“WHAT is this? Rain!” I thought as I felt water falling on me. I was confused, then I heard someone calling me.

“Get up! Get up!” It was my mum trying to wake me up and she had sprinkled water on me in desperation.

I opened my eyes. I had a quick glance at the wall clock. It was 07:45 am. ‘Oh my God! I was late for school again!’ I thought. Hurriedly I got ready for school. Without having breakfast, I picked up my bag and rushed out.

As I enter the school gate, the primary students were having their sports period. A little girl of about seven, came running towards me although she was looking towards her right and hit me. She fell and started crying. The sports teacher came running towards her. I picked her up but she stared at me as if she was going to kill me.

The teacher asked her, “What’s the matter? Why are you crying?”

She just pointed towards me. I don’t know why I was standing there? Maybe I was out of my senses!

“You!” he yelled, “Being a senior in the school doesn’t mean that you are going to push your juniors down!”

“But sir ... sir I ....” before I could clear myself, he ordered me to follow him to the principal’s office. I had no option but to follow.

The sports teacher reported the incident to the principal. She looked at me from head to toe and then again from toe up to the head. Then her graze turned to my school bag. Then she said, “This type of behaviour shall not be tolerated. First look at your watch, it’s about 08:20. This is not the time to come to school. Second, what you did to that junior is not acceptable at all. I am giving you a warning not to do this in future. You can leave now!”

“Ma’am, but I didn’t push that gir!” I protested. “She was ....”

“Didn’t you hear me? You may leave!” she ordered.

I rushed out of her office and made my way towards my class. I tried to keep calm. When I reached the door of my classroom, I politely asked, “Please may I come in?”

Everyone first starred at me then at their watches. My physics teacher looked at me then said “Ahaan... So it’s finally morning for you! Come in or do you need a special invitation?’ she said in an angry tone. I lowered my eyes and went straight up to my seat and she started to teach again.

My friend wrote a note and passed it to me. He had written “Today is the speech competition”.

I sighed. I remembered keeping the paper with my written speech in my bag so I was relaxed and gave him an assuring look. As soon as the physics period ended, everyone walked in a line towards the hall where the competition was to be held. I quickly grabbed the paper with my speech from my bag and rushed towards the hall. I took my place among the participants on the stage and soon the anounceer called my name. I moved towards the centre of the stage and opened the folds of the sheet while looking at the audience.

“Good Morning!” I started cheerfully and confidently. “Today we are discussing the influence of information technology on youth. As you all know ...” by this time I had opened the paper I had because I needed to glance in it to see the points I was going to speak.

“A bunch of coriander, a dozen eggs... What the ...!” I paused as I looked down in confusion at the paper. It was not my speech but mum’s shopping list!

Everyone starred me in utter confusion and then they burst out into laughter. I turned red with embarrassment and, after taking a few deep breaths, managed meekly, “Er, sorry for that. Let me start again. Information technology today is ....” I don’t remember what I said after that, but I did manage to speak for a couple of minutes while everyone looked in amazement at my confused face. Hastely concluding my speech, I stepped down and rushed to the washroom where I first cried at what happened. Then I couldn’t help laughing at it and realised that it was just meant to be a day when everything would go wrong.