Respected Sir/Madam,
During my childhood days, decades and decades ago, I was above average in studies. Other people used to come first rank and second rank and all. You will definitely find name of Mr. J. Mathrubootham in the top 10 rank, but why I did not come first rank?
Due to laziness? Never, if you look in my personal dictionary for the word ‘work’ you will find definition ‘same as worship’.
Due to partiality behaviour of class teacher towards some boys in the class, maybe corruption is involved, I don’t know, I don’t want to spread rumours, but this was the reason? Maybe. No comments.
Due to lack of intelligence? Excuse me, who are you, don’t cross boundaries. Maintain decorum please.
Sir/ Madam, I did not come first rank for one simple reason. Because non-stop studying means then where is the balance in life? I used to enjoy like anything but also study like anything. Good balanced lifestyle. Every working day, I went to school properly. Then on Saturday or Sunday sometimes in the morning, I saw morning show of film, or maybe in the noontime I saw noon show. Immediately afterwards I came home and did homework, prepared for exams and all. Prim and proper.
When my father asked me where did I go whole day, I immediately said library. From one angle it is a lie because actually I went to see Digambara Samiyar . But if you think from another angle, is not a film a library of human emotions and feelings and thoughts? So was it really a lie? Better to let it be. Agree to disagree.
Winning the Nobel
My favourite subject in school was science. One day my science teacher said something that I will never ever forget. Science teacher, his name is not coming to me right now, some name like Mr. Fernandes, he said, Mathrubootham, if you study like this every day for few years, one day you will win Nobel Prize.
Sir/ Madam, these days if you ask youths what is their lifelong dream, they will say what is dream, can you put dream on Facebook, never. Useless man, what Jambuvan period ideas you are talking. No time for dream, I have to put photo of sandwich on plate next to passport under coffee cup on wooden table on Instagram. So that people will think I am going on world tour but actually I am living in Villivakkam in youth hostel and inside the sandwich is Kissan jam. Passport is expired. Jam also expired.
But because of science teacher, Mr. Marimuthu I think, for years and years, I had a dream of winning Nobel Prize. In the beginning I thought I will get Nobel Prize in physics or chemistry or something. Then my father said, kanna Mathrubootham, better you study economics, more scope is there. So then I thought ok, why not, economics also has Nobel Prize.
But after two or three weeks in economics class, I decided better to sit quietly in class and try to get Nobel Prize for peace.
After that, all Nobel Prize dreams and all gone. But new dreams came and today I am a happy retired bank employee. Still, every year without fail, when they announce Nobel Prize I will listen carefully and try to get full information. Yesterday, I was sitting and watching live video announcement of Nobel Prize for chemistry. Too much excitement. And then Mrs. Mathrubootham came and said, Mathrubootham, you don’t understand a single word they are saying. Please go and buy curd and green chillies urgently.
What to do. I went immediately.
Sir/Madam, I know exactly what you are thinking. Mr. Mathrubootham, you wasted your youth dreaming about things like Nobel Prize and all. In the end you had to buy curd and green chillies, no?
Fine. But at least I have a house and pension and all no? What will youth of today dream about? Global warming and petrol price?
Maybe my science teacher was Mr. Moinuddin.
Yours in old age satisfaction,
J. Mathrubootham
Published - October 06, 2018 04:05 pm IST
