The long trek to school

THE LONG TREK TO SCHOOL

During the late 1950's there were 12 students, from our small ward of Cumbiem Morod in Guirim, who were day-scholars. Early in the morning we met at the cross-paths in the centre of the village opposite the chapel. We then started our long walk, single-file, passing through other wards and fields all the way up the slope to St. Anthony’s at Monte de Guirim. The big boys led the way starting at 7.30 am sharp and I was the last one to trudge in that long line. We met other day-scholars along the way, and as we passed through other villages, we could hear the BBC News and music relayed by Radio Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. By the time we reached the hill-top we knew what was happening in the outside world - news conveyed by other students. There are a few instances of tragic news we heard during the 1960's on our way to school. One such moment was about the shocking assassination of President John F. Kennedy and exciting news about the Soviet Union's Sputnik satellite and Yuri Gagarin orbiting earth

Our village, though small, was a vibrant one. My best friends lived barely a wave, a gentle shout or a stone’s throw away, ever ready to help in any situation. Others friends were my classmates from surrounding villages. During the monsoon season the incessant rains flooded our usual winding paths through the fields. It was then sheer joy and fun to take the long way to school and back home.

We rushed home after school, had tea, expecting some sweet dish that grandma would make and then played football in the improvised grounds on the outskirts of our little village. These were actually rice fields cultivated by our neighbours. We waited patiently till the water and earth dried after the monsoon harvest and temporarily turned the fields into play grounds. We played till the village chapel bell rang for Angelus at dusk when everybody was expected to return home for prayers.

Time passed on and soon the older boys passed their Matric exams. The younger boys took their place to become into senior boys in turn. Some ex-students boys found jobs as teachers in the School at Monte, some worked in nearby towns, while others went to Bombay and elsewhere to pursue further education, and a few went abroad for employment. Then finally it was my turn to be a big boy. I was soon to lead the rest of the younger boys in the village. I missed the big boys especially Miki, my brother Jack, Cosme, Johnny - the stalwarts of the fifties that led the way through the monsoon season, carrying the youngest ones over their shoulders while crossing the flooded streams, keeping us close to them when strong gusts of wind threatened to take away our umbrellas, and lending us a helping hand to climb up the steep slopes of Monte. I tried to help and impart the same leadership of my predecessors through the years up to my SSCE. Oh, how I miss those days! Until the next time!