Auld Lang Syne

yesterday night I found online one of my batch-mates from my old school. We have been keeping in touch through chat occasionally. Actually, I usually disappear for long durations and then when I resurface, we have a long conversation catching up with each others fast-paced lives. Yesterday we had a particularly interesting conversation recalling the good ole school times. And there was one particular incident that involved the two of us...

See, the story goes like this: We barely spoke to each other in class for the four-five years we studied together. At that time most boys and girls were still excessively shy around each other. So, while in school, I hardly knew this person. After loosing touch for 8 years, he initiated a chat with me some four years back. We had both joined a school batch mates group and came in contact again. Although I haven’t seen him in over 12 yrs, he is now a good friend.

While reminiscing about school days, I didn’t remember as many people and incidents as he did because I changed schools twice after class nine and I even moved to a new country for my A levels! He reminded me of this very embarrassing event in my school life - an event I shared with him: We both took a supplementary exam together.

These exams were held for those students who were either absent on the day of the exam or had not passed it the first time. Both of us were NOT in either of these categories. But by default everyone around would think that we failed the exam, and therefore, it was embarrassing! I, for one, was mortified. I was never the best student in class, but I was not one to fail exams either. I usually did moderately better than most. I wasn’t hardworking and diligent. I would spend all my time reading fiction, hardly bothering myself with homework! But I was not blasé enough to not care about failing or passing. It was a matter of big shame to get low marks! and failing was the pinnacle of humiliation.

Anyway, what really happened was that we both landed up at school to take the exam the day after it had already been held! I had forgotten about this episode until my friend reminded me of it yesterday! I spoke to my mom about it today and even she remembered it! And she told me that dad didn’t scold me the first time it happened (how could he? I came home red having cried my eyes out at a friends place coz I couldn’t go home directly!!). My dad chose to scold me after I came back from the supplementary. And I was mollified in retorting I wasn’t alone in this mistake! :)

It’s amazing what the mind wishes to keep stored up there. It’s been twelve years since it occurred, but I never thought I might forget this affair when it happened the first time round. It took my mother and a person whom I never thought that I’d be good friends with in future, to remind me of this small chapter in my life. It was funny remembering this stupid incident. And all this while I had not even realized it was this guy I was chatting with for 4 years who was the same guy I shared that mistake. And it’s probably the only interaction we had in school!

I was rolling on the floor laughing out loud yesterday chatting. It was nice. I haven’t laughed like this in a while. :)