Surya was quite the handful, especially on his very first day of kindergarten. While other children were teary-eyed and parents were saying their goodbyes, Surya decided to embark on an adventure that would become legendary.

Surya was a bundle of boundless energy and insatiable curiosity. On that memorable morning, the classroom didn’t quite appeal to him, and he had other plans. As I tried to discreetly check in on him and perhaps get a glimpse of my little explorer, I felt an unexpected tug on my kurta from behind. To my astonishment, it was Surya, who had made a daring escape through a small, grilled window! The teacher was left utterly speechless and turned to me, saying, “In all my 20 years of service at this school, your son is the first to pull off such a stunt!”

It took a few weeks for Surya to acclimate to the school routine, and to ensure he didn’t pull off any more escapades, I decided to accompany him in the school van. His classmates, seeing me by his side, affectionately referred to me as “aunty,” and the other parents regarded me as their saviour.

As time went on, Surya advanced to upper kindergarten and became more independent. One day, I asked him about his class teacher, intrigued by the person who was guiding my spirited son’s early education. Surya, with a sly grin, replied, “My class teacher is Mrs. Poison, and I really like her.”

I was taken aback, wondering what kind of a name “Mrs. Poison” could be. Perhaps it was inspired by an exotic fragrance or something equally peculiar. Nevertheless, I decided to visit the school one day to pick up Surya, and I was asked to wait until all the children had left.

One day, after school hours, Mrs. Blossom, the teacher whom Surya endearingly referred to as “Mrs. Poison,” approached me with a playful twinkle in her eye. She said, “You’ve got quite a mischievous son, you know.” She went on to reveal that Surya had told her that very day, “I love you, Miss,” and had even blushed!

I couldn’t help but chuckle and responded, “He tells me that all the time because he loves me the most, but I’m delighted to hear that he loves you too.” Mrs. Blossom, initially baffled, soon realised that Surya’s “I love you” phrase wasn’t reserved just for her but was something many students said to their teachers.

From that day forward, Surya and Mrs. Blossom formed a unique bond. They became good friends, sharing stories of Surya’s adventurous escapades and the joys of teaching. Surya’s journey through kindergarten was a delightful and heartwarming tale, filled with unexpected twists and turns, much like the spirited young boy himself.