When I was a young boy …..

It is difficult for me (also) to imagine myself as a young boy! In spite of my present day looks, I vividly remember those days when I was a youngster with unimaginable energy levels and mischievous ideas.

We were living almost near the school I studied in and it would take about five minutes to reach the school. There were days when I would leave the house when the school bell started ringing, run up the distance and still be in time!

We were required to fill up the slate with stuff from our text books – sometimes both sides of the slate as homework. It was no problem as I used to remember my lessons by heart! I used to do my homework while walking to school. Playing all the time that I was awake, left no time slot for homework! It was completed only while going to school and that too, to avoid punishment.

But there were days when I used to run to school and writing while running posed problems. Those were the days the school bell would have started ringing when I was not yet ready to go and thus necessitated running.

But here again, my resourceful brain had somehow anticipated the eventuality and I had chosen my seat in my class where usually the teacher reaches to check, after checking about 25 to 30 students.

That was enough time for me to fill up my slate – either one side or both sides, depending upon what the class teacher was checking with the other boys!

Now, to recall an incident, amply illustrating the capability of my resourceful khopdi (brain) as an elementary school boy ……..

Those days, the slate used to crack into several pieces if it was dropped, mostly by carelessness. My parents thought that they have solved the problem of purchasing new slates for me frequently. They got me a ‘thagara’ slate i.e. a tin slate, a tin sheet coated black on both sides and put in a wooden frame. Though initially it was okay, with passage of time, it used to behave as though it is coated with paraffin wax – you can’t read what is written on it.

I demanded a new slate, but the demand was struck down peremptorily since the slate appeared to be in good condition. I was not successful in convincing my parents.

Then a bright idea flashed in my head and I did get a new one. But how …..?

Wait for the story of how I managed to get a new slate in place of my ‘Thagara slate’ to unfold!

Picture courtesy: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/256283035020123877/

Picture courtesy: https://www.pinterest.it/pin/417568196671211023/