Our school playground was twice larger than a cricket stadium and surrounded by huge tamarind, mango and other trees. After school hours, some of us would go to the ground to play and often bring down fruits with stones. Trying to achieve perfection in aiming correctly at the fruits and pods was more thrilling than collecting and eating them. A few of us were expert tree climbers too.
There was one Forest Department guard who kept vigil on this forested area full of trees planted under the social forestry programme. It was not difficult for us to dodge him, given the tree cover spread over the vast landscape.
One evening, when engrossed in aiming stones at fruits, one of our friends in the group suddenly appeared nervous and was gasping. Before we could realise what was happening, he pointed towards the pond and started running away. We realised that a pack of wolves or foxes or wild dogs were staring at us. We were hardly hundred metres away from them. The muddy pond water had camouflaged the animals. The school gate was almost a mile away. All of us were running as fast as we could without looking back. Only after reaching the gate did we heave a sigh of relief. Some of us were visibly shaken. It was indeed a close encounter.
We were too tired and scared to ascertain whether they were wolves or foxes. We decided to keep this incident a secret, for we knew if our parents ever come to know about it, then we would be punished not only at home but also in school.
We were in for a surprise the next morning when the attender came to our classroom to take us to the headmaster’s chamber. My mind was full of possible questions he would ask me, for he was a family friend, which was the reason for me to presume he could target me for interrogation. I was also wondering how on earth did he learn about this incident.
Once we were allowed inside, the first person I noticed was the guard who seemed to have complained about theft of fruits. He had brought the fruits we left behind the previous evening, for obvious reasons, as evidence. Much to his disappointment, the headmaster was not harsh. He admonished us and let us go.
We had our last laugh on the way back to our classroom, for no one had a clue about our close shave with the wild animals. And there was none until this day either.
sujith_sandur@yahoo.in
