RAMYA’S NEW SCHOOL

Ramya was excited and at the same time, a wee bit apprehensive. She was facing her first day in her new school. Smartly dressed in a new uniform and new shoes, she thought, looking around the premises in awe, ‘This is so much better than the school in Hagari’.

Ramya had stayed with her grandparents who lived in Hagari. She had attended school in that very rather rural place all these years. Her parents had left her there as they had to work hard, day and night, running a tea shop in the city of Dhrawad. Now they had earned enough capital to take on the running of the canteen of a nearby school. The school had allowed them to admit Ramya after conducting an aptitude test for her. The principal was very pleased with her performance and had not only given her a seat but had done so with a subsidized fee structure for her.

Ramya’s only drawback was her command of the English language. She was not used to speaking in English in her previous school which had the medium of the state language, Kannada. Ramya could read and write English, but when it came to talking she had to grope for words and so switched over to Kannada. Now her present school, being an English medium one, made English speaking a rule and so all the children were adept at it. Moreover, most of the teachers were Anglo- Indians, so they did not even know Kannada.

The first day went smoothly for Ramya. She was awed by the whole experience which she related to her mother when she was eating her dinner of jowar rotis and brinjal curry. ‘The class room is so big, there are two fans, the desks are so convenient and the way everyone speaks in English!’ her voice trailed on and on. Her mother smiled, happy for her daughter.  

The next day, some of her classmates discovered that the school canteen was run by Ramya’s father. Mohit, who was quite burly and tall for his age, asked her, ‘Is it true that your father runs the canteen?’ Ramya only nodded. The class was excited by this piece of information. ‘Wow!’ said Asha, who loved to eat, ‘Imagine owning the canteen! You are so lucky!’ Karan, the class leader laughed at Asha. ‘I’m sure you are wishing you had such luck, glutton’, he teased. Then turning to Ramya he asked, ‘Where did you study before? You stay in the school premises, don’t you? Did your father own any other canteen before?’ Ramya could only stare as she could not follow his rapid torrent of words.

Mohit, who resorted to some bullying whenever the opportunity arose, exclaimed, ‘Well, well, looks like madam does not know English!’ Now the entire class looked at her in astonishment and scorn. Before anyone could comment further, the teacher, Ms. Lucy came into the class room. She gave the class an assignment to work on and then told the class, ‘I have a meeting to go to. I want you all to maintain pin drop silence. Karan just note down the names of any trouble makers and I will deal with them when I get back. So class, don’t make noise and finish your work’, so saying she left.

For some time, the class worked in silence. But after a while they could not contain themselves and the murmur began. ‘How can anyone not know English?’ ‘Wonder how she was allowed to join our school!’ Ramya could understand snatches of the conversations and she could figure out what everyone was talking. She continued to do her work in silence.

Karan, who was an opportunist, saw how the situation could be turned to his advantage. He was a bit of a bully himself and the class was scared of him. So they did not complain to the teachers. He walked to Ramya and told her, ‘Look, I want a bar of chocolate from the canteen every day or I will complain to the teacher that you misbehaved in the class.’ Ramya was dumbstruck. She only stared at him. Assuming, she did not understand, he repeated the sentence in Kannada disdainfully.

Ramya told him in broken English that she could not do a thing like that. The class children who were looking at the whole incident as some form of entertainment burst out laughing at her English. ‘Hey, I want something too,’ said Mohit, ‘Get me some of those crispies. I love them so much.’  Ramya just said an emphatic ‘No’ and continued to do her work.

When the teacher came in, Karan told her without a qualm that Ramya caused trouble in the class. He said, ‘Mam, she kept asking everyone to explain the questions you have asked us to answer. Do you know she cannot speak English?’ he announced with much ado.

Ms. Lucy had no patience with students who did not know English. She told Ramya plainly, ‘Go out of the class and stay there till the period gets over.’ Ramya was so scared and indignant that she could only stutter more. Ms. Lucy just pointed her finger to the door in disgust and Ramya had no option but to leave.

No matter how much pressure the children put, Ramya did not heed their demands. She would not ask her father for the stuff her class mates wanted her to get for them. So the same attitude continued for another three days and punishment was meted out to her in the same fashion. Some of the boys and girls were feeling sorry for her, but they were too scared of Karan and Mohit to defend her.

One night her mother asked her, ‘Ramya is everything alright? You have been very quiet these three days and not your usual self. Are you having any problem?’ Hearing her mother’s concerned enquiry, Ramya burst into tears. She blurted out her miseries to her mother who was aghast at the behavior of Ramya’s classmates. She consoled her and said, ‘Don’t cry Ramya, I will speak to your teacher and if the need arises to your principal also.’ ‘No mother’, sobbed Ramya, ‘We cannot go to the principal. She is attending a conference abroad and then touring for some time. She will return only after October’. ‘It’s alright, I will talk to your teacher then, I’m sure she will understand,’ soothed her mother.

The next day, Ramya’s mother met Ms Lucy and tried to explain the problem. But Ms. Lucy did not understand and unfortunately was more annoyed with Ramya for having brought her mother to complain. She chose to completely ignore her, so neither did she punish Ramya nor did she help with her school work.

The boys continued to badger her to get them what they asked for. But Ramya was adamant. She was also scared that her father would be furious if he heard about such demands. In the first place he was not very keen on her schooling. He had subjected to his wife’s and mother’s pressure and reluctantly agreed to send Ramya to school. So Ramya and her mother were certain that he would use this as an excuse to stop her from going to school.

As a result of her denial to meet their demands, Karan, Mohit and some more children who had joined the bandwagon, harassed Ramya in more ways than one. They hid her Science class work book during the Science period. So Ramya had to copy the work done in that class in her rough note book and then again in the class work book which would mysteriously appear after the period was over. They would spill ink on her bag, push her during the P.T.  hour and do all the petty things bullies generally resort to, when they cannot have their way.

Poor Ramya was miserable. She had no choice but to put up with it, other than to try and improve her English. She did so in all sincerity, but the process was a slow one as she did not have anyone to help her.

The first term passed and ended with the term exams. Ramya was happy with her performance and especially pleased with her Mathematics paper. She was relieved when the holidays started and looked forward to spending a peaceful month without the daily dose of harassment from her peers.

To her surprise and delight Ramya’s aunty, Shanthi visited them and stayed for a fortnight. Shanthi was Ramya’s mother’s sister and a teacher by profession. Two days after her visit, Ramya’s mother told Shanthi all about the problems Ramya was facing in her new school. Shanthi was most indignant. ‘What bullies they all are!’ she raged. ‘They have to be taught a lesson. Ramya I will teach you English and make you so fluent in the language that your imbecile classmates will not even be able to match up to you’.

Thus, started Ramya’s coaching. Ramya learnt rapidly not only because she was a fast learner basically but also because she was driven by a cause. She desperately wanted to master the language and not let her bullying classmates get the better of her. When it was time for Shanthi to leave, Ramya hugged her and thanked her profusely for her help. ‘Now I will be able to stand up for myself and make Ms. Lucy learn the truth,’ she told her aunty. Shanthi hugged her back and said, ‘Go show them my girl. How I would have loved to see their faces when they hear you speak so well!’

The first day of the second term dawned. Ramya was full of excitement and rushed to school. She ran into the principal and Ms. Lucy on her way to the assembly. The principal, who was back from her tour, smiled at her and placing her hand on Ramya’s shoulder, said, ‘I am proud of you my girl. I knew I was doing the right thing when I admitted you into the school.’  Ms. Lucy also smiled at her although hesitantly. Puzzled at the principal’s words but impatient to try out her newly acquired knowledge, Ramya said to Ms. Lucy, ‘Good Morning, Mam. Hope you had a good vacation. I did.’

Leaving Ms. Lucy staring after her, Ramya went to stand in her class line. Then all her attention shifted to the prayers that had begun. After the prayers were over, the principal addressed the children. After the customary talk, she said, ‘As you all know, the first day of the term, the school awards certificates to children who have scored cent percent marks in any subject in their term exam. I am proud to announce the names. Please come on the dais to collect your certificates.’

When it was the turn of Ramya’s class, to the astonishment of all her classmates, Ramya was called out as she had scored cent percent marks in Mathematics. In fact, she was the only student in her class, to have scored cent percent marks in any subject. Now Ramya understood why the principal and Ms. Lucy had smiled at her. As Ramya stood stunned by the announcement, Karan, who quickly regained his composure, nudged her and sneering at her, told her in Kannada, ‘That means stupid, you have got 100 marks in Maths and you have to go to the stage’. Before he could complete his sentence, Ramya who was shaken out of her reverie said to him sweetly in impeccable English, ‘I heard the announcement too Karan. Thank you anyway for letting me know. Now if you will excuse me,’ so saying, she marched to the dais. Her class watched her go astonished beyond belief.

As Ramya took her certificate, the principal shook her hand warmly and told the school, ‘I am proud of Ramya. In spite of being a new comer, she has scored so well. I am sure she will go a long way’. Looking in the direction of her class and seeing the still shocked expressions on the faces of her classmates and the uncomfortable smile on Ms. Lucy’s face, Ramya knew that her school life would now be smooth and she would definitely go a long way. ‘Thank you Shanthi aunty. I have won the show,’ she thought happily and smiled.

-Kanchana Rao