First Day of School

Posing for the camera at home before going to school. 

Whenever I meet a new batch of students, I always ask them whether they remember the first time they went to school when they were little tots. Well, they would have been just two and half when they join play school or three when they join nursery. Most of my students have blurred memories of going to school with their mommies. I believe we all would have cried our eyes out when our mommies left us with a bunch of strangers and a group of scared bawling bunch. Perhaps we've put the memory into a dark corner not wanting to go there very often and with time, forgotten vivid details! Well, I'm not an expert on how the brain works, it's just my theory!  

I think you'll want to know whether I remember my first day of school! Yes, I do and I remember minute details as well. Let me tell you about my first day. 

It was just a another Sunday morning. I knew I was going to school, I think my mum must have told me in order to prepare me for the first day like I did many years later when my daughter was ready to go to preschool. I wore this white uniform and my brother in law paid for a photographer to come and take a picture. Back then cameras weren't so common it was expensive. Few people owned one and there were these photographer who we could hire to take pictures of important events. 

I was enrolled in Aliya School and this preschool does not function anymore. I remember walking to the school with my mother and entering through the gates! I held on to my mum's hand as we entered the class. There were many people. Next, she showed me a wooden chair which was too big for me. When I sat down, my legs dangled to and fro. I was looking around at other kids and there were some women, they must have been the teachers! And as the parents started leaving, the ultimate crying started! It was horrible, I got scared and looked to where my mum was standing a few minutes ago and she was GONE! 

I searched the class frantically, I didn't get up of course! I was too scared anyway to even lift my bum! The noise of crying amplified as the number of crying kids increased. I was almost in tears now, my lips were wobbling and two big tears welled up in my eyes. I was searching for my mum by looking at the back of the classroom and front. And then I saw her standing outside near a pillar. I burst into tears and she came towards the entrance but to my dismay, she left! My mum told me much later that the teacher just sent her away telling her that the sooner the parents left, the sooner the kids would calm down! Perhaps the teacher was right. 

I cried and cried and I don't remember anything else except that the teacher took away the blue bag my mum kept on my desk. Yes, back then we had to buy our books and stationary and hand them over to the teacher on our first day (preschool). 

Do you remember your first day at school? I'm talking about the very first time you set your foot in a school to study! Tell me about it!