Hullo! A cheerful weekend to you all. I am here with a video on the middle of chapter five of ‘ Ripples Roping Memories’.
Young Angels Convent is funded by a foreign missionary. They have their headquarters in Menaba. Milk is distributed to students during recess. Leaving the classroom without permission or being late to school is not acceptable. The sisters are strict but loving. Rani watches a small girl, seemingly a boarder, demanding toffee from the sister. The girl is crying. Sister looks at the girl and smiles. She asks the girl to stop crying. After some time, sister takes the little girl in her arms and says, ‘I will give you the toffee. First, stop crying’. The girl takes some short breaths and stops crying. Sister gives her the toffee. This dedicated sister is none other than Sharon, the Principal of the school. Rani’s sisters study in the same school. Rani’s father acquaints Principal Sharon of the economic condition of the family. Sister Sharon reduces the school fees to one third.
A male teacher from Silase comes to teach some songs on the piano to the students. He asks the students to open their mouths having three fingers space so that they can sing full throated. This is the first time Rani is introduced to Western Classical music formally and she develops a liking for it. It is time for the music class. Students have to climb a small staircase flanked by a music room on the left side. On the right hand side are hedges and creepers blooming with flowers. Students are taken into the music room. Mr. John is bald. Girls giggle. Some of them say softly, ‘ May God shower some hair on his bald head.’ Rani is amused a little. As soon as Sir John plays the notes on the piano, the sound of it twirls Rani’s head. Her head becomes a sudden sweeping merry go round and she slumps on the floor. Students lift her and take her to the sick room. Near the sick room, Rani watches a tortoise, swans swimming and geese cackling. Rani slumps on the floor nearly three to four times during music classes. She develops a phobia for music. She has to stand and sing. Rani does not enjoy singing in school. Sisters have formed an opinion that Rani is a sick and impoverished girl.
Rani has a Punjabi friend Sarita Bala who accompanies her to school. Rani visits her house once. Rani sees Sarita Bala ironing her school dress. Rani does not iron her school dress because her mother makes it a point to spread the uniform well before putting it out to dry to avoid creases. The North Indian family makes Rani aware of the fact that one should not have rice with ghee because ghee gets wasted. It makes the plates greasy and difficult to wash. One should apply ghee on one side of the roti and eat it. Rani has good friends. They accompany her to and from school. Sarita Bala is a cat eyed, fair and good looking girl. Pranita Singh is of short stature and not fair. Her home is one small room and a kitchen. Her father works for the Railways. The small room is well maintained. Both Sarita Bala and Pranita Singh live in the third lane. Sarita Bala stops accompanying Rani to school because she fails in the ninth grade.
So much for this video. Next time, next video. Till then, goodbye!
( Video can be viewed on You tube by typing, ‘Ripples Roping Memories’)
