Poetic Justice?

"Had I accompanied her, she would have definitely got through..." I have heard my father often say this line. Over the years, I realised that it was a statement related to my school admission.

As the story goes, when I was ready to start school, my Mom had taken me to one of the prestigious schools nearby which my parents were keen on. (Later, I realized it was prestigious for snob values than academic accomplishments). As it was/is customary in such schools to grill children with a volley of questions, I too was asked several questions. Owing to my stubborn nature as a kid, I refused to answer any.

My mother an ordinary Government employee was always shy of speaking in English in public. Her English was restricted to the formal types such as 'Received your letter and noted the contents.' When asked who would teach the child at home, she had coyly replied 'We' (meaning herself and my Dad.) Understandably, the Headmistress was not so impressed & I was denied admission.

Alternatively, I was put in another convent close to our home. As there were many students in my colony studying in the 'Prestigious school,' my father had ample opportunity to use his famous line. As a result, my mother was always keen that we should never have such complexes and constantly encouraged us to speak in English at school and with friends and catch up on reading as much as we could.

Years passed by and I came out with flying colors in my tenth board exams. Since it was a close community where people of the colony worked together in various offices, performances of children & schools were public knowledge. I was the school topper in English in my school in the Board exams. Incidentally, the topper in the school where i was denied admission a decade earlier, had secured just one mark lesser than me.

Though my mother did not show her happiness outwardly, I could sense she was jubilant. My brother commented saying the achievement was not a big deal as the difference was only by a single mark.

My mother thought otherwise. She felt it made all the difference between a winner and a runner-up. For her it was a sweet revenge rendered after a decade.

Talk about poetic justice!