Dirty Cane

November 30 2010

I was very good with numbers till I was 15. But when I completed my class 1o exams, I decided to major in computer Science for my higher secondary education. I neither had great love for computers nor did I want to become a computer engineer. Still I wanted to major in computer science for three reasons. I was very bad in drawing and if I had to major in Bio-Maths, I would have had to draw many Biological and zoological diagrams.

By taking computer science elective, I could become a computer science whiz by becoming a world class programmer in cutting edge programming languages like BASIC, PASCAL ( Back in the year 1996, these were hi-5 programming languages indeed)

I could also play mind boggling computer games like Roadrash, Prince of Persia and Lion king. ( Some body would upload these games in the school computers via a floppy diskette). I learnt all the cheat codes in all these games.

There was a problem. The school(SRMHS), where I did my class ten did not have a computer science course for higher secondary education. So I was left with the only option of finding a school where computer science subject was taught. Hence I landed in MCET campus school. It was a new school for me with a new environment.

I was one of the bright lads in my previous school. But in this new place, I was totally out of place. The only saving grace was my love for the subject Mathematics". I was very sure that I could blow away anyone with my number tricks. Shakuntala Devi's puzzles were solved in a jiffy. Yet I never knew the surprise that was waiting for me in this new school. The first week in the new school, all of us tried to garner attention by telling the best possible lies that we could tell our new classmates. I soon had a small crowd around me with my wits. The subjects that I had to encounter in the next two years were announced. They were

English
Tamil ( Though I took Tamil as my second language, The Tamil ma'm was HOT and we tease her when she gave intro to us by asking "mam how should we call you?.... miss, madam, amma or atha....?)
Chemistry ( This was one subject that I was very good at)
Computer Science( Though I did not have a great liking towards this subject, my bro's(SARAVANAN ANNA & Sridhar anna) genius cells were flowing in my veins)
Physics ( Read it as lab games)
Mathematics ( I was the guy to watch out for. I was very confident that there would be no one to beat me on this.)

But I was wrong. The Devil came in the disguise of my mathematics teacher. His name was Mudaliappan. He symbolized all that was evil. He would walk inside the class frowning like a Gorilla. He would always have a cane in his hand. Everyone hated him for that one reason. Yet I believed that I could confuse him with the genius mathematical brain that I had. After the first week, the ice was broken and we had our own gangs. He wants me to sit in the first bench. But because of my gigantic stature, I had to sit in the last bench in class.  Yet I managed it.

Mudaliappan took special interest in my poor bum. He often tested the flexibility of his cane on my bum. On one occasion he caught me singing inside the class. He exercised his cane lashing skills on my bum and I found it hard to sit on the wooden bench for one whole week. Very soon, I developed an Mudaliappan-phobia. He had a very bad habit of making the students answer mathematical formula and when they gave an incorrect answer, his cane would do the talking. I still remember that Friday afternoon class. He suddenly asked me ," Prabhu! Can you tell me what (a+b)^2 is?". His eyes were burning like red coals. He was flexing his cane too. I had a gulp in my throat. My mouth became dry and the mathematical genius in me committed an instant suicide. "Can't you even tell the answer of a simple formula?". I still did not answer. The cane played music on my bum. The girls in the class saw it. They enjoyed it too, because I was the only MALE CHAUVINISTIC PIG in the class.

My friend Bharathi's butt was also pampered to glory. That day , we decided to take revenge on Mudaliaapan sir. Bharathi and I hatched a plan to flick Mudaliaapan's cane. Without the cane, he would only be a half tyrant teacher. He was not effective with the other canes. The cane that he had was so special. It would bend like an elastic wand and when it comes in contact with our rear ends, we would hear jazz music in our ears.
Mudaliaapan sir kept his cane on his bike. The cane was always tied to the side grip of the bike. I and Bharathi went to Mudaliaapan sir's house that night. It was 9 pm. The bike was parked in his front yard. Only the street light was on. His house was locked and the lights inside the house were switched off. I climbed the compound wall and jumped inside, ran to the bike, took the cane and jumped out of compound wall. It all happened in no time. Bharathi was waiting outside on my blue TVS champ bike. We escaped from the scene. Bharathi drived as fast as he could. Our hearts were pounding faster. But soon everything returned to normalcy. I was the most happiest boy in the planet. I broke the wooden cane into two and threw it in a dustbin. I had a peaceful weekend.

After the joyful weekend, I headed to school. Finishing the morning assembly, the school principal (Mr.Krishnasamy ) came forward to give an important announcement. "Prabhu and Bharathi are requested to come to the principal's room". Bharathi literally wet his pants even me too. When we walked to the princi's room , we were greeted by Mudaliappan Sir. He had a brand new cane in his hand. I heard unpleasant non stop music in my ears for ten minutes. At the end of the music session, I was lying on the floor. Bharathi was also in a similar condition.

Moral : If the light inside the house is switched off, it is very difficult to spot people inside the house. But that doesn't mean that people inside the house cannot notice all that is going outside the house.

Latest News: I met Mudaliappan sir after 14 years. He still remembers the incident.