Rough Road to Education

I have written this article not to boast myself nor to offend anyone in the article.  That is why, I have withheld all the names. I wanted to speak my mind looking back how I grew in my life. 

Since my childhood days, I had a fascination to learn and be educated.  I wanted to be someone better than I was. But my road to education took much more than I would have imagined. I was caught in numerous obstacles one after another. But I never gave up what may come on my way.

Sudden and untimely death of my mother due to a complication of her delivery left my dreams shattered and faraway as my father left me with my grandpa in search of another woman. My youngest sibling from mother could also survive for only
few weeks after my demise of my mother.  The death of my mother and absence of my father was not much felt until my grandpa took his last breathe leaving alone as he loved me so much that he took care of me with so much love and care.

With the demise of grandpa, my life has never been same as before. I was left with no love and care. I had to live with my one of my aunts, my mother’s eldest sister. She had her own children and having difficult time. Though she never discriminated me, I always felt something different in my mind. I joined her family and became a cow herd. Going to school became almost impossible though that was the right time for me to get enrolled. It could have been two possible reasons. The school was too far away from my place, may  have been about 14 to 20km and there was no bordering facility. Second, she even could not send her own daughter to school due to difficulty at home.

Despite of this, my fate to education was not completely vanished as her husband was a former monk. So I was taught the Dzongkha Literature of reading while I looked after their cattle. Within not much time, I was able to read all the alphabets, even some words and sentences. Thus, a seed of my education was sown since then. I landed up being a cowherd with my aunt for about four to five years as could I remember till one day my father came.

I was so attached to my parents since my childhood days, both mother and father. When my father said that I he will take me with him, I was so delighted and happy. I went with him and entered the family of my step family. By then, my step had two, a daughter and son from her previous husband and one from my father. I was welcomed in their family.  Both her children were going to school. Daughter was elder than me and son, just a year younger to me. I was treated well and I feel that I was fortunate to have them as my step family.

When I saw that all the boys and girls of my age in that village were attending school, I would envy them and wished I could go to school too. Here, too I landed up not only looking after cattle of ours but also neighbors. It took another few years of my life to education, meaning I was getting late for any formal modern education.  I used to learn English Alphabets and numbers from my step-brother as we used to be very close like own brother since then. I could read them and knew how to write too. Some of neighbors saw what I used to write and would discuss themselves that, I could be an intelligent if I go to school. I don’t know what actual reason was for father not sending me to school. I remember, overhearing a few times, my step-mother telling my father, if I am admitted in school. He would tell that, as an orphan, school would not be a better but a monkhood could be one possible. But I was neither enrolled in monk nor in school. I was just herding cattle for years.

 One day, god has not forgotten my passion for education when a rich village influential person called me to his house and asked me if I am interested in going to school.  I would call him my god father. Without any further thinking, immediately I responded that I would be very much obliged, if I get an opportunity. Along with me, there was another boy who was age of step-brother. That man found a sponsorship for our education, another rich person from my village. We were taken to his place and told that we would be admitted into school. So my god father took two of us to the nearest school which was about five kilometres away for admission as the schools has already started their academic session. By then, in actual, I was running thirteen years and my friend twelve years. Fortunately, in our census, I was 10 years old and he was 9 years old. However, our fortune was not near. The school authorities informed us that, since that school is very renowned, there was no vacant seat for new students in pre-primary standard. We returned home hopeless and disheartened.

A few weeks later, in a village meeting, a proposal came that, government will start a new school in my village and even took our names those who were still quite young but missed school. I eagerly waited for the day to announce us to join the class. There were now new buildings, but we were told that for the time being, one of the village temples would be used as a classroom. I didn’t know why, but that school never materialized.

After few months, since that school did not come up, our god father suggested that we should try our admission in another school in the next gewog called Dotey Primary School. Our village headman took two of us to that school. The school was about eight to ten kilometer away. The day of fortune fell on us, when the headmaster welcomed us in this school. We were the first to study in that school from our village. I was so glad and happy that, finally I was able to study which was due for so long.

With our admission formalities completed, we are given school uniform and necessaries for our school. We didn’t have to buy any stationery as school was provided. Though, we got our admission, it was already end of August. This means, the academic session was almost coming to end in few more months. During those days, it used to a trimester and our classmates already completed two terms and two exams. They finished learning alphabets, so many words and even sentences and all nursery rhymes.  My previous effort to learn alphabets and numbers came in handy was I was able to read them before I got into school. But I was still short of other parts already completed. My friend knew more than me, because he actually attended school and dropped out.  The reason could be demise of his father and his mother leaving him with his aunts, like me. But unfortunately, his aunt and their family were quite cruel to him which further made his life more miserable.

We were fortunate that when the school decided to conduct a different exams for two of us. We tried our best and finally results came. We both got through to the next level, first standard. Our long distance travel of few months was finally paid.

We were called by our sponsor. They saw our results. I performed better than my friend. They said, if I wish to stay with them and study. I accepted much thought since they were rich, I would not have to work and also I would learn more since they were educated and had no children of their own. I proudly left my father and village. I was enrolled in Motithang Primary school, now called Jigme Namgyel Lower Secondary School. We had classes from pre-primary till fourth standard. I liked the school very much. But, when I actually reached there, I was not without household chores. I had to get up early in the morning, clean the house and go to school. After my school, I had to come back quickly and help their maids to cook meals and clean the house. I would study and complete my homeworks. Sometimes, they would allow me to watch movies with them. I liked the life but I was not free from mental stress as I was living with complete strangers, who were elite in the society and myself coming from one of the rustic villages. The difference was huge.

I remember, my father came to my place once since I left him. He told me to study, not to tell lies, not to steal and listen to them whatever they say. I wished, he could take me back home with him. But I never told him.

I remember I was in class-IE. I really used to work hard. The teachers used to like me a lot. I was able to do better than my class mates though we didn’t have the exams yet. I was taken even to higher schools to read books and papers as they found I would read better than they expected. Ofcourse, since my entering into school, I would pick up everything even from the roadside like thrown away news papers and try to read though I didn’t know what it meant. My life in that school abruptly came to end.

My host family accused me of stealing money from their house. I still remember that I could not think of even attempting to steal. I was so scared that I ran away from their house and slept in nearby house which was within the same campus but I was empty. I wished to go to my village. But I neither had idea to how to travel back nor I had any money. I went back to my host family. I told them I did not steal anything. They refused to believe me. They took me to the police station. Entering into the police station was the most fearful and terrible even in my life. The reason for such fear came from my childhood experience.  One time, when I was small with my father and other, I burnt down a heap of dried pine leaves which nearly burnt our house. I was told by a villager in that village that police would come and imprison me, torture me. Since then, whenever I saw any policeman, I used to get scared.

This time, my host family woman told me that, if I don’t confess to the crime, police would use chains and iron rod to smash my fingers till I confess. Out of fear and due to their threat, I remember, I confessed I stole their money. They asked me where I kept the money. Since, in actual sense, I did not steal, how will I answer where is the money. But I knew one grocery shop near my school. I told them that I used in that shop and finished the money. They took me there. I don’t remember what happened there. Then, they finally took me home and asked me to pack all my things which I brought from Paro. The took me in a car and mentally tortured me telling me I was a thief. I felt so bad because I never steal their money but I was helpless. Finally, I was handed over to my father. Since then, help from my sponsor ended completely.

After a few months, I was again taken back to my previous school. My old school welcomed me without any question. I continued my first standard. Within few weeks, I won the hearts of my teachers. Many teachers felt I stood better over rest in my class. I remember that, sometimes, my class teacher used to ask me to correct the workbook of my classmates whenever he was busy. It was 17^th December 1992; I went to receive my academic result. I stood first and also got few notebooks as prize. Since then, I have worked hard amidst all obstacles throughout my entire schooling and was able to complete my university graduation in 2007 and post-graduation in 2009 and now law degree halfway through.