Teachers don't forget

A call from a high school classmate came somewhat as a surprise. We had met occasionally after passing out of school; we talked over the phone a couple of times, and over the years, the sweet-tempered girl I had known had matured into a sweet woman. Therefore, I was keen to exchange notes when I saw her name flashing on the phone. But before I could ask her anything, she said, "I am at our school, and there is someone here who wants to say hello to you."

I quickly concluded that it must be a classmate who was also at the school on a nostalgic trip. The soft male voice at the other end said, "Hello Bharathi, can you recognise who this is?" While I frantically tried to recall the names of the boys who had studied with us, the voice went on, "You used to sing this song when we went to Bombay..." The additional speech sample from the other end and the memory of that school excursion were enough for me to exclaim, PGD!

P G Dwarkanath Sir, known simply as PGD, was our head master, and I couldn't believe he was on the other end speaking. I had met him briefly in Mysore soon after college and again at a funeral some years ago. But how was he able to recall the name of this average student and the song she sang more than four decades ago? I was completely stumped. He inquired about me and told me he was still associated with the institution and went to work there every day. We spoke about our other teachers and classmates who had made a name for themselves. He invited me to visit the school and mentioned that he was planning a get-together of old students. After some more pleasantries, the call ended.

I couldn't contain myself and wanted to know more about the gentleman. I called my friend that very night. She said that she visited the school on a whim and was thrilled to meet our old headmaster. Apparently, he was able to remember her and her sisters, who had also studied there. She said that his recollection of our juniors and seniors was exact and that he still travelled by bus. Doing the reverse calculation, we both agreed that he must be 80 years old or thereabouts. We could not stop admiring the gentleman’s enthusiasm and energy at this age to continue to work and commute by bus.

I do not recall what the strict disciplinarian taught me in his subject, Chemistry, but he has taught me an invaluable lesson now: being passionate about a cause and staying physically active are keys to graceful ageing.