Trapped in Time

It was the month of July. The weather was slightly hot and humid at the same time. The rainy season, or the monsoon season, had already started but the rains had not as yet reached 'City B'. As per the bulletin put out by the Meteorological Department, the rains were due to 'City B' within a week or two.

Zia had joined this high school in 'City B' as a temporary teacher. She had done her Ph. D. in Botany but had not been able to get a good placement in any college, though she had applied everywhere.

Since one had to survive, eat, foot one's bills, etc., she had accepted this temporary placement. As the saying goes, 'Beggars can't be choosers'.

Zia was a pretty, slim and extremely intelligent girl with a sunny disposition. She turned 27 years last month. However, these good qualities that she possessed were an eyesore for her fellow teachers who were not endowed with similar qualities and were extremely jealous of her.

She had joined this high school as a temporary teacher two months back and was allotted the classes that were the rowdiest. Any function or extra assignment was given to her to do as an event manager (Maybe her intelligence was apparent to all the teachers). Many teachers, especially the married women teachers, managed to wiggle out of many extracurricular activities by saying they had to attend to urgent family issues, in-laws issues or kids being ill, etc.

She, being unmarried, and staying alone, could not make such excuses. Her parents and brother lived in 'City A'.

There were very few male teachers, teaching subjects like Maths, Chemistry, Physics and there was one male teacher who taught Physical Education. These guys were also in the good books of the Principal and would wiggle out of any event management situations.

As usual, Zia was in the classroom on the first floor and in the middle of a lecture. She was facing her class 12th students. The classroom windows on one side opened above the area where the morning assembly took place. The windows on the other side opened to the quadrangle below where the school buses were parked, thereafter was the school wall beyond which was the road.

Just then Sherpa, one of the Peons, with a serious expression on his face, knocked at the slightly open door.

Zia looked at him with an expression of inquiry and asked, "Yes, what is it?"

Sherpa stepped into the classroom and informed her, "The Principal wants you to meet him in his chamber as soon your present class is over"

Zia nodded and said, "Ok, I will come down within a few minutes."

She had a gut feeling that she would be entrusted with some matter that no one else wanted to take up.... something the others had managed to circumnavigate.

She had had this awful feeling since morning. Not that she was incapable of doing work allotted to her. But she wished other teachers would not treat her as a spare part. Now, it seems even the Principal was going to treat her like a spare part. 

As soon as the bell rang for the next subject, she proceeded to leave the classroom in order to meet the Principal.

It took her a few minutes to descend the stairs from the first floor of her class and then to turn right to enter the staff room adjacent to the stairs. She needed to leave her teaching paraphernalia e.g. books, diary, and attendance register.

The 25 copies of the students had already been collected by the class monitor and had been left on the window sill of the staff room for her to retrieve and check the homework.

After dumping her books etc., in her staff room locker, she went next door to the staff office of the Principal.

"The Principal wants to see me."Is he in his chamber?"May I go in," she asked all these questions in one go.

"Yes of course ma'am," the Personal Secretary replied.

The Personal Secretary was busy looking at her papers and without lifting her head added, "He has been waiting for you."

Zia was slightly apprehensive about why the Principal wanted to see her. She hoped it was for some good work, not for backup work for an event. Every time she was doing the donkey work and the stage managers were others.

She knocked on the door and without waiting for a reply, she opened the door and walked in.

Why is it that one keeps waiting at the door? The response of 'yes, you may enter' cannot be heard from outside.....

The Principal was seated behind a huge table and facing the door.

As she entered he exclaimed, "Ahahah...Come, Zia. I have been waiting for you. You are a young energetic teacher and I want to entrust you with an important assignment !"

Here it comes, what will I be entrusted with thought Zia without displaying any emotion on her pretty face.

"Please take a seat," said the Principal.

She sat opposite the Principal without any expression on her face. She was trying very hard to hide any emotions.

The Principal was an elderly gentleman about her father's age with some grey hair and a bald patch on the head. He seemed to be a kind man.

"We were required to send some of our students on a trekking/camping trip, but due to the paucity of funds, the matter had got delayed by a few months."

Now, we have the funds and the program can be taken up."

"I am entrusting this 3 days camping trip to you and you will be their guide."

"The Trekking map, the list of equipment and list of things the students need to take with them are in front of you."

"You need to send out a circular to the parents of all the students in your class in order to obtain approval of the parents. No student can go without his parents' permission."

"Got that?"

"Please keep the number of students small so that you can keep a watch on them. Students up to 8-10 persons should be the maximum."

"Yes Sir, Yes Sir"..... Was all that Zia could reply to the entire instructions the Principal was giving her.

The Principal looked at her and suddenly added, "I know the senior teachers assign you a lot of work taking my name."

But today I am assigning you this work. I believe in your capabilities not only as a teacher but a good responsible guide for the children. I also know you like to go exploring and because of this I feel you will provide an enriching experience to the students who go on the camping trip."

"You have a Ph.D. in Botany and you can teach your students while you trek with them through various areas with changing vegetation. I expect the selected children to submit an essay on their return so that other students can benefit from their experience."

"The three days trip will commence coming Monday. You have one week to send out a circular to the parents and get their responses. By coming Friday you need to prepare. We will not be charging the children any fees for this outdoor experience. Please add that this is a no-fee trip in the circular."

After voicing all the instructions like a bullet train, the Principal told her that she was dismissed.

She made the requisite circular on the computer kept in the school library, took out a few print outs, signed them and got 28 photocopies made and then went to give 25 of these to the class monitor to distribute among his classmates. Then she went off to her lunch.

Next morning, as usual, the morning assembly was convened by the Principal. Thereafter the children moved to their classes. She had the first class with the same students.

All the students were very excited about the camping trip. The classroom was filled with excited voices.

Seeing their excitement, she asked all the students to take a paper each and write out an introductory note about themselves indicating their hobbies, etc.

The short exercise that she had asked the kids to do would prove helpful to the students. It would also help her to know about all her students.

A few days later, the approvals from the parents started coming in. By Thursday there were 10 approvals from the parents of 5 boys and 5 girls.

Parents of other kids believed that outdoors exercise was of not much use and the children should work hard so as to get good grades in their final exams in order to get selected for professional colleges.

These 10 children were between 17-19 years, who had decided to go camping. Their parents had agreed to let them go for the 3 days camping trip. This was their last year in high school. Next year, after qualifying their 12th examinations, they would be moving to college either to professional colleges or to do graduation courses.

The girls were Tina, Nanu, Cathy, Shana and Zoya, and the boys were Ben, Sunny, Danny, Chris, and Zen.

Zoya and Zen were the most intelligent with great presence of mind.

The others were talented in their own fields e.g.

Tina and Ben were good in General knowledge, they were practically walking encyclopedias.

Nanu and Sunny were good in outdoor cooking, especially on a campfire.

Cathy and Danny were good in setting up camp, putting up tents, etc.

Shana and Chris were good at doing all the collection work e.g. gathering firewood, moss/ dry pine needles and lighting a fire.

All of them were members of the Boy Scouts and Girls Guides. Hence, they were in a position to face any emergency. After reading about what they all were good at, Zia was very happy. She knew she had good students with her who were responsible citizens.

...

Very soon it was Friday and Zia reported to the Principal about what all that had transpired since her last visit to his office.

The Principal was very happy. He then asked her to get in touch with the storekeeper and take out the camping equipment i.e. tents etc.

She proceeded to the storeroom to take the stuff and found that it there were tents, sleeping bags, a kettle, a few pots and pans (which could be used to warm up their food and maybe make tea/coffee), there were also a few disposable cups and plates, etc.

"You need to go to the canteen to get some readymade food packets that can be immersed in boiling water. These are pre-cooked foods like soups, rice, lentils, vegetables, etc. Then there would be the need for drinking water bottles, etc. Don't forget to take packets of milk powder, coffee, and tea bags," said the storekeeper.

Zia collected everything that would be needed with the help of the children in her class and kept all the stuff in the huge cupboard of her classroom. Then she left for the canteen with some of her students to get the rest of the stuff.

She was also excited about the trip. Life had become static. There was nothing exciting happening that would fire her imagination or her emotions. On top of all this, she had reached an age when many of her friends were married. She had yet to meet someone who she would like to spend the rest of her life with. She wanted to meet someone compatible who would have a sunny disposition like herself with whom she would like to spend the rest of her life. But there was nothing on the horizon. 

Before school closed for the weekend, all the stuff had been placed in the classroom. The children designated to proceed for the camping trip would be bringing their clothes, snacks, water bottles, and some foodstuff. She would be carrying her own stuff along with a box of matches a magnifying glass and a compass too.

She decided to get Sherpa, to come along in order to carry the camping equipment, etc. She then headed to the Principal's office once again to speak out her request.

The Principal readily agreed and deputed Sherpa to carry out the required tasks during the trip.

Soon she left for her home to do her purchasing and packing during the weekend.