Today was the day I was waiting for since the day I left the Sankul last year. Despite trying to make it back throughout the year my schedule was packed between classes, coaching, soccer, and various events I ended up planning. None the less, there was not a day that didn’t go by where I wasn’t missing my kids or telling whoever I could about them and my time in India.
Finally after months of trying to figure out a time to go, then waiting in anticipation to be there once my tickets were booked, this day couldn’t have come soon enough.
After a fairly busy morning, we finally reached Sidsar around 3 pm via breakfast at Masa’s farmhouse and stopping by to pay our respects to Bhabhu in Bhayavadar. While we were in Bhayavadar I got to meet the three little pups that will grow up to be guard dogs (one will be a guard dog at the school). But cute puppies don’t even compare to the rest of my day.
On the way from Bhayavadar to Sidsar my excitement was through the roof of the Honda City we were driving in. As soon as we pulled into the Vevati Bhavan (the Admin building and also where my room is), the girls had been playing there waiting for me to arrive, surrounded the car with themselves, their smiles, and their squeals of excitement and yelling “Aekta Didi”. When got out, I was greeted by the biggest smiles and the biggest hugs. They had an idea I was coming today, dad had not told them the exact day.
Quickly after hi’s and hugs, I explained to them that I had to go do something important. Dad had set up two fish tanks in one of the first and second grade classrooms (a rare commodity in India). The little kids had be waiting for days for the fish to come, but dad could only get the fish in Rajkot (a city). He let me deliver the fish which I loved: 1) because the kids are so cute and they got so excited and 2) because they will now remember who I am and wave to me in the corridors.
As I walked towards the primary school with the fish, I ran into my favorite person. I would try to deny that I don’t have favorites but when it comes to Manisha Masi, I do; she always take care of me and has such a loving personality. I had been waiting a year to see her and of course no one makes chai like Masi, so to drink her chai.
Along the way kids would start realizing it was me and would wave feverously and would run out of the line to give me a hug with excitement while getting mad at me for taking a whole year to come back. I could also hear the new kids, confused of who I was, so the kids who were there last year would inform them, it was adorable.
All the girls who passed me kept telling me they had a Koh tournament during sports/free play time today, so I headed there when it was time. I was so excited to see the girls getting involved in athletics and being active. There are some exciting changes that happened while I was gone and this is just one of the many, I have already encountered.
In the upcoming days I will talk more about the changes and progress. But today I will keep it short, as it’s been only two days since I got to India and I’m exhausted from the jetlag. I am so excited to see all the things I will be able to do in the next two weeks and all the new memories I will have the chance to make. Today, I am just thankful for being back here and having this opportunity again. My heart is full.
- Aekta
P.S. For those of you wondering, no I did not remember many names. I remembered a few names of the kids of who I interacted with the most but I did remember all the returning kids’ faces! I did remember all the returning teachers but there are a lot of new teacher’s names I have to learn!
