Feature

MeMoRieS

Rubaiyat

IT was early January in the year 1994, when a kid entered a school. Many of you might have heard about the place. Before disclosing the name of the school, I would like to ask you one question: Can you remember the very first day at school?

A scared little kid finds himself in a huge new place about which he hardly knows anything. He was surrounded by a confusing medley of busy people. With his tiny steps he entered a room decorated with balloons, welcome notes and festoons. He was taken by surprise when he saw the seats in the classroom. Used to sitting on benches, he never expected to see a seat designed for individual students. To his astonishment he discovered that there was enough room beneath his desk for his bag. He looked around at the others. Everyone seemed so happy to be in that room!!

'St. Joseph High School & College' is a name I can't forget. I have left my schooldays behind me; still my mind recalls that place time after time. It's not only a place where I had my primary education - it's a place that has helped me to stand firm. In many ways it was my second crib. School was the only place where I had all the freedom to play, run and scream. However, time kept running away. I suddenly realized that the time to leave the playground and class rooms, Peter's canteen (I still miss those burgers), my beloved teachers and most of all St. Joseph, has arrived.

My days in St. Joseph seem to me like a dream that came by and flashed away in a twinkle of an eye. People say, 'Old is Gold'. Life gives us moments that we can't remove from our memories. Today, living in the tough reality of a world with many responsibilities, I can still look back at my past filled with the sweet carefree memories of my life.

The dog said: 'That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?'
So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said: 'Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span.'
The monkey said: 'Monkey tricks for twenty y years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?'
And God agreed.
On the third day, God created the cow and said: 'You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.'
The cow said: 'That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?'
And God agreed again.
On the fourth day, God created man and said: 'Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years.'
But man said: 'Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?'

'Okay,' said God, 'You asked for it.'
So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.
Life has now been explained to you.