UNFORGETTABLE DAYS

 OF A BYGONE ERA

by Tony Felicio Fernandes

Those were the days when this famous educational institution was a boys’ school only. Co-education was introduced much later. As I recall my days as a student there from the mid-fifties to the mid-sixties, this school had classes beginning from Preparatory Junior, Prep.Senior, followed by Standard I to XVIII. The Higher Secondary School Certificate Examination Passing Class was then known as Matric.

As I admire and reminisce its glory today far away from home, it seems as though it was just yesterday and memories still remain undiminished. In retrospect, schooling seemed to have been fun and hard work too at the same time. The school year began on the 6th of June, the last term ending in early April with Michaelmas and Christmas holidays in between. A typical school day began with an early dawn Angelus prayers followed by Holy Mass at the Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi at the apex of the peaceful and sylvan surroundings at the hillock. After breakfast the classes began with the students assembly in the corridor of the main building. One of the students would lead in singing of the school hymn “Come Holy Ghost” with all the boys joining in. The boys then quickly proceeded to the respective classes, the first subject period invariably being English. Mild amusement and distraction was provided by the rare and unusual late appearance of day-scholar Felicio who arrived panting for breath, with a school bag slung over his shoulder and a valid excuse if required.

With the usual subject periods of English, History, Geography, Physics, Chemistry, General Science and Religion, it was soon time for the midday recess with lunch in the refectory, followed by recreation time. I recall the clatter of cutlery created during the lunch-hour by over 500 boarders all dining at one time! The din produced by this clash of utensils could be heard as far away as the classrooms on the eastern side of the temporary classrooms. The day-scholars who brought lunch in tiffin boxes (or 'buthi' as the boxes were fondly called) went to the "Buthi Room" to retrieve their stored lunch boxes from there and then proceeded to have their meas under the shade of cashew trees. During this time, the boys carried on with various extra-curricular activities some of which included playing table-tennis and carom. One of the fine moments that I still remember is the stackable six 12-inch LP record-changer, that was connected to the public address system and classical music was played at this time. Familiar tunes heard at this hour were 'The Blue Danube', 'Tiritomba' and 'Funiculi Funicula'. This system was also used for reciting the Holy Rosary in Konkani at eight o’clock in the night over the loudspeakers. This could be clearly heard in the stillness of the night for over a distance more than two kilometers.

Recess time was also the time for music and other activities like quick sketching drawing and painting still life for the art students under the guidance of the amazingly brilliant artist Brother Vitalis known for his phenomenal masterpieces adorning the walls of the chapel and the sacristy. At this time of the afternoon break some boys gathered and sang songs, playing the guitar on the benches under the famous and gigantic nunerca tree in front of the chapel overlooking the huge expanse of fields extending to the borders of the villages of Calangute, Arpora and Parra, with a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea, the hills of Arpora, Parra and in the distance northwest the hills of Anjuna, while the music students would be practicing on the piano and violin in the music parlour. Incidentally, this room also served as a waiting room for the parents of students who visited the boarders. The Friars saw that they would always be offered a lunch. Prior to the after-noon session there was study time. Total silence reigned during this time as the “Boarding Father” constantly patrolled the corridor with his downcast gaze probably reading and concentrating on the Holy Book, but at the same time not losing any track of the odd erring student either! At this time of the after-noon we would on some days be interestingly distracted with the trucks supplying firewood as their engines whined climbing up the steep hill. Also the occasional BSA or Floret motor-cycle that revved up the hill was a novelty. I still treasure the moment when the Volkswagen Beetle first made its debut appearance at Monte in the late fifties. On the spur of the moment and in a sudden show of energy, a bunch of robust boys lifted the front end of this car about a foot of the ground! (I believe those boys were later reprimanded for their behaviour!) This car drew great admiration for its novel engine placement at the rear and its aerodynamic and compact design that was considered as a great German achievement and innovation of its time. It was my first fascinating look at the VW Beetle up close, inside and outside. Unforgettable indeed.

Tony Felicio Fernandes, Ex-student.