My First Lie

I was sitting in my bench. That was a free period, almost free. I was in 3rd to last bench. She was calling students 1 by 1 and asking something and taking notes of the answers. She had ordered not to talk and leader was standing there to write names of those who are talking. When she is done with her work, she will call out the names and those students will be punished with cane. The leader will write the names of all those she don't like. So everybody is trying to 'soap' her.

I really don’t like our new leader. Last leader was my friend. He comes 1st in the class. We enjoyed a lot on his leadership tenure. But this month she was made leader. When Ajith(my friend)was the leader, he had once written her name and she got beats from the teacher. It was for the first time she was getting punished. From then onwards she considered Ajith and his friends as enemies. The very 1st period she was given the chance to write the names, she wrote our names and that too just for turning around. And I wasn't even moving my lips. Ajith turned and looked at me and for that we were punished. From then on I considered her as my enemy.

So this period I thought, let me keep silent. If I move she may catch. So I kept on looking outside through the window. I was thinking, next month may be teacher will make Ajith leader again or Anoop. Anoop is not close to me as Ajith is, but still he is a good friend of mine. But he is also good friend of her. So I thought from now on I would try to be more friendly with Anoop. Should also ask Ajith to do the same.

As I was looking outside I saw KG students playing. They always had their last period as PT and they can go by 3:30. Any way we, 4th A students, are little lucky. We had a separate entrance and ours where the biggest class. Our class strength is 76. All others class has to go out through the main entrance and has to wait until their class's turn comes to leave .4th B and 5th students has to wait almost for 15mins to get out after the final bell rings.

My thoughts where going like this, all of a sudden I heard someone calling my name. It was the teacher. Initially I got little afraid, thought she may have noticed me looking out of the class. Then I realized she called me, as my number has come. I went to her and stood beside her table. She had started to write my names on another paper slowly and neatly. It was some kind of a form. Casually I looked at the first bench in front of which leader was standing. There sits Seshma. She is leader’s friend. I disliked her too. I really don’t have any personal fight with her. It’s not only because she was leaders friend, but her surname is the same as mine. So my friends used to tease me, pairing with her.

All of a sudden teacher asked something. I said 'em?’

Teacher: What r u dreaming? What’s your Father's name?
I:K. Krishnan.
She then wrote that in the form.
Teacher: Mothers name?
I: Usha.
She wrote that too.
Teacher: Father's occupation?

I didn't say anything. I was thinking what my dad's occupation was? What is he doing? I have never thought of it? I even don't remember my Dads face, then how can I know his job? If he was at home, I could have asked him. But… Only thing I know about my Dad is that he is at bangalore.

Teacher: I asked what your father’s job is?
I: I Don’t know.
Teacher (with a surprised face): What?
I (With a little hesitation): I… don’t…know.
Teacher: You don’t know what your father’s occupation is? What kind of a child you are?

Teacher said that in a little high voice. Now all the class is looking at us, eager to know what is happening, especially my enemies. I felt like they had a devilish smile in their face. I stood still with my heads down.

Teacher (Pointing at the KG students playing outside): Go and ask them, they will tell what their father is doing. You are studying in 4th standard, ad you don’t know this? What kind of a child you are?

Teacher was having a pity laugh. With this, laughter broke out in the class. Now whole of the class is laughing at me. I thought how can those KG students tell what their father’s job? Most of them even can’t tell their name correctly. Now I hated those children playing there. I hated my enemies more, as they where enjoying my humiliation. I hated my class teacher too. Why should she ask such a question? If she had to ask, she could have asked in a low voice. Why she had to make such a comment? And that too out loud? Is that a big crime, not knowing what one’s father’s job is?

Teacher: (To the class) Silence!! (Turning to me) Tomorrow when you come, you should tell me what your father’s occupation is. Now go to your seat.

I walked back to my seat. I could see my classmates having a smile at me. I held my head down. I sat in my seat. I smiled at my friends. To avoid any more questions I pretended like arranging my books and then like searching something, looking inside my books and inside my box. Now most of the KG students had left. I thought, I should ask my Mom today, what my dad is doing. But how?

When ever I had asked anything about my Dad to My mom, she starts crying. She used to tell us stories of a dog that was at her neighbor’s house when she was at bangalore. That’s how I know my Dad is at bangalore. I had once heard my Granny saying to some visitors at home, that my Mom had divorced my Dad. I really have never understood what this ‘Divorce’ is? I had heard her say that, my dad said, he would give compensation to my mom till me n my brother are 15yrs of age. After that he would take us. But my Mom didn’t accept that and said, she don’t need compensation. I had never understood why they had to fight over us?

Suddenly bell rang. And I stuffed my things in my bag and was running out of the class. I wanted to avoid questions of my friends. I went to the front of school, at waited for my brother. I was praying, that my friends don’t see me. When I saw my brother coming out, I got a great relief. When walking back to my home I didn’t tell my brother about the happenings in my class. I reached my home. Went out to play with my friends and brother and returned by 6. Did my prayers. And did my home work. After that I went to my granny.

I asked her: What is my dad’s occupation? Teacher asked today. I have to tell it tomorrow.
Granny: Go and ask your Mom.

I was worried to ask about it to my mom. Anyway I gathered courage and asked my Mom.
I: Amma, what is my father’s occupation.

I felt like she was in a bad mood. She didn’t tell anything.
I repeated: What’s my father’s occupation? My class teacher asked today. I have to tell her that tomorrow.
With that she broke out into tears. I felt very bad. Look I had made my Mom cry. I never had missed my Dad so much. Hoped he was here so that I could have asked him directly. My mom wouldn’t have cried. Now to whom can I ask? Now what will I tell my teacher when she asks tomorrow?

I was very much disturbed by that thought. I couldn’t sleep well, because, the thought getting humiliated again was annoying me. Next day on my way to school I asked my brother: What’s our father’s occupation?
He: I don’t know?
I: Haven’t your class teacher asked this to you?
Brother: Yes, she has asked.
I: Then what you told her?
Brother: I said, he is a teacher.

I didn’t ask him anything more. I know that it is a Lie. How can my brother lie and that too to his class teacher? I reached my class. Everything was fine there. I went my seat and arranged my first two periods books and text books in my desk. First period was taken by my class teacher. I felt like I had swallowed a fire ball. Now what should I tell her, when she asks that question. Should I tell her that, my Mom didn’t tell me? Just then the bell rang. It was assembly time. And this time assembly I not held in the ground. Every class has to gather in the verandah. As our class had no verandah, we can stand in our class itself. Our class teacher came. We said the prayers and then our school leader read out some news from the news paper. Then we said our pledge and the we sang “Jana Gana Mana”. Assembly is over. I thought why should I wait for my teacher to ask my? I will directly go to her and tell her. I went to her.

Teacher: What is it Vipin?
I: My fathers occupation.
Teacher: Ok. Wait.
She took out the forms in which she was writing the details yesterday. She is searching for the form with my name. I had planned to tell her that I don’t know. And my Mother didn’t tell.

Teacher: Ok, tell me?

I: Teacher.

Teacher: What?
I: He is a school teacher in Bangalore.

Teacher looked at me with a little surprised face and wrote that in the form.