CHAPTER TEN
School
Syamala and Trishul had not sent Bala to preschool or Kindergarten, because she had so many friends at the children’s home. Her social skills were a natural outgrowth of her love and caring for everyone and everything.
But now Bala had turned six and it was time to enroll her in school. She was exited and happy at the prospect, of course.
“What will it be like, Mummy?” she kept asking. “Like the orphanage? Will the children be nice?”
“We have chosen a private day school for you, dear, because it is within walking distance from here. It is secular; that is, not affiliated with any particular religion, and it has a good reputation. I know you’re going to love it very much and they’re going to love you too!”
“I prayed to my brother Ganesha this morning before starting school. He said that of course he will be with me every step of the way. Just to be sure though, I asked my divine Mother to hold my hand. I guess I’m a little nervous, maybe.”
The Sharma family were the members of the Arya Samaj. A Hindu religious organisation which concentrates on the Vedas, rather than the puranas that speaks of the various forms of Gods and Goddesses. As Bala grew older, however, she enriched the family with her natural love of all things divine: mantra, tantra, yantra and even the statues and pictures of all the forms of God. Naturally, she adored Devi.
“I can hardly wait,” Bala said with excitement. “Just think, I will make so many new friends!”
“I remember when I first joined school, Bala,” Syamala mused. “My mother told me three simple things to remember and, believe it or not, they come back to my mind whenever I needed a signpost.”
“What were they, Amma?”
“First, was, Never give up. Then, Never compromise on the important values; and then, Be positive and optimistic.”
“Pass the corn Flakes please, Papa,” requested Ajay. “She won’t have any trouble with any of those things,” he said, laughing. “She is the very embodiment of optimism. I thought you were going to give her practical advice like, ‘Always sit in front so you can hear the teacher’ and ‘concentrate and keep your pencils sharpened’.”
“Well, those things are also important,” Syamala laughed.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t so easy to be all those things. The school curriculum had problems and the students were suffering as a result.
On the very first day, Bala followed Ajay’s advice and took a front row seat.
“Oh, but I sit there,” said Ritu. “In KG, I always sat in front, didn’t I, Premala?”
“Yes, always!” agreed Premala. She advanced to Bala, “you’d better let my friend sit there, ‘Cause she becomes ver-ry cranky.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Bala said, as she got up and sat down in the second row.
“Ayo! That’s my seat!” said Premala. “You go to the back.”
“Never compromise,” thought Bala. “No, I’m staying here. You have a reservation?”
“Papam! She wants us to sign our names,” Laughed Ritu.
“Bala likes this desk,” said Bala, smiling. Again all the girls laughed at her.
“Who’s this Bala, anyway?” Premala asked.
“Bala, me, I; that’s who I am,” said Bala assertively. The girls giggled, but with less certainty, until the teacher came in.
