To Miss, With Love

As little girls, we played School-School. The whole point of the game was to get to be the teacher and boss over the ‘children’. Endless afternoons were spent mimicking Miss—teaching the class, firmly punishing or reprimanding them, then deciding to reluctantly forgive later. Tests were conducted in a tense atmosphere. Correcting the answer scripts was the best—with the flourish of a red pen you got to decide your friends’ fates. Perhaps we were preparing ourselves for the harsh adult world that awaited us.

All this was so long ago that ‘superheroes’ had not entered our vocabulary. For every little girl—and boy (except those determined to become engine drivers)—our teachers were our heroes.

Then, growing up, we saw the world in a new light, and their capes began to fall away. We learnt to see our teachers as fallible, ordinary. But no matter how cynical you got, a handful of teachers remained unforgettable. For me it is a certain Miss De Santos, who was firm, principled and wise. She looked thoughtful most of the time, but rewarded you with the kindest smile when you managed to win her approval. My little heart felt a spike of joy that seems priceless to this day.

This September, we celebrate our most loved teachers with writer Devapriya Roy. The cover story on how sugar can make us sick is an important read—just ahead of the festive season. Kindness of Strangers, ‘Word Sleuth’, ‘In the Land of Nirvana’, the Drama and Bonus Read are all worth a read.

Until next month, then!