Ode To Abu

Saturday 13 April 2013

L for Little Flower


This blog post is part of the A to Z Challenge. This challenge involves writing a blog post on any topic/theme in the order of the alphabets from A-Z. The blog posts have to be written each day through the entire month of April, excluding Sundays. 

My chosen theme is the city of Chennai - sights, sounds, tastes, its happenings, events, and my memories and experiences connected with this place.
Another flower post right after K for Kanakambaram? :) This post is also of beauty, with a whiff of innocence. It has only happened that one time, but it is a lasting memory of a lifetime. An afternoon that made me pause and look at my life completely differently. 

I met a little girl there; she had all the precious qualities of a young child - shyness, sweetness, politeness, kindness, (all rare qualities in most urban kids these days!) and one that most of us adults today do not have - of gratitude. She was the person I spent the afternoon with. We were hangout buddies for the day.

I wandered into this expanse of trees, playgrounds and walkways and was instantly hit with a wave of childhood nostalgia. Yes, it was a school but not at all noisy or chatter-filled; in fact it was almost deathly quiet. The venue was Little Flower Convent for Blind and Deaf at T.Nagar, right next to the Gemini Flyover.

It was my 1st time as a scribe--one who helps the visually challenged to write exams. I was to read out the questions on the exam paper, diligently write down the answers she dictated, draw margins on the answer sheets, use different coloured ink to highlight stuff, etc. This part was not particularly happy nostalgia. Exams were always a pain in the wrong place while growing up. 

But this one I was going to enjoy thoroughly. It was not my exam, no pressure to score well, no tension waiting for the grades. Would be such a lark, is what I told myself when I joined the program in enthusiasm although mixed with slight trepidation. 

Wouldn't you know it, it was worse, 'coz here I was writing someone else's exam, that too an 11-year-old's. She didn't know me from Adam (or Eve) and yet trusted me implicitly to get her a grade good enough to move up to the next level at her school. What a terrible responsibility! This was so nerve-wracking...did I actually sign up for this?! What was wrong with me...all sorts of thoughts ran amuck in my head. Needless to say, I was petrified.

It was a day of mixed emotions. Because of her learning difficulty due to her disability, questions sometimes had to be repeated, she took a long time to understand or come up with an answer, and yet she never gave up by saying "Let's go to the next question." I gently guided her and repeated and explained the questions a few times over and in different ways hoping the answer would click in her head and she would yell out 'Eureka!' No such luck.

Some of her answers were incorrect. The brief given to scribes is to write down EXACTLY what the student says, be it a child or a college student. We cannot take the decision to put in the right answer if they are wrong. We are not to be partial or sympathetic to their situation. 

Most of these kids are from underprivileged families, many parents cannot afford to give their children an education. Schools, institutions and donors chip in to help. This makes a lot of the children feel very privileged and determined to do well for themselves so that they can support their parents and siblings. Yes, you heard that right...a visually challenged child/young adult has the drive to succeed, something lacking in the urban sections thanks to the easy, comfortable life they lead. 

Under the circumstances, helping them with correct answers here and there is not a crime, and it is not out of sympathy. Au contraire, it is out of sheer respect for their desire to achieve.

Before, during and even after the exam, the little girl was humble, considerate (kept asking me if I needed anything, even water), pens, pencils, if I was comfortable etc. She was being hospitable almost as if I was a guest in her home. She displayed extremely good manners and extended such courtesy that left me wonderstruck. I wasn't very comfortable to be honest. I was nervous, unsure and scared in the beginning. As we settled into the task I laughed at myself and reminded myself mentally that I was supposed to be the responsible adult here. Managed to put her at ease and even joked around. 

She was just a perfect little angel, a little flower that I hope and pray has a beautiful life. I don't know about her but a part of me blossomed and bloomed again that day; a part of the cynical grown-up I might have become. It was an ordinary exam for her, she was used to scribes, but the experience gave me a fresh lease of life.

People think a scribe helps the challenged students, but it is quite the other way around. You walk out of there feeling truly inspired by the grace and dignity with which they conduct themselves. One guy I had been a scribe for (a few months after this incident) had multiple degrees--he was more educated than most of us!! 

The little girl taught me so much that day. Most of those lessons can never be found in a textbook or on an exam paper. And certainly not on a blog. 

Life's experiences that touch the core of your heart can only be felt and experienced, never explained. 

29 comments:

  1. I can truly, understand your experience narrated in your post. During my UG 1st year as part of my volunteering have gone through similar experience with a "physically challenged" student. And your right the confidence that guy possessed was priceless. He was a great inspiration for me. :)

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    1. How wonderful to hear that, Sivaranjini :) Was volunteering incorporated into the course? What were you studying?

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    2. I was studying International Business with Law. No, volunteering wasn't incorporated into the course. I volunteered as part of my extra curricular activities. :)

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  2. I have never heard of such volunteering before, it must be quite something for both you and the student.

    JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

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    1. Its quite something indeed, Jo. Thanks for stopping by :)

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  3. I also feel with awe when I go to exhibitions displaying products by handicap people. Truly brings back to real world.

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    1. Hi Neelam, thanks for coming by...good luck with the challenge!

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  4. What a beautiful story. I am so glad I got to read it. Thank you for commenting on my blog -- that is what led me here today.

    I was a substitute special education aide this year a few times at our local high school. I really, really loved working with the kids. It's tough for kids with special needs to handle school, and I am humbled whenever I get the chance to support one. I love it that you had the opportunity to do that with Little Flower.

    SiouxsiesMusings

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    1. Hi Susan, how wonderful to hear that and thank you so much for those lovely words. Hope to see you here again :)

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  5. Wow!!! Its so inspiring to even read about this...on and off i have had thoughts about volunteering for scribe- but with my wretched handwriting i keep thinking that they would be better off without the added risk of the examiner not understanding my scribbles....anyway...you have captured your emotions extremely candidly Sumi...its a great post

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    1. Hi Doc...pleasantly surprised to see you here...thought you never read my blog :P Thank you for taking the time out to leave such a lovely comment. Doc writing exams...would be kolaveri only :P

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  6. We used to visit the Little Flower convent from school many, many years back. Relived all that :)A beautiful post, as always, Sumita!

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    1. How cool is that Gitanjali! And thank you so much :)

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  7. There's nothing more humbling and uplifting than a person who is humble.

    Jan at Website
    Beyond Acadia
    Swamp Lily Review
    Faith Talk

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    1. Well said, thank you for coming by. How do you maintain so many blogs? Amazing.

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  8. What a wonderful experience. Thank you for sharing that with us.

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    1. Thank you Cindy, this tale had to be told, a reminder for myself.

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  9. noble task indeed!!i also go to a home called avvai home...being with little children is always fun!!and teaching them or helping them academically makes me feel good!!

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  10. Have heard of this one...where exactly is it Muthiah Sriram?

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  11. Hi Sumita,

    This is my first visit to your blog - really well-written!

    When I was at college - two of my best friends were visually challenged - it was a special feeling to read out the content of our text books to them. I studied Literature and it was a special experience reading out passages from Shakespeare and Milton to them.

    Great work :) keep writing!

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    1. Hi Mahesh Iyer, welcome to my blog, and thank you for leaving a comment. And how fortunate for you that 'coz of them you got to read Shakespeare and Milton out loud...nice! :)

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  12. What a beautiful post, and what a noble thing for you to do. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with being a scribe. :)

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  13. Hi Karen, thank you for coming by and reading :) It was an incredible experience, had to be shared :)

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  14. when we help others that is special kind of happiness that bounced back on us..I see that happiness here..must be a very good experience :))

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  15. What a touching post. Your posts are always uplifting.

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  16. What a lovely post... really made me think.

    It must be both incredibly interesting and frustrating to scribe for such a noble little girl and not be able to nudge her in the right direction. I knew nothing about scribing, thank you.

    Sarah x

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  17. Totally super post. Such emotion and understanding. I just loved this!
    You're right: there are many times when we think we are doing someone else a favor, except we end up learning more...
    Tina @ Life is Good
    Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
    @TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge

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  18. I have acted as a scribe for visually challenged students and know exactly what you mena. Such a well written post !

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  19. Have experienced this and truly worthy.

    And I have nominated you for the Liebster blog award. Check out my blog (and the one who nominated me) for the rules if you decide to do it. :)

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