Nervous Readers

"Namgay Wangchuk, come!" I call out. Namgay Wangchuk performs a round of twists and turns before he reaches in front of the class with his English text book. His crimson-blush almost invisible in his sun-darkened face. "Read!" it's a command. He puts his free hand on his forehead, "letter from Laya..." he begins and further scratch, scratch, scratch goes his hand on his head. And it is more scratch as he continues to read.

"Is your head itchy?" I want to ask him but put it off knowing full well that it is just an act of nervousness and nothing else. Every time I cast a look on him, I see a undefinable smile dancing on his lips and he averts his eyes away, away from my gaze.

"Ok, go now." Namgay almost brushes me out as he rushes to his seat, relieved to have finished his share of reading for the period.

"Ugyen Uden!" I call out, the next reader.A large fat tongue greets my gaze. Slowly the biggest girl in the class gets up from her seat. She tugs her tego, as if checking whether it is tugged in place or not. Her hand goes swish!swish! beneath the front fold of her kira and as her hands is pulling at her loose pony tail, I shout, "Ugyen! Come fast!"

She comes but doesn't come fast enough. some boys mumble something and I see Ugyen Uden casting them an angry glare. I wait for that bulky girl to continue reading. She struggles with the first word itself. She gives it a shot, shakes her head vigorously, tries again and again shakes her head. Deki, who is the best reader in the class softly pronounces the word beneath her breadth. I find it funny but I don't laugh. Ugyen Uden's hair is dancing infront of her eyes while she keeps on pulling that particular strand behind her ears. Three fourth of her three minutes is spent pulling out that stray hair than getting her words correct.

"Raj Gurung." He scurries like a tiny mouse. He is tiny but more than Jerry mouse, he reminds me of Pluto, Mickey Mouse's dog. Maybe it is his ears that stands out on the either sides of his almost bald head. He gives me his full toothed smile. Every line he reads, he slams his foot on the floor. I wonder, " class four downstairs must be wondering what's happening up here."(if they can hear his footsie by anyway).

Next is Tsheten's turn. This boy's laughter is a force in itself to reckon with. After every word, he makes his head take a plunge between his shoulders. And this tremors of his giggles and quaking of his shoulders become more intense whenever I look at him.

Finally I call Deki Seldon, the tiny Minnie Mouse of the class. She is a pretty little girl who is the best reader. But every time she comes in the front, the whole class roars with laughter. She has this peculiar habit of squinting her eyes and casting a sideways glance at her textbook with her body twisted half way. And her eyes grow further smaller whenever she comes across big words.

Just then the bell rings and before I can ask her to go back to her seat, she hurries away on her own. I pick up my stuff, thank them and come out. All these images makes a quick run in my mind as I walk back to the staffroom and I smile biting my lips hard so that I can continue hiding the big laughter. But I know by the time I reach the staff room, I would meet so many other sights that these nervous little kids' images would be drowned into oblivion.
(Do you think so??????????? ;) :) ;) )