Fathers letters to school

Dear Varush,

    I went to school near my house next to what now is a famers market (ullavar sandai) on the way to your grandmothers house (well our house). It was a primary school in those days, in which i have some wonderful memories. This is about 2 important memories of my father doing what he did best- make people squeal when something happened to his son (me). Not that he came to my rescue when i got into fights with other children. But he was very protective of adults being unreasonable in his mind, towards me.

    The first incident happened when I was in kinder garden. I know you may ask me, how could you remember it, well i don't clearly though but I was reminded again and again by some teacher until I left the school after 5 th std. I remember 2 things about my kindergarten days. One was taking a nap in the afternoon, which was excruciatingly painful we all wanted to play not take a nap. The next was, all the children were giving small round biscuits a small handful as a snack. It was a happy time.  Apparently I was naught one day it seems, not sure what it was, so as a "punishment" I was not given those biscuits. Well the 4 year old went home sad and complained what happened. My father who could write and speak English properly with his PUC education, wrote a letter addressed to my teacher. The letter basically said, I understand my son had done something wrong, for that he should be punished but it seems he was humiliated rather than punished. A child should be not denied his treats (the biscuits),  that too in front of the whole class. The Teacher promptly took the matter to the Head teacher and a apology was issued. hahaha. The poor teacher, I think for no particular reason she had to be reprimanded. When later in life I brought those biscuits and ate them, tasted like wheat and sugar, yuck.

    Well, the second incident is regarding my hair. If I wrote that word "hair" in Tamil, it could sound more funny. I always had sort of unkept and long hair through out the 70s. I suppose, my father whose hair was thinning very early, was having living vicariously through my hair. I remember going to have hair cut near where he grew up somewhere around palace road. I can still remember the double swinging door with bright blue glass etched door. It is the only shop I remember him taking me. Well, anyway, one day when I was in class 2 or 3 (i don't remember), new headteacher, saw me and asked me "why have you not cut your hair". I did not know what to say, so stood there silently. I came home and told, "I need a hair cut". My father asked me quizzically why? I replied,  I was told to cut my hair at school. I went to school with another letter- hahaha. This time addressed to the head teacher. It read something like this: Teach my son, morals and subjects, don't worry about his hair, I will worry about it. Well as you could imagine I think the school did not expect that. After sometime I was called to the head teacher office and was told again, tell your father, we could not interfere in your hair style. My Tamil teacher with a unusual name- Jayakodi, was my mothers friend. And when she meet her some time later laughingly told my mother we are all afraid of your husband at school. Well, I was left alone after that about my unkept hair. Well you can use pop psychology analysis to read into this and assume why still have unkept hair, but that may not be the truth. Its just hair.

Love

Hariohm