The long night
CHITRA SUNDARRAMAN
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A Close encounter with the powers of nature brings out the normally-hidden resilience in students.
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As a part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme (DEAS) activities, our school had arranged a fun-filled camp to Savana Durga, about 70 kilometres from Bangalore. Our group was rather an unwieldy one, with 48 enthusiastic 14-year-olds escorted by four adults. The trip started with the usual fanfare, excited chatter of students, the parents' last minute instructions, prayers, card games, singing and anything else one could think of.
The train journey was uneventful but comfortable. We were received by the organiser, Mr. Hariprasad, of Natventure, taken to the campsite, taken to the campsite and briefed about the activities for the next three days. Everything was seemingly all right until nightfall, when there was a heavy downpour. Only then did we realise how frightening and awesome rain, thunder and lightning can be in the hills. Rama, my colleague and I exchanged glances and dared not voice our apprehensions and innermost dread.
We settled the children in their respective tents and waited rather anxiously for the rains to abate. No, that was not to be. It continued to pour cats and dogs. Water began to seep through the tents and slowly the children began emerging from their tents looking like rag dolls. The little skimpy veranda had already 15 children sleeping on it. We didn't know how to accommodate more children. We spread our sheets, gave them our change of clothes, spread newspapers for them to sleep on and prayed hard.
As if all this weren't enough, we heard foxes howling in the distance. A dog that the children had befriended insisted on making its way into one of the tents. Rama and I could not sleep a wink that night. It was indeed a very long night for the two of us. We kept checking the other tents from time to time assuring ourselves that the rest of our wards were safe and comfortable.
Slowly we saw the first light of dawn. It was indeed the most beautiful sight in more ways than one. The rain stopped. The sun slowly emerged in all its glory. The children who were drenched the previous night woke up bright and cheerful, none the worse for the ordeal. In fact, some of them even remarked that it was only because of the rains the previous night that there was so much bird life that morning (which was actually true). We even spotted a "Munia's" nest and found eggs in it. Bless them. Bless their optimism. It is indeed very heart warming to see the children go about their activities without a murmur or complaint. My belief and faith that our students are resilient and accommodative was reaffirmed.
The writer is a teacher with Padma Seshadri, Chennai.
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