The “ STICK IN “
Location: School Dining Hall
Time: Sunday immediately after Breakfast.
Action: Master on Duty asked to leave.
Action: Close all Doors
Instruction: “All Stand “..As silent ghosts
Duration: Three Hours.
Reason: Behaving like miscreants against the Sanawarians during the First XI Soccer Match ( we won 10-1), and staring with lustful eyes at the chicks from Auckies at the School Fete..
As I too lumbered up my scrawled frame and stood up at the Lefroy House table I knew this one was for real. Serious shit chaps. The prefects seemed to have ganged up against the entire school and were hell bent on breaking us… at least that is what they thought. Three hours of Silence; no, not Silent Night, Holy Night but three hours of frozen statuesque attitude and not a frikin word…
Now sitting here in Karlstad Sweden, I seem to reflect on that sort of punishment or on some adage preached by one of the not so dumb Prefects….to achieve perfection, you need to become strong through motionless silence*
You know us Cottonians! We can stand endlessly at the kitchen entrance waiting for the cook to let loose some boiled potatoes, plead at the bakery ( near the shooting range) for a loaf of hot bread that we would lavish with dirty raw sugar and hog it down before the flying squirrels leaped across the deodars…. We were seasoned rascals in the rain and for us no gain without pain!
Suddenly we all find ourselves in a STICK-IN! AGAIN.
This time its not three hours but three weeks, bound and shut within the four walls. This time its not just us diehard Cottonians of all ages and heights and weights but with others; family and pets.
Pray may I ask what are all you guys doing in there all holed up? For sure we never really needed BOFF now did we? Was there anything else that we lack at the moment? Yes, loads of worrisome news that keeps bombarding us like the doomsday clock; the end is nigh; this is the start of the Apocalypse and what have you. Not only are we all shut in but School has shut out all the kids except a sprinkle who couldn’t make it back to Thailand. And in isolation too is our Director Simon David Weale, his wife Rebecca and their little daughter Delila, all at BCS. Yet, he is working hard!
Three weeks is really an incredible time to reflect… really. And do amazing things at home. The biggest worry too is frustration but one needs to have the strength, fortitude and patience to come out of this for the betterment of ourselves, for each other, for them and for the world. For once this is not a terrible famine in Bangladesh, or a flood in Haiti, or a certain corner of the world that is in dire straits or should I say up shit creek. Or should I rephrase and say it was a certain corner of the world first……..but now Ladies and Gentleman the flood-gates have opened, the curtain rises and we all have taken centre stage with the shit hitting the fan. WE ARE ALL IN ONE BIG BOAT. And we need to keep that Big Boat afloat and feel good, exude positive vibrations and all emerge winners.
…and you know what?! The Earth is curing itself! The air in Delhi is as pristine as Switzerland with blue beautiful skies. The cacophony of sounds of rusty clanks and horns hooting to Timbuktu are not there. All silenced after an Opera of Chaos. Peace is returning to the world in its true sense. The wild animals are relieved humans are not getting after their pelts and musk and ivory and aphrodisiac tiger teeth and the Oud bark for sensuality and more. Yes I know the economy is derailed, but there are the smart Cottonians out there who will put it back on the tracks…Surely will.
..out here in Sweden I practise social distancing, driving away from the town I live in and walk the deep forests; 10 km everyday after breakfast. In deep thought the walk takes me back to the path …the Camino to the Monastery at Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Those routes too shut. I left a part of my soul behind on that beautiful path. It waits to merge in to the other half when the Gates of Life open again and I reach out ..again. In the meantime, I walk here in the Nordics….sending my warmest wishes to every Cottonian, whereever you are . May you get stronger day by day…May the Heart of BCS send out long shards of electric salvation through its countless umbilical cords to each and every one of us, as we all know the power of our Holy Trinity Chapel, the strength of our Founder and the strength of each and every one of us.
We are survivors; BCS made us that way. We are not going to give in nor bow down but remain strong and determined….
“ Okay Guys……..Sit down…….STICK IN is over……hope you have changed for the better….!”
Wink-Wink!
Vivek Bhasin
Lefroy 1961-1970
01 April 2020
*to achieve perfection, you need to become strong through emotionless silence…
(Vivek Bhasin)
Great write up – brings back a memory —
It was in 1948 when I was House Captain.
We were assembled in Erwin Hall and there was more than the usual whispers as we waited for a event – it became quite roughed as there was some delay.
Being the prefect of the day I felt order was necessary and we all stood for an hour in silence until the event finally got under way.
It seemed for-ever as I watched the second tick off on my watch.
Never had to use that punishment again.
Thanks Vivek for the reminder.
‘Stick in’ ‘in silence’! No mobile phone, no Internet, no Socisl Media. We managed quite well considering. So long ago can’t remember what we’d be think of? Class, Sports, Movies, Girls (?). But we managed. I’m sure we’ll manage now.
To all Cottonians wherever you are – stay home, stay safe. Maintain physical distancing not social distancing.
VK Pawa
R 56-65
Thanks Vivek for continuing to send in your letters, brings back a lot of memories 😂
I rather vividly remember all the other shit we had to bear up to – the canning, the hanger/slipper on the arse, the punishment drill, the copying of the school boards, however have to admit that I had forgotten this one.
Stick-in!
Not that the experience helps now when its all a balls up!
Absolutely beautifully penned