The Last Post? Certainly Not!

Why am I feeling sad to leave? It's not as if I'm going away to another continent or country. I know I will be back in March probably. So why is my heart heavy? I'm not even saying goodbye to anyone. The project is the way it always is. School is going on. Children are learning or working or playing as they usually do. Yet I can't seem to shake off this feeling of gloom. Going away to Kolkata used to be such an exciting prospect earlier. But today, my "last" day here, I feel very sad. There's no logical explaination for this. Nothing has changed except that I will not be based here "permanently". I'll be back every month -- to each, to inspect, to listen to what's been happening and also to give advice and of course sort of payments and accounts. What's different this time?

There was a sort of storm last night that rattled the roofing sheets and howled through the gaps in the windows and doors. Then in Bruni started barking. We all came out to see what it was. Bruni, the snake hunter, had spotted another poisonous snake. It was headed towards the rocks. We decided to kill it. Shanku opted to do the job. Suman is terrified of snakes and wouldn't go near it. Bhola and I don't like to kill anything unless we have to. Shanku feels the same way too. But the snake could be lurking in the grass and pose a threat to the children. So it had to go. Wish we had a contraption that would allow us to grab the snake and fling it over the wall and let it go. We all hate it whenever we have to kill one.

This morning there was no sun till about 10:00 am. It wasn't cold. It was cool. But the day seemed very gloomy. Asha looked positively depressed. Maybe because I am going away and she will have no one to talk to? But she seemed to have perked up because the sun is now shining. She's teaching in class and I can hear her.

Today, Bhola gave the crickets to the girls of the school. One set went to Classes 1 and 2; and the other to the girls of Classes 3 and 4. These are plastic bats, balls, wickets that Kimiyuki Moteki sent us by mail. It's a wonder that they arrived. Some pieces were missing of course, but fortunately, these were just the bails and we could do without them. The girls are very happy and spent their break time to play cricket. The boys, however, preferred to play football. I have a feeling they think cricket is a sissy game. In football, I guess, the whole school chase after a football and feel "involved". Whereas in cricket, that's not the case. However, I'm glad to see that the girls seem to have taken to this sport and by all indications are better than the boys at it. Their coordination seems to be excellent. Wish there was someone to coach them. Even Bhola does not know how to play cricket.

Well, all my bags are packed. Mostly with papers. I have clothes in Kolkata and so I'm not bothering to take any. I also discovered that I had a lot of woollens tucked away in a suitcase in the store room! I wish I had know this when we were all freezing here. But it's my heart which feels frozen at the moment even though the sun is shining bright in Roldih.