Partners in Prime!

This snapshot of my life flashes way back from the early 90s. I was in my 5th grade, and was at the peak of my performance, of all of my schooling years. My class teacher Mr. Ryan Gobbins had very few students in his good-books, and without any astonishment, I was one of them. As far as I remember, there was never a test in which I scored less than a 13 pointer out of 15. Enough of boasting, coming to the point, I was one of his favorite fella (even though I never made it in Sports for his team). The classroom was on the second level and was on the rightmost end of the Main school building. The good thing of the location: we could make as much noise in between lectures and still not get detained. Fact being, our class Prefect would keep a watch at the corridor and signal us if any professor walked towards our class.

This is the story of one fine afternoon, after the lunch break. It was Mr. Gobbins lecture. He entered the class; noticing blissful silence the class had crashingly fallen into from an awful decibel. He kind of saw her prompting us to keep shut, while he walked towards our class. When asked, she pointed to the names she had written on the board and the numerous strokes against each ones name. Each stroke signified how many times the culprit was warned to Shut-Up! Of course, with the quiet nature I possessed (back then too!), I had some 3 odd strokes against my name. I could see the disappointment on his face as he looked at my name and then stared back to me. Oh yes, I forgot to mention, the very next name on the list was my partner Tanissha's, a chubby southie and one of my best friends back then. She was as quiet as me, so quiet; we almost always made it to the top 3 on the hit-list. Somehow, we always managed to get out of it, but today it felt a little different.

Mr. Gobbins asked each one of us, listed, the reason why we made it there! Well the same lame 'ghisa-pita' reason from us, "We were discussing the science homework". The reason didn't buy his cool this time and I got a snarl in return. I was so embarrassed, I could write "Sorry Sir, I won't do it again" a 100 times just to make sure my name does not get stroked off from his good books. He didn't say anything after that and he sat on his chair after he dealt with the remaining folks.

Before I go ahead, a little idea of the seating positions. My favorites Suraiya and Melanie on the first bench, in the same row as mine; Miss Sleepy Irani on the last bench, a row to our left and then the 2 of us, on the 4th bench. Mr. Gobbins preferred that the first benches of each row be occupied by the girls. The reason why Miss Sleepy Irani was pushed ‘back there’ was that, he could not bear the fact that at 9AM she would yawn on his face and continue do the same throughout the day. Worse, she would even daze off during the lectures. So, why talk of the others? Well the reason being, I always wanted to be at one of these prime locations, but never made it :(

Mr. Gobbins had a plan in his mind today! Though he didn't reveal it immediately. He told us to line up outside the class and get into the class and choose to sit wherever we wished. “Wow a dream come true!” was my thought. I possessed a ear-to-ear smile when I heard this. Now which one is it? Melanie, Surri, Zanadu or the same one? The door opened and everyone poured inside. The great athlete I was, I got into the class somehow. While all the prime locations were already taken (mostly by the same partners); in distress, I had an only option remaining; to sit on the last bench without anyone. Mr. Gobbin's did notice this but didn't utter a word. It felt horrid! Tanissha was sitting with someone else. I started getting that *same-feeling* back then. These seats got committed into Mr. Gobbin's mind and he warned us not to change seats anymore!

Hearing that, I was shocked. Now who will I talk to? Who is gonna talk to me all the time? Who is gonna break my back, every time I sit? Oh yes, we used to play 'Hops-n-bats' then and she could give my spine a shiver, if I ever made a folly of not yelling BATSSS! before being seated. With these thoughts floating in my mind, I went back home. It was difficult to focus on my home-work that evening. I finished it somehow and then finally went to mom dear and told her the whole story. She kinda convinced me that she would talk to the prof and ask him if I could sit in the front. The entire night, I was thinking of the fun we shared. From joking, to getting punished, to copying (i.e. let her copy :D), to hitting each other (please make note its NOT 'hitting on'), the thoughts kept on flashing and with only one wish for that night's prayers; "God get me back to my seat, I don't wanna sit anywhere else!"

The next day, Mr. Gobbins entered the class, with a smile on his face and addressed the class with his usual yada-yada. At the end of the lecture, he just told us to get back to our original seats. Sweet dear god of all mercies, the ear-to-ear smile was back, this time right up in my mind, just to avoid him noticing me. I rushed back to my original seat and adding to my glee was Tanissha's 'welcome back' smile. God it felt so nice to be back there. One more day back there alone, I swear I would have written many more stanzas than 'Mr. Wordsworth' on Solitude. I was so ready for any number of those rib-shattering punches. The day just ended so well for me.

So this was back in my fifth grade. The same partner in the sixth grade too, only difference being, on the *most-dreaded* day in my diary, she tied me with a colorful tasseled bond, which I thoroughly respected and accepted. What next? Of course seventh grade, time to find a new partner :)