A DREAM COME TRUE
It was a dream come true. I had heard what a wonderful school Penang Free School was, how lucky it was to study there, and what great people the school had produced. But was that what made Free School so wonderful? I was soon to find out.
The primary schools common examination results were just out, and having scored a "A" grade, I had the chance of being promoted to the Penang Free School. How elated, jubilant I felt. It was the best news I heard, the best present I had, since the time I could remember anything.
It was a happy co-incidence that my primary school was Hutchings School, where I studied from Standard Three to Standard Six. Before that I studied in Wellesley Primary School for my Standard One and Standard Two, which were initially called Primary One and Primary Two. Hutchings School was named after Reverence R.S. Hutchings, the man who founded Penang Free School on 21st October 1816, three years earlier than the British foundation of Singapore. It was called Free School, not because pupils did not have to pay fees, but because it was open to pupils of all races and religions, which was actually a remarkably liberal philosophy at that time.
Earlier, just after the Standard Six common examination and before the results were announced, my primary school classmate, Munny, and I visited this fabulous school. We took a bus from town. At that time it cost us only five cents each. I have not ridden on a bus for quite some time now, so I do not know the present fare, but I think today it must cost about a dollar. Even five cents was a great sacrifice to me at that time, because I usually had little or no money, and with five cents I could have bought a nice piece of cake or a cool drink of coconut water.
But I was happy I made the sacrifice. I think I paid ten cents, not just five, because I had to pay for Munny's fare too. It was a deal: I paid the fare and Munny showed the way. It was a fair deal because it was I who wanted to see the fabulous school. I was poor, but Munny was even poorer. Even at a tender age, Munny had to help his mother sell tit bits near a toddy shop at Market Lane in town, and that morning he specially took time off to show me the marvelous school, which seemed in our little minds to be so far, far away in the countryside.
We used to tease Munny often. "Money! Money!" we would call out loudly, and put out our palms. "My name is Munny, M U N N Y, Munny, not Money," he would reply with a smile. He always wore a smile, and that made him look very pleasant, despite his old, torn clothes.
Poor Munny. He usually had no money, but he was usually happy. Poor, happy Munny. This little, charming Indian friend of my childhood days, often reminds me -- actually more significantly at that time than now, though I was not consciously aware of it then -- that we can still be happy even though we may not have much money.
"You sure know where is Free School?" I asked him.
"Sure, at Green Lane."
Sure enough, Green Lane was really green at that time. The then narrow road was lined with hugh ansana trees all the way. The beautiful state mosque, the majestic flyovers and the unending traffic that have become part of Green Lane nowadays were added much later.
Munny and I alighted from the Green Lane bus which still plies the route today. We walked passed the headmaster's quarters which still stand now as of old, like a lovely English cottage in a luxuriant equatorial groove. We sat under a spreading tree, and looking across the gigantic field, which seemed to extend endlessly in our boyish minds, we saw the main building of the Penang Free School -- whitish, stately and magnificent, glittering prominently in the morning sunshine. Actually, with its long facade of symmetrical arch windows, sheltered veranda and central dome, it looked more like a monumental building, a classical museum or even a palace to me.
"So big," Munny said.
"And so beautiful."
"So big you can get lost in it. Friends say some pupils lost their ways in the school."
"How nice to study in Free School," I said.
"Hope we study here together."
It was a pity that Munny could not get into Free School, because he obtained a grade "B" in the common examination. Penang Free School accepted only "A" students.
That was actually the second time I saw Penang Free School. Months earlier, my mother took me to see an aunt who lived further up the then country road. Out of a bus window I saw parts of a splendid building amidst leaves of some flame-of-the-forests. I did not know that was Penang Free School. A particular structure impressed me: it was like a chateau. My young mind was fascinated to find a castle, and images of romantic knights on flamboyant horses from stories heard in primary schools, flashed into my head. Indeed, when I was studying in Free School later, that chateau, that part of the school building extending from the main office block to the hostelites' canteen, always enchanted me. It is a pity that this chateau is now blocked by other buildings.
But what was so wonderful about Penang Free School? I could not wait to find out. So as soon as I knew about my lucky promotion to Free School, I cycled my father's old bicycle, which my beloved father had given me as a present for my good examination results, to this dream school of mine. I was quite brave for my age, but the prospect of studying in Free School actually made me braver. I ran up the stairs to the school office, and asked a short, cheerful man there.
"Sir, I am just promoted to Free School," I proudly said in my best English. "May I have a book list, please?"
"Book list? What book list?"
"Book list, so that I can buy the necessary text books."
School students nowadays are lucky. They are provided with free books, on loan to them for the whole year by the government. During my time, we had to buy our own books, and we had to buy them early, before they became out of stock.
The short, cheerful man, whom I later found out to be the school clerk, turned around to his colleague, who was busy typing at a typewriter. "Hei, look! We have a really keen pupil coming to Free School."
"Boy," he turned back to me, "it's still early. Go, enjoy your holidays. Come back on the first day of school. Your form teacher will give you your book list."
So I had to wait a month before school reopened -- before I could find out what was so wonderful about Penang Free School. But before I left the school compound, I went over to my favourite chateau. I touched it, felt it, and was convinced that it was real and true. I was not dreaming; I was really going to study in Penang Free School.
LINKS