Mr Avogadro ..

Raindrops of monsoon in June, poured down mercilessly. Some of them hit me like hailstones. I pedaled my bicycle as fast as I could. It was eight in the morning. I was on my way to the tuition class. The sky above me was like an artist’s canvas, with small silver streaks in a background of grey clouds. Morning sun was nowhere to be seen. Though I was wearing a raincoat, it could only keep my chest dry. Raindrops found its way through the backside and made my shirt wet. The fury of the rain was obscuring my sight as well. First I thought of taking shelter somewhere. But the sheer thought that I may miss Thomas sir’s chemistry class, put some more adrenaline into my blood. I crushed the pedals with more force.

As a student who studied in Malayalam medium till matriculation, the change of medium to English during intermediate classes caused some difficulty initially. Just the college classes were not enough for me. Going for parallel classes was the options available. In the tuition centre were I studied, the quality of education was really good. It helped to a great extent in keeping pace with the classes in the college. This was exceptionally true for chemistry. The main reason for that was Thomas sir. He was a very knowledgeable teacher. At the same time, he was fiery figure among the students for being very strict. He would go to any extent to help students understand the subject. But in return, if the performances are not that good, they will see another side of him. His way of punishment was peculiar. He would ask the person to stand up in the class for the whole duration of the class. He would interrogate anyone lying to him, with all kinds of embarrassing questions, a real punishment in a mixed class of boys and girls. Anyone who has faced that embarrassment once, would automatically be regular in his class and studies. He had a nickname also. As his favorite question during the quiz sessions is about “Avogadro number”, he was known as “Mr. Avogadro. Once some guys wrote this name and stuck it on his scooter. For a while nothing happened. But once the monthly test papers were over, he caught hold of the fellow and made him confess in front of the whole class. He caught the guy by comparing the handwriting of his answer sheet.

As he was really knowledgeable and used to answer all the questions asked by the students, some of the mischievous guys even made attempts to play tricks on him. They would go to the library and note down the names of some complex organic chemicals and would ask him to give the formulae of those chemicals, saying that it was asked in one of the competitive examinations. Thomas sir is too smart for such tricks. He would ask them to bring the question paper. You can guess..what would then happen. That question will never be asked again. Punctuality was another aspect he was strict about. He will not tolerate anyone coming late for the class. I was never late in his class. But somehow I was getting late that day. I could blame it on the monsoons. But, that I knew, was not a strong reason to be told to Thomas sir.

When I reached the tuition class, it was 8.45 AM. I was late by fifteen minutes. The whole premise of the tuition class was empty. All students were inside the classes. I put my cycle in the stand and locked it in a hurry. Then I ran towards my class. I was totally drenched and water oozed out of my dress and bag. With a trembling heart I steeped towards the class. Thomas sir was teaching as usual. He voice was not that audible as the rain drops falling on the asbestos roof of the classroom building outperformed him. When I stepped inside, he saw me. He stopped for a while, looked at his watch and continued teaching, totally ignoring me. I waited there for ten more minutes. Then he came towards me and asked

“Who are you? What do you want?”

There was sarcasm in his question. I was sure that he knew, I belonged to that class.

“Sorry sir..I was a bit late. This is the first time I am getting late. Otherwise I am punctual”

“No you cannot be in this class. If you were, you would have come on time. See all these students. They all were here when I entered the class. Why only you need a special treatment”

Ignoring me plea, he continued to take the class. Probably he expected that I will not stay there. But I did stay…with the dress still wet and water oozing out. After few more minutes, he asked everyone to take down the notes. Everyone opened up their notebooks and started scribbling down. I put my bag on the side of the classroom. Still standing near the entrance, I started writing the notes just like the others. When he noticed this, he came towards me. He stood right in front of me for a while. We both looked at each other. Then he broke the silence.

“Why were you late?”

“I got delayed in having breakfast. I won’t repeat this sir”

“Getting late for the breakfast is not the reason. You must have got up late. That’s why you had a late breakfast. Right?

“No sir..I got up early. But at home, only my father is there. We two are managing the house since couple of days”

“Why ..what happened to your mother? Do you have brothers or sisters?”

“My mom is in hospital sir. She was admitted with physical weakness. My sister is with her. Only me and my father are at home. But tomorrow onwards I would not get late sir”

“Don’t lie to me. You cannot escape from me with lies. That will not take you any further”. He said staring at my eyes.

“No sir..I am not lying. I am telling you the truth. I got delayed while preparing the breakfast”. I said with a fumbling voice.

“You prepared?? What did you prepare?

“I prepared bread omelet sir”.

There were whispers and giggles in the class. I don’t know what went through his mind. He must have seen many students telling lame excuses on various occasions. He is clever to find which is true and which is false. After thinking for a while, he said…

“Well.. if you are so much interested in attending my class, I will let you do so..but on one condition”

“Sure sir..I will come to your class on time from tomorrow onwards”. I said excitedly.

“Don’t jump the gun. I have not finished. I didn’t say the condition. Coming to my class on time is never a condition. Anytime you come after the class time, you will sit outside. You got me?”

“Sorry sir..”. I said, keeping my head down.

“If you want to sit in my class today, you can do that after answering the ten questions I would ask from previous chapters. If you answer all of them, you can sit in the class, else, door is that way”.

He said this and pointed his fingers towards the main door.

For a while I looked at the whole class. Everyone was looking at me. Girls were giggling and whispering while looking at me. I thought about the deal he is offering. I have nothing to loose. But if I can answer, that will be a morale boosting win. I said…

“Yes sir..I will take your questions”

Putting the textbook on the table, taking out his spectacles, he said to me, with a smile

“Remember the deal. You answer my ten questions, you are in. Even if one answer is incorrect, you won’t sit inside today. OK?

“Yes sir..I agree”. I said with a breaking voice.

“How many atoms of Oxygen are there in 12 grams of Oxygen?

Number of atoms equal to the Avogadro number sir.”

Instantly there were mild laughters. Then only Thomas sir could understand the reason behind the laughter. As usual, it was his ever favorite question and everyone knew it.

“Well.. you are right.. How much is one Avogadro number?

“6.023 into ten to the power of 23 sir.

Without giving time to think he kept on shooting questions. I answered all of them, except the last one. He asked for an exact definition he taught earlier. I could not tell that correctly.

“So…you know the verdict. If all the answers were right, you would have been in. But now……”

Since I knew how strict he is, I didn’t wait for appealing further. I lost the deal. So I closed my notebook, kept it inside my bag and started moving towards the main door.”

“Don’t go away like that. You lost the deal…and I won. The winner has the right to decide what to do with the looser. Well…I think.. you answered nine questions correctly. That clearly shows that you are a studious person. How can I deny you the chance to sit in the class? But if I let you in, though you lost the deal, you will think that you can fool me anytime like this. So I will let you sit in the class, but with a small punishment. Does that sound fine?

He asked this to the whole class. The students, who were already enjoying a drama, voted positively in agreement with sir.

“So the punishment is….you will sit on the girls’ side of the class for this period. You can get in.”

For many of my friends, it would have been a blessing in disguise to sit near girls. But for a shy person like me, that was a real punishment. Holding the bag, I scanned through the class. Except the middle bench, nowhere else there was an empty seat on the girl’s side. Girls were whispering with a naughty smile on their face. I felt my legs shivering. But that was just momentarily. I went straight to the middle seat and sat there. The girl on my side, moved as far as she could, as if she saw someone untouchable. Anyway, after a while I concentrated on the class. I forgot the drama happened few minutes back. I was really happy on the fact that, Thomas sir accepted me as a studious person in front of the whole class. That, I felt like a reward.

Perhaps that was the first day when he noticed me. Till that point, I was just one among the forty students. Students who caught his attention were either studious and extremely bright or mischievous people. I was in neither of these groups. That day, after the class, he took me to the staff room. For the first time, he talked to me personal matters. He asked my family status, details of parents etc. He assured me any kind of help in studies. That day I saw the softer side of Thomas sir, whom I had seen till then as a strict teacher only. I realized that he is strict just because he is sincere.

After two months, one day, he put a suggestion to all students. It was revision time for mid year examinations. He suggested that eight students should teach based on chapters covered by him so far. Everyone was supposed to teach for 15 minutes so that the two hour period can be covered. He would sit as an observer. He gave some selection of topics. Many front benchers and bright students opted for their favorite topics. I also volunteered to teach one topic. In fact the topic left out for me, was on the fundamentals of atomic theory. I prepared my best for the lecture. Even I spent some time in the library to look into new textbooks. On that day, my number was third in the sequence. When the time came, I went near black board and wrote the topic. I didn’t’ know how I talked for 15 minutes. My friends said I did well. Towards the end of the class, Thomas sir took some time to explain what everyone did good and bad. For me..the real recognition came after the whole class was over. While the students were dispersing, he asked me to stay back. Then he said

“You did extremely well. More than the topic covered, what I liked is the way you explained the fundamentals. I wish you would become a great teacher.”

That was one of the few rewards I have received in my whole life. Well.. life went on with its own pace. It stopped neither for me nor for anyone else. The two years I spent in the tuition centre became memorable days in my academic life. Thomas sir inspired me a lot in my life. I would have gone into the teaching line. In fact, I took chemistry as my subject for bachelor degree. The three years I studied Chemistry, I was clear in my mind that I would take up teaching as my profession. I thought of doing post graduation and then going for teacher’s training. But destiny had something else kept ready for me. The financial situation at home was not that great. Immediately after graduation, I felt the need of getting a job to give a helping hand to my father. His old age related problems and tensions due to the debts he had, took a tool on him and all of us in the family. It was then I decided to jump into competitive world of employment, keeping aside my dream job. I didn’t have any regret at that time. The sheer feeling of responsibility, helped me to keep a balance between what I can dream and what I should do. I wrote many probationary officer examinations for banks. Nothing could get me through. Finally I got selection as an Inspector of Police. From the world of atoms. Molecules and compounds, I marched straight into the world of law and order. There were no chemicals and formula to take up my time, instead, the tough world of criminals took me through. The world around me changed in all aspects. My responsibilities and life style changed. The job was demanding. The position was always under the scrutiny of public and media. But with god’s grace, I could do my job with the best of my capabilities.

For thirteen years I could not stay at one permanent place with my family. Though I knew that the job is transferable, I didn’t expect it to happen so often. I was transferred at least 10 times from north to south of Kerala. In that spree to relocate and settle, I really forgot to keep some relations intact…like some friends, relatives, and Thomas sir too. I lost contact with him after my graduation. On my fourteenth year of service, I had to go to a residential colony in Kottayam, the district where I was posted then. That was for an investigation related to a property dispute between two people in the area under my jurisdiction. I went to the house of the complainant to see the truth myself. The house owner was in his thirties, might have been slightly younger than me. Without wasting much time, I started the usual way of investigation. The house owner cooperated with me throughout. When I was about to finish and return, he offered me a cup of coffee. Usually I do not accept anything like that If I am on official duty. But, somehow I accepted his offer. While he went inside to get me coffee, I just scanned through the living room of that house. Of the many decorative items and photographs which adorned the walls, one photograph of a guy with large moustache and thick black spectacles caught my attention. Immediately I could recognize that face. Though we didn’t have contacts with each other for many years, Thomas sir was still in my memory. I could spot him instantly. When the house owner came with the coffee, I asked him.

“Who is that in this photograph? Is his name Thomas Daniel? “

“Yes sir, his is Thomas Daniel..my father. Do you know him?”.

“He was my teacher during college days”. But he was in Trivandrum that time. Where is he now?. I asked with excitement.

“He is here only. He retired couple of years back and came here to stay with me. He is not that well nowadays. Doctors have advised bed rest for him”.

I could not stop my excitement on hearing that. I was not sure whether he will remember me. He must have taught many many students. It may be difficult to remember every name and face. But still I asked the house owner.

“if you don’t mind, can I see him for few minutes? It would be a great pleasure to meet him after long time”.

“Of course,..sir, not a problem at all. Nowadays he doesn’t have many visitors. He would be happy too..”

He led me through the living room and a corridor into a room, where an old man was lying. Some books were kept opened on a table near his bed. On hearing the footsteps, he opened his eyes and turned his head towards us. His son, introduced me

“Papa..this is Mr. Akhil, the inspector in our area. He says you had taught him in the college days. He wanted to meet you”

I moved towards his bed. Thomas sir, wore his thick black framed glass. After looking into my eyes for few minutes, he spoke to me in a frail voice..

“ahh…I remember you Akhil.. I will not forget the ten questions I asked you on that day you were late. The first question was about Avogadro’s number …am I right??

While asking this he took my hands in his palms. I could feel his hands shivering due to old age. I said with a smile

“Yes sir…you still remember everything?”

“Yes my child..I remember every bit of those days. You might have forgotten. I am sad to see that you could not be a teacher. I could see a great teacher in you. But at the same time, I am happy to know that you are into a good position in state service. Life is like that sometimes. Man proposes…god disposes”

I must have sat near his bed for a while. We exchanged lot of personal matters. I promised to visit again and keep in touch. When I finally got up, he asked me.

“ Akhil..do you know the specialty of today?”

“No sir…I couldn’t think of anything special for today. What is it?” I asked with a perplexed face.

“Today is teacher’s day. Your visit is a pleasant gift to me on this day. Though I have not told you explicitly, you are one of my favorite students. For a teacher, what else could be a better gift than a visit by a favorite student? God bless you dear”