First Day at St. Vincent's

Ravi's memoir #1

I am going to pen down starting with my first recollection of the first day at St. Vincents.

It must have been Sunday. My first day at St. Vincent's. Almost a month had passed by very quickly in preparing a list of items suggested in the brochure for being a boarder. My heart was filled with anxiety and a bit of sadness as I realized that this was going to be the first time in my life that I would be staying away from my parents. Ofcourse I had a pack of towels, etc...

Well Amitava and I happen to come from the same town so we hung out in the basketball courtyard in front of the dining hall.

Then the bell rang. Both of us stood confounded as we saw boys dispersing in 2 distinct directions. One towards the study hall and the other towards the chapel.

And in the area that divided the office from the chapel stood a wonderful person with beard and a quaint look in the white robe. Yes that was the first time Amit & I saw Br. Parton. He pointed us towards the study hall and we were so thankful (although we did not express it) to have our "first" confusion squared out.

Needless to say I sat at my desk and trying to accept and understand the warden concept. Mr. Claridge (sp??) was surely a person full of experience and worth million lines of book of observation. We did pass the time, Someone called captain was taking care of music. And for the first time I really heard ABBA. It was a great way to settle down in the most important phase of my foundation of an independent but successful life.

This would be a place where so many wonderful dreams would be made and the vast green fields will become a permanent part of the memory lanes.

Not a single day goes by when I dont remember some part of the school. Whether its the falling of leaves or the hustle and bustle of the field games. On one hand we had the fast moving days and then there were those fun filled weekends. Those Rs 1/ show movies were just too good.

Now whenever I see an old movie from Clint Eastwood, I always think of the fun moments we had discussing the actions after the movie on our way back to school.

A short span of 4 years that I spent seems an eternity.

Surely I am going to pen down my memories as they come in sweet waves to the shore of my mind.