What If School Walls Could Speak

 THE GREAT OF WALL OF THE SCHOOL

*This is a work of fiction. The walls either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to an actual wall is entirely coincidental.

You know how they say walls have ears ? Well they can speak too and I’m your living evidence. I am the walls of Ekya Schools. I know it sounds absurd but it’s true. I reside in the beautiful class of 8A. The students are sitting on these wooden benches which have that smell that gives you ancient vibes. I am decorated with their perfect and marvelous scores in tests and their magnificent artworks. I sit there still for years listening to the students make noise, teachers teaching and listening to all the gossip that goes on throughout the grade. I have listened to these 8th grade portions so many times that I’m pretty sure I can ace the exam if only I could attend it. I look at the window and I see the most beautiful view with perfect lighting. There is a lush layer of greenery right outside filled with extremely fast squirrels and beautiful chirping birds. Their songs are so melodious but if you look just a little beyond you see Urban Bangalore which depicts how Bangalore can be both the most modern place as well as hold a significant place for nature. Classes are so fun. My children are so smart but they can be so noisy that if I told you they had loudspeakers for breakfast, you would believe me. Some of them pay so much attention in class but a few just drool in their sleep over boring lessons. A particular group of students come early everyday to be the Teacher’s Pet but some of them do not have the word early in their dictionary.

Now let me tell you a story, back in the year 2019 I found myself stuck with the naughtiest batch in the whole school and I couldn’t escape. One day the class teacher was absent and these students found themselves in the position of their dreams. They made so much noise and started scribbling all over my beautiful right side that I lost my patience. I was tired of them and started begging the Wallgod to take them away from me for a few days. Turns out my increased levels of praying backfired on myself and all of them stopped coming to school. For the first few days I was pretty happy and was peaceful but then weeks went by and I started to feel lonely. The kids hadn’t come back yet and summer was over. I peeped out onto the road and saw no sign of people. Had my prayer eradicated all of humanity? I started worrying as a few months passed by. I waited forever without entertainment or any sign of life. But one day after almost a year, I awoke to the sound of students. At first I thought it was a dream but then someone scribbled on me and I was so ecstatic. They were back. When they came back they were talking about online school and a disease that was killing people rapidly called Covid-19. I was so worried about whether this “online school” will become permanent but happy to have these students back in the class.Nowadays I’m sad to leave them for a couple of hours at night. Every year they graduate to the next grade and I remain happy to have been a small part of their  journey.

Despite them being annoying and loud, they are smart, kind and they don't fail to entertain me. Occasionally, I may get mad at them but that doesn’t mean I can live without them. They are as integral to me as I am to them.