സെന്റ് ജോസഫ്സ് എച്ച്.എസ് വിളക്കുമാടം/അക്ഷരവൃക്ഷം/The great Escape
The great Escape
When I was in 10th standard, my friends and me planned to escape from school to have a trip. It was exam time and our parents didn’t allow to have a fun trip. So we decided to go to Munnar. Our school security, Mr. Madhavan was very cruel. If he finds out our plan, we all will be suspended…. My friends and I gathered in school library. The library hall was empty. Complete silence… . So first of all I told them to have a sketch plan. I told Jack:“You have to steel school map from the library wardens drawer placed on the corner of the hall…..” It was so difficult to steel it. I said: “We need a perfect plan. We need to distract the warden from the library. So Henry, You need to ask the help of warden to get any books… That time he will be ready to get the book for you.” Henry said that it was a great plan.
Henry and warden headed to the north of the hall. I just peeked through the cupboard hole and we went near to the warden’s drawer. When I touched the drawer….All of a sudden, the principal came in. She asked: “Why you are here at the drawer?….” She smelt some thing wrong.
She asked: “Did you get your pen?.” I told: “No Madam. We will find it out later…” Henry and Me slowly went out side and we walked normally…..But the real problem was Jack was still inside the hall. I called my friends and we gathered at the ground. I said: “I have a plan. Steve, you have to go to the library and call Jack and that time madam will ask you For what?……. You have to tell that he is wanted by George sir. That time you 2 can escape from there.” Steven went to library and did what I say. Jack and Steven went out from the library. The lunch break was over. It was biology…. So sad…. I was planning how to get the sketch of school. Suddenly Shilpa Miss asked me a bloody question...I was in a deep thought. First time I didn’t hear. Then she threw me a chalk. I said: “I don’t know the answer.” She said: “Alright. You have to write the question and answer 20 times.” I asked the help of Francis: “Francis, if you wrote and gave me I would gave you 100 rupees.” He agreed. Next period was P.E. We all went to the basketball ground. I said: “I think tomorrow is the best day to steel the plan.” We all agreed to stole the sketch plan on tomorrow. We played a lot. When half of the game is over Principal Madam called me and I walked to Ma’am’s office. She asked me to tell the truth. I thought she had found our escaping plan. I was muted for a while. Then I found courage and asked back: “What truth madam? I don’t understand.” She asked: “Are you the one who stoles Anand’ s project.”I felt more better. I threw out my fear and asked back: “What project Ma’am? I don’t take anyone’s project, Ma’am. Maybe you have been mistaken.” She asked: “Are you sure?” I said: “Ya Ma’am. I don’t take anyone’s project. Just trust me.” Madam told me to leave. I went to class. I thought that this was the best time for steel the sketch. Because the warden went to have the tea. Student’s all have class. The rest of the teachers will be at conference hall. The principal must not have the time now to check the CCTV cameras. I planned to take Arun sir’s phone. Because he will not take the phone to conference hall. I went to the staff room and took Arun sir’s mobile and went to library. I took the sketch map and took a photo of it and whatsapp it to my dad’s old phone. Because my dad was no longer using the phone. So it was safe. Suddenly the bell rang. I kept the sketch safely and ran to the staff room. I placed the phone in right place and went out. Suddenly Arun sir was standing in front of me. He asked: “Why you are here?” I showed the big chalk that Shilpa miss threw at me { It was in my pocket } and said: “I am here to take the chalk.” Then he asked: “You have P.E. period right now. Why you need the chalk and why you didn’t go to P.E.?” I said: “When I go to P.E. principal called me and asked about Anand’s project. I think it’s missing. I said I don’t know about it. Then she told me to go back to class. When I was in class I didn’t saw any chalk there. So I came here.” Arun sir said: “You may leave”. I said bye to my friends and rushed to home in my bicycle. I left my bag in my table and had a shower. When I rushed to take the mobile my sister took the phone. She saw the whatsapp images and started to ask questions about the sketch. I describe it to her very briefly. I said : “I am participating in the school exhibition and I am making the model of our school. So I took the images of the sketch for the model making.” She asked : “The exhibition is in the next year right. Then why you are making it now. It is exam time right.” I said: “Model making needs a little time...So we seeked the help of the teachers and they said that it is better to start the project making now on wards. Then only you can finish it on time…….Now we are just making the basement. It will not take more time.” I snatched the phone from her and took the print out of the sketch. I took my books and read. After two or three hours Dad came. He was very tired. I had my dinner and went to bed. I woke up late and saw the calendar. It was a nice saturday. After the breakfast I went to ground and my whole friends were there. I showed them the print out of the sketch. They asked: “Where did you get the print out.” I told everthing that happens yesterday…..They said I am marvellous. I said: “I think my sister have some doubts about our plan.”David asked eagerly: “What doubts???” I said: “She asks some bloody questions about the sketch.” I said: “It is for our next year’s exhibition and teachers told us to start the model now on wards. Then only we can finish it on right time.” Jack always likes to praise me….: “Nice story! I like it. If anyone ask about it, we have to tell this story.” I said: “Yes! That’s correct. So guys let’s start to plan. This is our school sketch plan. There are 3 sub doors and 1 main door in the front side and 2 sub doors in each side and 1 in the back side. It is very risk to escape from the main door. Because the school security will be there and it is morning time. Many parents and students will come to the school. So the next chances are at the other sub doors. The first one is near to the staff room. So the teachers will see as. The second one is near to the 11th class. The third one is near to the play class. I think it is safe. The 2 doors in each side will be filled with students in morning, because of the activities. So it is very dangerous. The back door is headed to the convent. It will safe in the morning. Because the whole sisters are at pray hall and we can escape through the narrow passage to the stairs.” “We have two safe doors. One is third door and the other is backside door.”David asked: “I have a doubt…. We can plan through observing the school. Then why we need the sketch plan.” Steve said: “That’s right. Then why we need the sketch plan.”I said in a bad manner: “You fool. This is not the plan of the school. Look, this is the plan of this weeks schedule. When I went to take the sketch I thought that if I took the school sketch plan, It would be useless. So I took the week schedule plan. So friends, we have other activities in friday. These are organized in different place in each Friday. You please look at this. Through this plan we can find out which activity is held near to the third and the back door side.”“The problem is that we have skating on the ground near the third door and also if we escape through the third door there is no way. We can only pass through the front gate and there is the cruel Madhavan’s cabin. It is so difficult there. So we need to go through the back door. In next Friday, there is no activities near the third door. So we can escape through it.”Henry started to ask foolish questions... : “ Suppose we pass through the narrow passage, so how do we go then? I said this time too: “Simple… Jump over the wall at the edge of the convent. We have to keep our bag of goodies beyond the wall.” Jack said: “That’s a good idea! I said: “Okay. Bye. I need to go.” When I reached home, I called David. I asked him: “David if you could do my project, It will be a great help for me.” David said: “No man. I have a lot of works to do.”I seeker the help of my sister: “Dear, Can you please help me to do my project.” She helped me to drew the pictures and I wrote the text myself. I had my shower and went to bed. The next day was useless. Many notes to complete….. Many portions to study…… Totally a boring day. I went to school. It was my duty to clean the class. Vishal helped me to clean. Next interval we gathered at the ground and I told the plan. “The coming Wednesday and Thursday are holidays because of strike. So we have to plan the whole ideas in today and tomorrow. So you have to come to the library in the lunch break. We can discuss it later. So let’s move to class. Today we have test...” I written many answers in a piece of paper to pass the text. The teacher written all the questions in the board for the text. I slowly took my pieces of paper and started to copy. I slowly hand over my pieces of paper to Steve. Steve passed to my other friends. We all passed the test as toppers…… We gathered at the library. I said the plan to them……: “ This Friday, You all should come at nine o”clock in the morning. Activity begins at 9:15. At that point we will escape through the back door and take the bags from beyond the wall and then we will go to the hospital and change the clothes. We will take the lot and see doctor and tell him that it’s a sore throat and we need medicine. He will gave us the medicine. After getting out of there, Buy some record book and something else from a book stall and you have to keep safe the bill of the shop …..Everybody understand” And then we will got on the bus and got down in Munnar. Then we will have fun there. We’ll be back in the evening. Change our clothes and go back to home. If anybody asks we will show them the lot. Then they will asks why we need 5 to take one to hospital. That time you have to say that we went to buy the things for our project and assignment. Henry started to praise me: “ I think you are the brain of computer. Great plan man!………….”At night, My sister finds out something fishy….. She asked me some strange questions: “When you will start to make the model? Did you bought the things for the making? Who are the other team mates?” I told her: “ Stop it! I am not gonna make it. It costs very much. So the teachers told us it is very risk to make it. If you wish you can make it. So we are not making the model…...Understand!”Thus Wednesday and Thursday passed. The day had arrived. We all assembled at the school at 9:00A.M.. We escaped and went to hospital and changed our clothes. We consult a doctor and bought the medicine and got a lot. We went to a book stall and bought the books. We kept the bill safely. We got on the bus and reached Munnar. We headed to the boating area. On our way there, we saw Criswin sir. He came there with family. We hid in the back of the tree without seeing him. But he saw us and called us one by one. He asked me: “Why you are here?” I said a lie: “For buying the things for the exhibition..” I said it with great fear. Sir had find out some fishy on my talk. So he questioned us all. What a tragedy…. We all said different answers Once again he interrogated us. We told him the whole thing.. Sir told: “Everybody...Right now, Get into my car.” We reached the school and He take us to the principal’s office. He said to principal: “ We were having fun there and I caught these guys in Munnar. These guys were well planned. They stole the schedule map from warden’s table and they escape through the back door. They jump over the wall at the convent. These guys went to hospital and change their clothes.If they get caught they took the books stall bills and hospital lot to tell us that they were gong to hospital and bookstall. So that we may not doubt. These guys have a huge brain”. We felt that we were trapped. We stood there with a fear of burning inside. We cried not to call our parents. But the principal did not listen. Principal called our parents. Then we all thought that our future is settled here. But God did not abandon me. My parents were not in the place and they were on a meeting. So they didn't pick up their phone. But parents of Jack, Steve, Henry and David came. There was a riot. Principal’s office became a battle field. None of this was a matter for me. Because my parents were not there. But I didn’t thought that there will be huge breeze was coming. When I came in my house my dad is standing with a stick. My mom is also there. I asked my sister: “What’s going on”? She told :“Principal called dad and say some thing. Dad told that to mom. Then on wards he was in an angry mood.” I understood that the principal had call my Dad. I slowly walked near to my dad with a disappointment. I fell on his feet and apologize. “I am sorry, Dad. I won’t repeat the mistake. I’m sorry dad. Forgive me dad. I’m sorry.”Dad took my hand and raised me. Dad dropped the stick in his hand. He hugged me and say “Would you mind telling me if you have such a wish?” I said: “I was scared. Have you ever spoken to me in a manner of love, dad? So I got scared of Dad. I couldn’t speak anything to you. Dad was always busy when I came to spoke with you. All the time you were rejecting me. Because of that I can’t spoke with you, Dad. I am so sorry…...Please forgive me dad.” Dad slowly whipped of my tears and said: “I am sorry, dear. Because of my work load….. I didn’t get a chance to take care of you…..to look after you.” Dad’s eyes was filled with tears. I slowly understand dad was trying to break his tears. Suddenly his tears float like a river. I wiped his tears and kissed him on his cheek. He hugged me…….. He said: “Today we are going to one place..” I asked : “To where dad?” He said with a smile: “To Munnar”. That day I understood that my Dad’s heart is white as a paper.I suddenly took my phone and called my friends. Because of the pain they were crying. I understood that they got amazing treat from their parents. They asked me with eagerly: “Don’t you get any beats?” I said: “No”. They asked: “Then why you are crying.” I said: “This is cry of joy. Dad agreed that we can go to Munnar today itself. So I’m going to Munnar.” Jack told me with sad feeling: “When we sat here in pain, Are you going to have fun in Munnar? I told them with great smile: “Yes. This is my first trip with my dad with a happy mind. I need to enjoy.” Dad called me and said that it’s time to go. I said bye to my friends and have a lot of fun with my mom and dad….. If Dad had beaten me that day, I would have hate Dad forever. But Dad tried to understand me. So now I’m on highest level. And today I am on our students meet…..To meet my dear friends….Jack, Henry, Steve and David. When I reached my old school all of my friend’s face is filled with joy and happiness. My dear friends changed a lot, especially Jack. He become a little fatty. We all danced, shared food, and now we are having fun. Jack, Henry, Steve, David and me are standing at the boating session in Munnar. We all are remembering that escaping day……. When I am setting my foot on the boat, I’m still remembering my dad........And myself……...Jenwin Dear dad, I am proud to be your son………………………………………. I
|
