Stability

Here's one from the archives: Asha and Enoch on Enoch's first day of school in June 2005.

He was 2.5 years old at the time.

The school was nursery - and his shorts were the length of a pair of slacks. He had 'got admission' due to a change in the eligibility dates. 2 years later we asked the school to let him 'repeat Jr. KG' because he was young for the class.

Our kids both had 4 years of 'school' before they started 1st standard. They are now in 3rd and 1st standard - and do not seem to have suffered too much from having attended school for so many years already...

I had zero years of school before I started in the 'infants school' of the Cathedral and John Connon School - up on Malabar Hill - a few stone-throws away from where I was born in the St. Elizabeth's nursing home. In between my birth and admission into 1st standard - our peripathetic family had moved over 10 times. My mother tried feverishly to prep me up for starting school. We were living in the then distant fishing village of Versova - and my 'school' with her consisted of her working hard to teach me the alphabet. She used flash cards to try and teach me to read. I couldn't understand why the word "Jeep" should not start with "G" - since the sound was so apt. Life in the fast lane...

In contrast to my early days, we as a family have been blessed with such a great amount of stability in our home here in Thane. We have now finished 4.5 years living at Happy Valley - and have been deeply blessed to be in such a quiet place (for Mumbai standards - and tonights loudspeakers from the Navratri celebrations were switched off at precisely 10 PM).

Being in one place for so many years has also allowed the kids to have security - and has provided a haven for us - esp. in the light of the brokenness of so many of the people we are serving the HIV/AIDS work we do.

Sheba and I are able to structure our work time so that we have maximum time with the kids. I leave at 8 AM and am back at 11 AM for lunch with the kids and then put them on their school bus at 12.30 PM. Sheba leaves for the JSK clinic just before 11 AM and is there till at least 3 (which can stretch to 5 PM too). I am back at the office at 12.30 (we live just next to our workplace - a walking commute) and put in work till 6 PM. The kids return from school at 6.30 PM.

Tonight Asha, Enoch and I did some 'running' outside, ending up with 'long-jumps' on the grass in our building society's park. Then as it was dark, we came up to our 7th floor flat and were treated to a dinner of rice, rasam and bindi/potato fry. Then we read another of the heirloom treasures that my parents have so lovingly kept for us (now grown up) kids - a lavishly illustrated book of nature and Bible readings called 'Character Sketches." Sheba cross-stitched while I read - all of us lying in bed - which brought me back to my youth and our family lying together at the end of the day.

And now the quiet of the night. All are asleep. The fans are whirring - the odd crow croaks outside - a dog barks. Another day is over. Nunc dimittis.