for selective friendships during later years. The loss was mine !!
Nostalgia EE 84 