Aru’s First Day at School

I was wearing a white shirt with a blue tunic on top. My wild hair was neatly combed in place.

My new red bag was full with colorful books, a pencil box and a lunchbox.

I dropped a new water bottle on the floor and gave it a little crack. But Mom didn’t glare at me. She only said, “Aru, can’t you stay still and not break something.”

Mom filled the second new water bottle. She also put a big chunk of chocolate in my mouth. She kissed me a lot and smiled a lot. She was acting strange, for sure.

I carried my bag on my back and held my mom’s hand. Hopping on one foot and then the other, I went to school.

At the school gate, there were many moms and many kids.

A curly-hair mom told her curly-hair son: “Don’t run. Don’t jump. Don’t dance. It’s school.”

A mom wearing a yellow scarf told her crying daughter: “Sit quietly. Don’t fiddle with your hair. It’s school.”

A mom with a big bag and big glasses told her spinning daughter: “Don’t scream. Don’t shout. Answer your teacher’s questions. It’s school.”

My mom gave me a kiss, and with tears in her eyes she said: “Read your books and have fun on your first day at school.”

A tall lady with big round eyes held my hand and took me away from my Mom. She looked strict and had a scowl on her face. She was one of my teacher’s assistants.

The gate closed. Mom and I got separated for the first time. I saw her waving at me, but soon, I could no longer see her.

I was inside my classroom.

There were many kids in the room. They were all dressed like me.

The assistant made me sit in the middle, beside a boy who was crying: “Momma, Momma, Momma.”

I looked around for my Momma. She was not watching me from behind the door or from any corner. I was sad and I missed her.

The spinning girl was still spinning, standing in front of the blackboard. She was also screaming: “Spin school, spin, spin and spin.”

The crying girl was standing on a chair behind me. She was howling like a wolf, and hearing her, two more girls on my left started to howl.

A boy pulled one of the howling girls’ pigtails and laughed and laughed and laughed.

The boy from outside was busy jumping like a kangaroo all around the classroom. He almost collided with two boys who were running back and forth in the back.

On my right, near the wall, two boys were rolling around between kids’ feet, wrestling.

A boy and a girl sitting in front of me were chattering loudly.

A tiny woman with a big voice entered the class. She put a hand on the spinning girl and stopped her spinning.

“Go to your desk and SIT TIGHT,” she said. She sounded louder than the howlers.

“QUIET,” She shouted, with a finger on her lips. “Sit Down. Don’t Scream. Don’t Howl. Don’t Jump. Don’t Run.”

Her big voice did not stop the howling, pulling, wrestling, running, jumping, spinning, chattering and crying.

“QUIET,” she shouted. “I’m Ms. D’Souza, your class teacher.”

“THIS IS NOT YOUR HOME. THIS IS SCHOOL. MAINTAIN DISCIPLINE AND ORDER,” she screamed.

The noise and teacher’s BIG VOICE got LOUDER and LOUDER. I was confused and terrified.

“I said KEEP QUIET. I’m going to count 1 to 10, and if I don’t hear pin drop silence by then, I’ll PUNISH EVERYONE,” Ms. D’Souza thundered.

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ….”

I looked at the open door. I picked up my bag when Ms. D’ Souza finished counting SEVEN. 

I dashed towards the open door at the count of EIGHT.

The assistant tried to block my path at the count of NINE. I dodged her and ran out like a squirrel.

I could hear Ms. D’ Souza’s shout, “TEN. CLOSE THE DOOR, LEENA. DON’T LET THAT UNRULY GIRL IN.”

The door closed on my back with a BANG.

The big school gate was closed, but the small gate was open. The man guarding the gates was talking to someone on phone.

I ran out through the small gate before he could catch me.

I saw my Mom still standing outside the gate near the big tree. She was looking sad.

My mom’s face lit up when she saw me.

“Mom, I’m back!” I screamed and hugged her tightly.

“I want to go home and read my alphabet book,” I told her. “The kids in the classroom make loud noise and the teacher shouts. I can’t read when there is so much noise.”

Mom held my hand and we walked back home. She was hopping too.

I will be reading at home till my Mom and Dad find a new school.