My first encounter with ‘143’!

In my 7^th class, in which I was one of the “below average students”, daily we (below average students) are supposed to mug up few things and report to some toppers of the class.

For me the one whom I need to report is a gal (who is the daughter of our principal’s brother’s wife)

Though tried many times I could not mug properly and she always complains my status to teachers.

One day I was reporting to her but I was breaking in between trying to recollect my mug and she suddenly said “143!”

“what?” (at that time I don’t know the meaning of it)

“what does that mean?”

She said “I Hate You!”

Immediately after that scene, I was going out of class and the black board being near the class door, picked up a chalk and wrote “143”

She ran to the board, took the duster and erased whatever I wrote.

“You don’t even know what to write when?”

“whats wrong in my writing?”

“143 have many other meanings too…”

“what are they?”

She said “first mug todays topics well and tell them. If not I will complain to teacher!”

So rude she was. I forgot why I was going out of the class, went back to my place started study.

Then, the same day mathematics teacher was writing something on the board and in between he pointed his hand to “<” symbol on the board and asked…

“Ramesh, can you tell what is this symbol ‘<’?”

I got up and said “Sir, with respect to which side you are talking about. If with respect to right hand side it is ‘greater than symbol’ and if it is with respect to left hand side it is ‘less than symbol’”

Sir got very angry “First get out of my class!”

I was again confused “what is wrong in my saying?” and went out of the class. Me going out of class fell in the eyes of a senior student who stays near home, reported at home and I had good puja that day.

Each day in 7^th class went almost this way and finally I was proud I passed 7th class final public exam with “second class” grade.

Good Bye!

Ramesh :)