My father

I still have short memories of my childhood days. I was very scared of going to school. I used to cry, throw my hands and feet while our servant Dwarka will carry me forcibly in his lap to the nearby primary school. After 4th standard, my teachers realized that I was good in study . I started getting first rank in the class from 5th standard onwards. Slowly, I was so much used to it that I was not ready to let go the first rank to anyone else come what may. Fortunately, I did not have anybody else in the class who could challenge me. I became very popular in school being top performer consecutively for 4 years. I used to study very hard to maintain the lead. Now, let me come to the main point. Just before my final examination in 8th standard, I asked my father to help me write an essay on Florence Nightingale. I had heard from others in my family that my father's command over English was simply outstanding. I memorised the essay dictated by my father word by word although I did not understand the meaning of some of the words used in essay. When the same essay came in examination, I wrote exactly what my father had dictated to me. Before the final results were announced, the teacher who examined my English paper called me up and said. “I have examined your English paper. The essay on Florence Nightingale which you wrote in the exam was simply extra ordinary. Don’t tell me that you have written it yourself. I know you can’t write like that. But I want to know who has helped you write this essay. He must be a great scholar. I will be fortunate to meet such a person. When I told him it was my father who helped me write this, he was overwhelmed with joy. Later on, he came home and met my father and thanked him profusely for brilliant composition of essay.