To Sir with Love ( My version ).

A few senior boys and their thugs stormed into the school during interval/recess time to beat up a classmate, when we were in grade 10.

We did not say nor do anything to avert but watched in shock as we did not know what to do.

The chemistry subject was the period immediately after the break and as the master entered the class, we knew that he was not in a mood to teach.

He was silent for some time and we waited for him to say something.

Then he asked all of us a very simple question.

"What kind of young men are you, watching your fellow student being beaten up by thugs on the school premises and doing nothing?"

There was no chemistry lesson that afternoon and some enjoyed the break but a few started pondering the incident seriously.

Having enjoyed success the previous day, the seniors and thugs revisited during the interval with the idea of bashing the poor fellow up a little more.

What happened thereafter is well known in the school history and that was the last time we had thugs visiting school or seniors flexing their muscles.

The chemistry master came to class grinning from ear to ear after the interval that day.

Recently, we had an old teacher’s felicitation ceremony but sadly he could not be invited for obvious reasons.

The value of unity and standing up against injustice were two lessons we learned from that great Chemistry master.

(May our old Chemistry master attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana).