THE TEEN TOWN

CHAPTER FOUR - CLASS VII AND A BANK STATEMENT

I was thirteen then; laughing at the music teacher, terrified of the mathematics homework, the ever tiring third floor classroom at the dead end of the floor, with nothing peculiar to look at from the windows. Class VII. These are faint memories, some precise and some not so precise. Small things are easily forgettable, but not our class teachers. Subject teachers maybe, but one can never forget their Class Teachers. The initial excitement at the start of the year when we are about to find out who our class teacher is going to be, the excitement in the discovery that you will be either a teacher's pet or her worst fate.

I was not exactly a bright student, as someone who is always in contract with at least three people for playing a wanton violence game of 'Ops-Bats', someone who flings boogers at other kids, creates tycoon in the water bottles and writes in extremely unruly slanted handwritings has no right to be called one. But I remembered my class teachers precisely, I still remember my teachers' names from Class X, and Class IX. But why is Class VII important in my life? It was in this class when my teacher helped me acquire a better handwriting, she explained the English chapters and poems in such a way that you feel like cruising in the story itself. Not that I was fond of English language, but one can see clearly, that how much the person in front of you is into the subject and profession.

So why exactly Class VII is of such importance to me? Luck. I grew up, from being a notorious guy in the class who likes to balance water bottles on his finger tip; to a guy who appreciates good literature, who loves to learn about World Economics and who likes to balance water bottles on his fingertips. Always on the verge of breaking the world record. Classic me. I got to admit that I was a little more fond of numbers. I kept on playing with numbers, choosing the subjects that led me to numbers. Accounts and Finance and then I graduated. Roller coaster ride, sometimes no-brainer non-numerical related jobs, sometimes yes-brainer lousy number-related jobs. Ten years later at the age of Twenty Three, I landed up a job at a Bank which I consider to be the start of my career.

I started working there, learned things, played with numbers and money. Getting to know people who walk into the doors of the bank branch, which is situated in the premises of an ICSE School. One fine noon, a lady walks in to obtain a statement for her bank account. Like I said I never forget class teachers, I quickly recognized her, she was my Class Teacher from Class VII. Sprinted towards her to remind her about the booger guy in the Class VII, proudly declaring to my colleagues that the customer I am talking to was my seventh grade Class Teacher.

Luck; after all these years of growing up, I got a chance to serve my own class teacher. I am me, the water bottle guy who grew up to develop fondness towards numbers and then fetching a job at a financial institution. There are others who grew up to be something else, there are so many who have studied under her to become something. The thought itself makes you think, about the lives you impact when you teach.

She taught me the English I speak, and I got the chance to help her pick a better Savings Account Plan.

And she's still teaching. Impacting lives.

Small world.