AN ANGEL FROM ZULU LAND

(Published in Facebook on 5th September, 2018)

TEACHERS' DAY SPECIAL 💖

Std. VII B- the class next to the Physics Lab back in 1997. What a class it was! With all the ‘great fellows’ of our batch- friendships, quarrels, ‘paaraas’, competition, what not. I have no idea who taught us English when school started, but if my memory is clear, we were waiting for someone to come. I don’t remember how long we waited, but soon enough as we looked down from our class, we saw a lady with two children standing in front of our main building. Somehow we were sure-SHE IS THE ONE!!

Within a day or two, I believe, our doubts were cleared. Yes, that very same person-our dear Annie Cherian Miss- joined our school along with her two younger children-Koruth and Mary. And guess what?? WE got the privilege to get her first class ever in MTRS!!! Who knew that she would later become the most loved and inspiring teacher for many young souls!

Anyways, Annie Miss was always a BANG and a ZING; always smiling; always full of energy; ‘eveready’ to care and help. Now who can forget how she made us all music-lovers!! Father Abraham, It’s a me, Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord, In my life Lord be glorified, Praise the Lord together singing and soooooooo on. I wish I had my old song book with me. I could have written the whole list! Yes, I used to bring my song book EVERYDAY to school and write every song she taught. This nightingale made a point to teach and sing at least one song every day before teaching anything from the text. And those were the days I learned to LOVE music. There is this one song she taught that I would never forget-sure I’d sing it even on my deathbed! -because it was that fun to sing!!

Once I took a fancy to see a foreign land

And then I sailed in a very fine boat

I sailed to Zulu Land

A Zulu sat beside me in a cool and easy way

And when I showed my love to him

Oh this I heard him say:

Supplica incha incha wincha

Amrita shaka zulu

Chik chik bola amrita kola

A-E-I-O-U Hoo Hoo!!

Hehe…Yeah…even the memory of it makes me laugh. I have no idea how many times we sang this song that year- it was our class favourite for sure!

Of course when you talk about an English teacher, it is weird to mention her musical inclination first. But for me, that’s what is evident in my memory lane. January Night, If, Night of the Scorpion, Punishment in Kindergarten, The Sri Krishna Eating House, Daffodils- well, you might be wondering how I remember all these lessons. Guess it’s because I loved English so much, that even after years I used to go back and read my old English texts. And of course I had to learn some again in the process of majoring in English itself. But to be frank, my memory is so clear because I got the opportunity to teach the very same book –New Oxford Modern English- in Class VII after coming to Kolkata!!! It was a pleasure to tell my students that I had studied the same book- thanks to the publishers who had not changed it much in all these years!!

My classmates would surely remember how a name fell on me during this same year. Ever since, Annie Miss had forgotten my real name-even after 13 years when I was teaching there!! (Just kidding, Miss!!) Well, she had this practice of making us write small notes about various topics every week. One day, the topic she gave was: BERMUDA TRIANGLE. Naturally everybody goes to library those days, searches information and brings a write up to class. God knows why, that day only I brought the assignment. As usual, the student has to go up front and read out the passage. I did; and ever since that day I have been called BERMUDA TRIANGLE!!! (By the way, Annie Miss does know my real name, Ok!!)

The next year I was in VIIIA- we had Litty Miss, but VIIIB had Annie Miss. Oh, how jealous we were when we heard songs coming from the next class. Ha! Class IX - our whole batch missed her. Then…in Class X we got our treasure back- not just as our English teacher, but as our CLASS TEACHER as well!!! But what to do…is Std. X any way like Std. VII? Not at all. That changes the teacher also. Yes, Annie Miss was still the fun-loving, Nigeria-story-telling teacher- but the music and enjoyment got sidelined with The Merchant of Venice!! My, my…there were days we all had said ‘good’ words about Shakespeare and the lot. But still our dear teacher did find time to relive those old days and relieve ourselves of the burden of Board Exams, especially during the Scripture classes. Hmm…Oral, Aural, Projects, Models…time flew as fast as the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. X A will never forget you, Miss. You were the best!

I would like to bring up a very interesting truth here. Obviously when Annie Miss is your teacher you are challenged to study more, but for me, I think I studied Scripture more because of her! To the astonishment of everyone and even to myself, I topped the whole batch in Scripture that year and yes, you bet, I, the average Remya of all times, stood in the line of the ICSE TOPPERS to receive my First in Scripture Certificate on the very next Prize Day!!!

We were in school for two more years, and Annie Miss became our music guide as we became the seniors. I was never in the Inter-School Groups, but I always loved to hear them sing, and learn new songs. I know she taught the song ‘Waltzing Matilda’ to the Juniors then-which I later studied was the National song of Australia-and thanks to her I could sing this in my M.A class after our Professor finished with the lesson about it.

I left school with the only aim to become an English teacher and COME BACK-come back and teach in my MTRS. I believe that all my English teachers have influenced me to take this subject as they had made it my favourite. Susan Miss in Std. V, Juno Miss in Std. VI, Litty Miss in VIII, the tall Mini Miss in IX, Annie Miss in VII and X, Sudha Miss in Std. XI and Adeline Miss in XII- all of them are dear to me-for they made me who I am. It is not that my Science, Maths, Social Studies, Accounts, Economics, Commerce and Language teachers did not inspire me-Yes, I love them all!- but English was always closer to my heart.

In the meanwhile, the Bermuda Triangle story continues. I never had an e-mail id when I was in school. But within one year, I got the chance in college to create one. My name is so common that nothing I entered for the username was accepted. Finally I gave ‘_bt’ after my first name and it worked!!! So ‘BT’ stuck with me and is still in use. Everyone used to wonder what the ‘B’ stands for, because my middle name is ‘Rachel’. I never revealed the truth behind, for it was a long story. But God had a different plan and fastened a ‘B’ to my life forever. So now my e-mail id is apt!!  

Okay then, I came back….to school. After studying English for 6 more years and teaching Spoken English for 6 months in Manjoorans Academy, I jumped for the chance when I was called to fill in and teach in MTRS. And there I was-right in the staffroom where my most beloved teachers ‘dwelt’. I was enveloped with guidance and care from Rachel Jose Miss, Nirmala Miss, Susan Jacob Miss, Annie Miss, Jiji Miss, Mercy Miss and Susamma Miss.  Yup-it was the English and Math staffroom! I loved every single moment I could have there, being a colleague to the very teachers who taught me ABCs and 123s. I saw for myself how our teachers were inside out; how they viewed life; their faith; how they cared for their families; and of course, struggled for their students. Every day that I entered that staffroom for two years, was a different kind of classroom for me-a classroom for practical life.

Annie Cherian Miss was overjoyed to have me in the staffroom-because I could do those small chores for her whenever she wanted!!! Let me tell you Miss, each instance you called me was a pleasure whatsoever; a privilege to be there for you when you needed a hand. Those days I also realised how much you had cared for us too, when we were students. It was a blessing for me to be part of your Inter-school Western Group finally, though as a teacher-in-charge with you!! God gave me the chance to relive my school memories and added opportunities to do things I had missed in the 8 years I studied in MTRS-I even rang the bell once and jumped the grill to enter the staff room one late evening (it’s because I forgot something, OK!!).

I am grateful to God for the role Annie Miss played in my life-being such an inspiration, a guide and a great model. I loved her chic style and the way she faced every obstacle in life. Even at times when she had so many responsibilities at home, she never missed a day at school. Even when Melpadam was flooded with water and she had no way to come, she was there to sign the teachers’ register. I have seen her come dripping wet during the monsoons-but that never stopped her. I remember one day she came even when it was a harthal! She has also come to school with high fever, cold and headaches-just to finish her portions for her students. So much dedication in a person-is remarkable and praiseworthy.

Annie Cherian Miss retired in March 2015. As in the same case as our other retired teachers, we can now see them all at some function or maybe in the town. She was my ANGEL from ZULU LAND and I cherish her blessings even now, more than ever!!

Happy Teachers Day to all my school and college teachers, teacher-friends, relative-teachers (especially my parents!!), present colleagues, and aspiring student-teachers!!!