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When we played twos-and-threes that after- with my favorite playmate, the cook’s son, to the
5
noon at school, in accordance with my training, stream at the end of the garden. We quarreled in
I let one of the small English boys catch me, but our usual way, waded in the tepid water under
was naturally rather puzzled when the other the lime trees, and waited for the night to bring
children did not return the courtesy. I ran about out the smell of the jasmine. I listened with fasci-
Narrative
for what seemed like hours without ever catch- nation to his stories of ghosts and demons, until
ing anyone, until it was time for school to close. I was too frightened to cross the garden alone in
Much later I learned that my attitude was called the semidarkness. The ayah found me, shouted at
“not being a good sport,” and I stopped allowing the cook’s son, scolded me, hurried me in to sup-
myself to be caught, but it was not for years that I per — it was an entirely usual, wonderful evening.
really learned the spirit of the thing. It was a week later, the day of Premila’s first
When I saw our car come up to the school test, that our lives changed rather abruptly. I was
gate, I broke away from my classmates and sitting at the back of my class, in my usual inat-
rushed toward it yelling, “Ayah! Ayah!” It tentive way, only half listening to the teacher.
seemed like an eternity since I had seen her that I had started a rather guarded friendship with
morning — a wizened, affectionate figure in her the girl with the braids, whose name turned out
white cotton sari, giving me dozens of urgent to be Nalini (Nancy, in school). The three other
and useless instructions on how to be a good Indian children were already fast friends. Even
girl at school. Premila followed more sedately, at that age it was apparent to all of us that friend-
and she told me on the way home never to do ship with the English or Anglo-Indian children
that again in front of the other children. was out of the question. Occasionally, during the
When we got home we went straight to class, my new friend and I would draw pictures
Mother’s high, white room to have tea with her, and show them to each other secretly.
and I immediately climbed onto the bed and The door opened sharply and Premila
bounced gently up and down on the springs. marched in. At first, the teacher smiled at her in
Mother asked how we had liked our first day a kindly and encouraging way and said, “Now,
in school. I was so pleased to be home and to you’re little Cynthia’s sister?”
have left that peculiar Cynthia behind that I had Premila didn’t even look at her. She stood
nothing whatever to say about school, except to with her feet planted firmly apart and her shoul-
ask what “apple” meant. But Premila told Mother ders rigid, and addressed herself directly to me.
about the classes, and added that in her class “Get up,” she said. “We’re going home.”
they had weekly tests to see if they had learned I didn’t know what had happened, but I 30
their lessons well. was aware that it was a crisis of some sort. I rose
I asked, “What’s a test?” obediently and started to walk toward my sister.
Premila said, “You’re too small to have them. 25 “Bring your pencils and your notebook,” she
You won’t have them in your class for donkey’s said.
years.” She had learned the expression that day I went back for them, and together we left
and was using it for the first time. We all laughed the room. The teacher started to say something
enormously at her wit. She also told Mother, in an just as Premila closed the door, but we didn’t
aside, that we should take sandwiches to school wait to hear what it was.
the next day. Not, she said, that she minded. But In complete silence we left the school
they would be simpler for me to handle. grounds and started to walk home. Then I asked
That whole lovely evening I didn’t think about Premila what the matter was. All she would say
school at all. I sprinted barefoot across the lawns was “We’re going home for good.”
144
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