First Day of School a Short story by Imran Soudagar

“Dad.” Shouted the little one.

“When shall we go to school?”

“I think we must wait, it’s raining heavily.” Said the father, remembering something from his childhood.

“But Pa-pa. We are going to be late.” Said the kid getting impatient and wondering if his father would change his mind and refuse to send him to school. He was naughty and a mischief, his father had warned him often.

Pa-pa was staring down the window. Watching the rain falling over the glass and washing into the drain.

Silently smiling.

He wasn’t actually concentrating on watching the rain. He was zoned out. He was walking down deep into his memory.

Very deep indeed.

Some 20 years back, not long ago but just two decades ago. He was a kid. And it was indeed raining on his first day of school.

All those sweet memories of him and his brothers and sisters and his cute little family made him smile, he chuckled too. Bit his lips and tried to stop the tingling sensation from his throat, the sensation in the throat that makes our eyes moist. Despite all his efforts, his eyes were moist.

He closed his eyes, inhaled the cool heavy air, that filled his lungs and his brain got its energy and peace.

His brain started strolling back down the memory lane. He began to imagine his old days, old days as a kid. Wearing the ugly school dress, a blue shirt, and navy blue half pants.