My Father's Banana Education

 My Father's Banana Education

                             

                                                                                           By Thwee Sa Ching Marma

During my schooling life, it was the most boring period in my life. I always cut school and joined with my cowboy friends. It seemed to me that they were having a great time. They did all kinds of adventurous things. Sometimes I complained to my parents why they could not buy a cow so that I could look after it. One of the best things I liked to do was cooking in the forest. It was so exciting! One will not believe it! Nowadays, still I love cooking!

Education is everywhere beyond age, place and gender.

My parents often punished me because I cut the school. One of the teachers in my school was very close friend of my father. This teacher always complained to my father about me. That’s why I got more punishments. Not only that I wasted a lot of exercise books, making winds-trucks was my favorite pastime. So, I wasted them a lot in doing that with my friends.
My father often scolded me and even he did not give any exercise books when asked. He often told me his story about how he struggled during his schooling life. He never got any chances to complete schooling . He studied only up to grade five. His parents did not allow him to continue. At that time exercise books hardly found. The exercise books they used were ‘banana leaves’. The wooden- ashes were their pens to write. If their teachers gave them exercises in the class, they had to run to the banana garden.

This is how my father was educated. He can still read and write. He always writes me letters. But his hand-writing is not distinct. I have to re-read several times to recognize the letter. This story reminds me always. I am very proud of my father to be born as his son.