Childhood Memoirs - 3

This is not an adventure, but it definitely was the day that molded me into what I am today – whether its good or bad.

I have done my entire schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya or KV or Central School. Since my dad was working in a bank and he used to get transferred every 2-3 years, KV’s were the best option for me. In KV’s you have this weekly affair called CCA or Co-Curricular Activities. It used to last for 70 minutes and there were participants from various houses (the school would be divided into 4 groups or houses). Few of the events I can remember are Solo singing, Group singling, fancy dress, debate, quiz, etc, etc.

When I was in my first standard, I had eagerly participated in a lot of such programs and I still have the certificates with me. If I remember correctly I had won the first prize in 3 events, second in 2 events and the third in 1 event. I have a total of 6-8 certificates at home, for my participation in CCA.

After first standard, my dad was transferred, and we moved over to a new school in Kannur – another KV. Here also I continued to participate in a number of activities until that fateful event.

The event for CCA was Solo Fancy Dress, and I had decided to take part in it - dressed as a drunkard. The events are announced a week in advance and I had been practicing for the past few days. I would be wearing a vest and a lungi, with a towel (torthu in Malayalam) on my head. I would be carrying a bottle of whisky, bought and used by my dad, filled with karingaali vellam (water boiled with the bark of a special tree for medicinal value). I had practiced my walking style and the lines that I had to speak many times and I was quiet confident that I would be doing well.

The D-Day arrived and I was dressed up. Mom had come to the school to help me dress up and there was another neighbor of ours who had accompanied her. There were around 50 odd participants – all between class 1 and 5. Everyone were given participant numbers and once the number was called, you had to come up on the stage and perform. I do not remember my participant number, but I do remember that my number was towards the end. We were huddled to the left of the stage, where we were listening to performance by various students.

Some of the performances were so hilarious that I remember them even to this day – A boy dressed up as a policeman, going up the stage and singing “Aa Gayaa, Aa Gaya, Halwaawalaa Aa Gaya” (Song from a hit Mithun movie - Dance Dance). The entire crown was rolling with laughter. I was so busy talking to a friend, that I did not realize when my number was called. The announcer called my number for the second time and that’s when I realized that my name was called.

I panicked, and instead of swaying on to the stage, I marched like an army man to the center of the stage. I had not even bothered to open the bottle of Karingaali vellam, and drink it, just to show the audience that I was drinking. I walked straight to the mike placed on the center of the stage and shouted at the top of my voice, “TORAKKADI VAATHAL....... TORAKKAN!!!!!”

I shouted so loudly, that I could see a few amongst the audience, who were sitting near the speaker, covering their ears with their hands, to prevent their ear drums from splitting. I walked back, without doing anything more, forgetting the remaining of the lines and acting which I had to do. When I returned, the bottle of “whiskey” was still unopened.

After the event, all my classmates started making fun of me, for the “brilliant performance” I did. My mom scolded me for forgetting everything and asked me to prepare better the next time. The ridiculing by classmates for a few days and at the end of it, I was scared to walk on to the stage alone.

The next event in CCA was Group Fancy Dress, and my class teacher was asking me to participate, but I refused. I was scared to get back there and repeat my performance. I did not want to give my friends another chance to make fun of me, and I refused. The teacher called my dad to the school and asked him to convince me, but I did not budge. After that event, I have never participated in any solo event during my entire school life.

Sometimes when I go home and look into the record, which holds my certificates and progress report cards, I see the marked difference in the number of certificates after my first standard. I had 6-8 certificates in my first standard and in the remaining 11 years of schooling in KV’s I managed a paltry 5 certificates – 4 of them for quizzes and one for Ad-mad, all of them group events.

My next solo appearance on stage was in my engineering college, where there were sets of 5 events (2 individual and 3 group) conducted by a committee. I did well and won around 700/- as prizes, but again the prizes were for the group events, I did not win in the individual events.

TAPMI gave me a lot of chance wherein I had to go on stage an make presentations. The stage fear, which I had from 2nd standard till TAPMI is no more and I can very easily go on stage and speak with ease.

But, whenever I go on stage, my mind goes back to that day in 2nd standard........ just once...... and then it comes right back to the work in hand.