And I Learn To Divide

It becomes difficult to realize that I have been keeping busy since long; but it’s the truth; the last blog update was on 29^th December’2011. I realized that how badly I missed it. But, no worries, I am back with amazing stories, articles, book & movie reviews and lots more to entertain you.

The story of “My experiment with fire” had an overwhelming response and I thought to share another childhood memory of mine. It was during my schooling when we were taught numbers, alphabets, to count of finger, and to identify colours.

One fine day in school:

Today, teacher taught us to count up to ten and for homework asked us to find how to divide numbers form respective parents. It was logically right that even numbers were something that were easy to divide and were taught first. As I was always a keen learner, I had decided that I would ask my father about the same. Papa was our (my brother’s too) second teacher after school.

Primary school got over early at noon. And I with a smiling face, “with a water bottle on my neck, and a hanky pinned to my shirt pocket, swinging my bottle between my two hands and smiling away to glory” this must have been how my mother saw my brother and I coming out of school gate. As I have already told you that my mother used to fool us by saying that she used to stay throughout, while we were studying in school. And, as always, we would find her waiting for both sons just outside the gates. So, it was like a herd of small kids coming out of a jail, just made free!

We mostly were joined by my father at lunch too, because his office was not too far. And he too as other afternoon, came by his Bajaj Scooter, and parked it outside out bungalow gate. While, entering our compound, I reminded myself to ask papa about the division methodology, a big word for such a small kid.

It was a custom followed in our house, followed still today, that we all would take meal together and we had it on the ground (flooring of the house).

While sitting for lunch:

Papa: “Beta, What did you learn today in the class?”

Gunti: “Papa, today teacher taught us division, counting numbers, recited a story and a poem, and we drew tree in our notebooks”.

Papa: “And what all were the homework for the day?”

Gunti: “Our teacher asked us to learn division, and ask parents to teach the same”

Papa: “Division is it…..okay!”

At this moment of time, we were served by mother, hot chapattis.

Papa: “Look son, how many chapatis do I have in my hand?”

There were two, each in one hand!

Gunti: “one…plus…one is two…?”

Papa: “Absolutely right, now if I want it to divide into half, I remove one, and I am left with one chapatti…”

Gunti: “Okay, I got u, but what if I have 10 chapatis..?”

Papa: “Whatever you have just half it up, think like this … what are the two numbers when you add them will give you the required number will be its half. Just aadha kar dena”

Gunti: “Now, I got it papa, I will tell teacher this tomorrow and get a chocolate for the tight answer”. Feeling like I was the master of master after this.

The next day I actually was the first one to tell the whole class how to divide any number and find out its half. I was praised by my teacher and was also given a chocolate.

Since, the summer had arrived, so were summer vacations for the year. And we had 3 months before we start the school in July. Mostly, in summers I would visit Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA or Europe, wish I could, I did not even had a passport at that time. Summers were mostly spent in my beautiful state of Rajasthan. It is hot in most time of the year, but in summers it was scorching hot; winds were like air from a hairdryer. In the mornings, we used to take freshly made buttermilk with breakfast and after 10 am, we had to cover our ears with angochi (an Indian version of hanky, or a light clothed towel)

Summers came with invitations from various relatives to take me and my brother to their places, since we were the first children of our generation. And, where else, nahihaal was the place on the list first. My Nanny’s place is not too far from my granny’s.

The real Hindu rituals and traditions are seen during such occasions. I was carried by numerous ladies on their lap one after another, singing something which was not to be understood, but melodious. It seemed that as if they were playing the game where the pillow was passed among the friends and when the music was stopped, the one having the pillow was out of the game. Seriously …funny!

Later on, as a Shagun the child is given some money. And my nanny came to me and put a note in my fist.

Nanny: “Take this beta, and divide it between you and your brother”

Gunti: “---no response—“Just took it instantaneously.

I opened it as we open a 3 hour question paper during examination. I did my paper analysis by finding out which numbered note it was. I could see ten (10) written in numeric and in words.

Gunti: “Ten…is…ten….yaani dus, also confirmed it by counting on fingers”

Now, was the part when I would apply my knowledge into action. After a lot of thinking, I got a little confused, so I thought of applying the thumb rule.

Gunti: “Remember what papa said, Just aadha kar dena…”

Saying this, I tore the note apart into two halves, And proudly said…

Gunti: “Half of ten is 5, and I have divided this ten rupee note into two halves of five each”.

Looking at me, doing such a thing was something for others to laugh about, but I really enjoyed it. There are such silly things that we do during our childhood which becomes a memory of a lifetime. I am sure that you would too have some like these. Sit down one day with your Granny, Nanny, or parents, they will definitely narrate to you your deeds.

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