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School Days





I was not a naughty student when I was in the primaries. However coming from a poverty stricken family I had my shortcomings. I was withdrawn and found it difficult to make friends. However, there were those who warmed up to me and I found it comfortable to move around with them. Some of them ended up as good friends even after we had left school. Since I came from a poor family I was late in paying my school fees which at RM2.00 was a princely sum for my family. So every beginning of the month I would attend school until the 7th of each month and if my mum was not able to procure the fees by then I usually missed classes as I would have to stand on the bench until class is over for failing to pay the fees  on time. 




It did strike me that I was the only one who underwent this ritual. The Form  teacher never inquired why I have not paid the fees. I do not blame him too as I was too embarrassed to tell her that my father’s wages had been safely lodged at the toddy shop as payment for drinks my dad and his pals had consumed at the toddy shop. Despite his failings my dad was a genial man, and he almost always kept 10cents in his shirt pocket as he knew I would be searching for coins in his pocket and how disappointed I would be if a coin  or two was not there.


I have strayed from what I had intended to write. Despite these ups and downs I completed my secondary schooling and found employment with the Postal Department where I was  posted to Sitiawan a town 60 miles away from my family home.


content (c) Ganapathy Ramasamy, mynameisgana@blogspot.com


image (c) Lat

#memoriesofayoungman #mynameisgana 

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