Going Back To School

In a few weeks, they will be closing the gates to my old Secondary school and possibly tearing down the whole building. I have mixed feelings about it. I never liked school when I was in Secondary but this whole place is filled with so many memories for me. Good and bad.

I decided to take the day off and together with both my kids, headed over to CHIJ Katong Convent Secondary to share some memories with my children, soak in all the memories of the place myself and to visit with the Aunty and Uncle from the bookshop who will finally be retiring.

My kids and I walked past Block 51. The memories already started to pour back in. How the void deck used to be our hang out after school. We’d meet with the boys from St Patricks. We’d head up the block and smoke. How the Town Council took away the stone chairs that were under the block because of us and in hopes it would stop us from hanging around…but we just sat on the dirty concrete floors.

Walked through the front gates of the school, only to pass the security. I then thought to myself, “Son of a gun….I am glad there was no such thing when I was in school. How would I escape during recess?” …. Haha

Everything was still the same….the foyer, the stairs heading up to the hall, the chapel…. We then made our way to the canteen where the bookshop was. Mr and Mrs Lim were both there. Mrs Lim was especially happy to see me. She’s always remembered me since I was a little girl in Primary 1. I would always cry and not want to go to school, so my mum would have to bribe me by taking me to the bookshop to buy something. Mrs Lim always remembered that.

She was thrilled to meet my kids and gave them each a pencil. And as we were chatting, my most hated teacher walks in. After the time I told her off, all she could do was give me half a smile. Haha.

We then went over to the drinks stall as the kids were getting thirsty.  The aunty and uncle there also remembered me.

Continued to walk around the school grounds. Went in to the AVA theatre, the art room, science labs, classrooms…. There were so many good and bad memories. I recalled the places we would hide at when we wanted to skip a class or assembly. The bridge that would connect St Patricks to our school, the fence with the hole we used to use to escape school whenever we wanted to.

Those were the days. That was my childhood. I just do not know how I would react if my daughter turned out to be exactly what I was in Secondary school?? I would say KARMA. Hahaha…..