MyLastDayatSchool

“
Memor
yist
het
reasur
yandguar
dianofal
lthi
ngs.
”
(
Mar
cusTul
li
usCi
cer
o)
Memoriesaremor eindel
i
blet hanink.Day spasshowev
erthememor iesand
associat
ionst
heyleaver
efusetodie.Mylastdayatschooli
soneofthosebygonedays
whosememor yissti
l
lfr
eshandcl earinmymi nd.I
twasoneofthegol
dendaysofmy
l
ife.I
twasadayofsadnessaswel l ashappiness.
Tearstri
ckl
edownmycheeksasIr emembermyl astdayatmyschool.I
twasa
dayofpart
ingandpar t
ingi
nli
feispai
nful
.Itwasthelastchapteroft
hegl
ori
ousbookof
myschoollif
e.Ihadbeenastudentinmyschoolfortenyears.Itwasagol
denperi
odof
myli
febutthisgoldenperi
odpassedawaylikeahappydream.
Dur
ingthisperi
od,Ihadl ear
ntmanyl essonsandmademanyf ri
ends.Ihad
devel
oped greatrespectformyt eachers.Ihad part
ici
pat
ed i
n manyco-curr
icul
ar
acti
vi
ti
esandwonmanypr i
zes.Ihadev ol
vedgreati
nti
macywitht
heschoolbui
ldi
ng.In
fact
,Ihadenjoyedmyst ayatschool.
“Thef
irstdayofschool-
Thedaywhent he
count
downt othelastdayofschoolbegi
ns.
”
AsunnydayofMar chwasmyl astdayatschool
.Theholi
dayspr eparat
orytothe
fi
nalexaminati
onweregoingt ocommencef r
om thenextday
.Allthest udent
swer ein
thei
rbestclothes.Ourj
uniorsof9th cl
asshadhostedaf ar
ewellpart yforusint he
schoolhal
l.Wewer eentert
ainedwit
hspeeches,songsandjokesf ol
lowedbyaf east
i
ncludi
ngbur gersandcolddr i
nks.Ont hatdayweregivenpreparat
or yholi
days.No
teachi
ngworkwasdone.
Ourclassteacherscameasusualt oourcl ass.Theyl ai
dgr eatst
ressont he
i
mpor t
anceofr evi
singpaper s.“I
tiseasi er”saidthey ,“
t osati
sfytheexami nerwit
ha
few l
ineswr it
tencorrectlyandwel l,thanwi thpagesf ul
lofmi st
akes.
”Theyal so
advi
sedusnott obener vousbutt aket heexami nationwi thcourage.Theheadmaster
assur
edust hatevendur i
ngt hepr eparatoryholidays,wecoul dgetourdi ffi
cul
ti
es
removedthroughconsulti
ngwi thourt eachersifwewant edto.
“
Educat
ioni
sthekeyt
ounl
ockt
hegol
dendooroff
reedom.
”
(
Geor
geWashi
ngt
onCar
ver
)
Thebestpartofthef arewellpartywasourheadmast
er’
sspeech.Hegav eus
manygol denpiecesofadvice.Headv i
sedustobehonest
,tr
uthfulanduprighti
nour
deal
ings.Iwi l
lneverforgethi swor ds,“Har
d wor
kand perseveranceisakeyt o
success.”I
ntheend,hewishedal l
ofusasuccessfull
if
eandabrightfut
ure.
Aft
ert
hisourwor
thyheadmasterandt
eachersshowedt
hei
rblessi
ngsonusand
addr
essedafewwordsofwisdom andadvi
ce.Thosewordsar
esti
l
lringi
nginmyears.
Oneofourf
ri
endssangaf
arewel
lsongwhi
chmov
edev
ery
onet
otear
s.
Onbehalfofmycl ass,Ithankedthe9th cl
assfr
iendsforthesumptuouspart
y
theyhadgivenandt hefinewor dstheyhadspoken.Ihear ti
lyt
hankedtheheadmast
er
andt heteacher
sf ortheirkeeni nt
erestinourbenefi
tandpar entall
oveforus.The
occasionwassot ouchi
ngt hatIcouldnothel
psheddingtears.
“
Peoplewi
llf
or getwhatyousaid,peopl
ewi
llf
orgetwhaty
oudi
d,
butpeopl
ewillneverf
orgethowy oumadet
hem feel
.”
(
May
aAngel
ou)
Gloom r eigned i
nt he school.Itookl eave ofmyt eachers,asked forthei
r
blessi
ngsandst artedf
orhome.Il ookedattheschoolbuil
dingthoughtf
ull
y.Theschool
buildi
ng,theplayground,thet
reesint heschoolcourt
yard,
theclassr
oomsandev enthe
schooll i
brar
yseemedt owhispertomehowt heywouldmi ssme.Ev enthelastdayat
school hadended.
Il
eftthegate,butt heschoolbui
ldi
ngseemedt obeckontome.It hrew backa
wi
stf
ulglance.Ithenconsol edmy sel
f.IthoughtIshouldvi
sitt
hisseatoflightand
l
ear
ningonceay ear.Ishouldpaybackmydebtt otheschool
byhelpi
ngitwit
hmoney .
Dayshaverol
ledbysinceIlef
ttheschool
.Whenev
erIsi
tinanidleandthought
ful
mood,thewholepi
cturei
sraisedinfr
ontofme.Ibendmyheadinrespectofmyschool.
CanIeverf
orgetmyschool?No, nev
er.
“
Far
ewel
l,
myf
ri
ends!
Far
ewel
l,
myf
oes!
Mypeacewi
tht
hese.
Myl
ovewi
tht
hose.
”
Inshort
,thelastdayofschoolwasoneofthemostcher i
shedday sofmyl i
fe.It
wasat ur
ningpointinmyli
fewhichwasfil
l
edwithbothjoyandgrief.Iwassadtoleave
myf ri
endsandt eacherswithwhom Ihadassociatedandshar edsomewonder ful
moment sofmyl i
fe.Iwashappyt hatmyschoolhadf ormedmeandt aughtmet o
acceptnew chall
engesinli
fe.Iwassadt oleaveschool;butthel astdayofschool
markedanewbegi nningi
nmyl i
fe.