MADAM MOLLY

“It’s the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom, ” – Michael Morpurgo

Class 5, A Section: Year 2002

Class Teacher: Roll Number 26; Present Mam was the voice of a student who was waiting for his turn to collect all copy books and take them to the teacher’s room. If you can relate to this then congratulations, you had a great life by carrying those 64 copybooks every morning and being a teacher’s pet!

My childhood life was never the same once I got promoted to Class 5. Pencils changed to PENs, EVS became Social Studies. If that was not enough you had to select another 3rd language, adding up the total number of subjects to 7 in all. A burden only a child would understand of carrying a bag full of 15 books including his tiffin and water bottle. Master Venzil felt that burden when all of a sudden 4 subjects turned to 7. I had select friends wherein I was the first in everything but from the last!

Apart from studies, I wanted to try something different, so I decided to participate in a fancy dress competition, and I told my Mother I would like to dress like a Chef, I practiced my grooves and I was cool like a cucumber on stage until I realized that one cannot play music while performing.

Yikes! I felt like a fish out of water. I had no idea what to do, whom to turn to, or what to perform. So I ended up with a very emotional performance. Well, I simply cried, and Madam Molly said “It's Ok Venzil, you can do it the next time, I know you can do it! ”

Next came my class 4 test, where I went down in flames in 1 subject. I was tense as there was no red mark in my marks card. So, to add fuel to the fire, I overrode 34 to 43 which was an insult to injury. My mom was angry and she was in the school the very next day. It was an unpleasant situation, and I was supposed to be referred to the principal of my school, the Milagres School Our Principal was known in the whole Mangalore education system, for his strict action. I was scared and I started to cry again. I promised that I would never do it again in my entire life and I will always do my best in studies. Madam Molly just stared at me and said “I know Venzil will never do this again in the future and he will buck up” . After that day, I never repeated that mistake ever, though I did fail on multiple occasions, but never gave up.

You see it was not about my failure, It was that one person who I always admired in my life, even to date. Not because she was my favourite, but only because this person has been my guiding star who guided me and showed me the right path at every moment of my life. She is the only one, my Hindi Class Teacher Madam Molly. And I am proud and grateful to say that even today she always picks up my phone call if I need any help and support. She is still my “Go To” Teacher, my Mentor and my "bounce off board " if I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.