Our Swimming Pool

It was a Monday morning of April 2003...we all were gathered in our school's auditorium .Our Correspondent was about to make a very important announcement.The air was filled with anxious and expecting thoughts without the slightest idea of wat we were about to face...Whispers all over..and suddenly a deafening silence filled the hall...and if u hadnt guessed that the corres had entered the hall ,,sorry..i cant help it.There he was on the stage ,one of the men i really respect and admire, making his very characteristic shoulder shrugs.Whenever he spoke n one dared to make a noise and even this time it was the same.He started speaking on his future plans to develop the school etc etc,,and den came the real happy news ---That the much awaited swimming pool of our school was ready for opening and regular use..and this was followed by the most deafening roar of applause ive ever heard...we all were of course happy...and to the happiness was the fact that it was my class the most famous of the school ,would be the first ones to enter the swimming pool..
We had been already been issued with our swimming costumes which were waiting to be used.The full week was very exciting with lots of plans ,expectations etc etc..whenever any one spoke there was some reference to the swimming pool .This wait was even more exciting than real swimming would ever be.Finally the day arrived.We arrived at the swimming pool via our school buses singing ,shouting all the way..and most ironically making fun of Sairam college buses which crossed us...who knew that I would end up in that same college?
With a very happy heart we entered the swimming pool campus where our correspondent and principal mam were waiting for us.I am literally out of words to explain the grandeur of the swimming pool.With the real Olympic dimensions and all safety precautions it was like a huge lake brimming with water.Following the regular Pooja we were asked to cahnge our costumes and get into the shower and clean ourselves first.Each of us were given a seperate room to keep our bags and uniforms.Unable to withstand the excitement I quickly stripped off cahnged over to my swimming costume and rushed to the shower platform hoping I wud b the first one...der wer already 10 ready to jump into the pool.We all formed a queue and started inching towards the swiming pool which was slightly elevated from the rest of the campus.Stnding in front of a crowd with just a tiny shorts was a first time to all of us and der was this element of shyness lingering around..in all faces I could see this HEHEHEHE sort of a smile.
As usual me being a fat scapegoat was pushed to lead the line to the swimming coaches.Carefully patrolling to see if there was some female nearby we reached the swimming pool.Excitement levels started rising when the caoch said that we would not be allowed to jump into the pool straightaway without the initial warmups .Now it was say 15 minutes since we were bare bodied and all inhibitions were lost and the usual warmth and the casual feel spread around.
I was very sincerely lost in my pushups when suddenly I heard the the noise of bangles...shocked to have been barebodied in front of a girl I rose up my head to see that it was my principal mam.Now all had seen her and started hiding behind me and I as usual was pretending to be a sincere boy was continuing my warmups..and our mam sensing the shyness of the boys left asking us to be casual and have fun.And den we heard the whistle.
I was a very proud one to jump first in to our very own swimming pool.With my head under water looked up to see my excited friends waiting for my feedback.I rose up and gave them the most happy smile I could ever manage to produce.One by one all of us jumped inside.With the prior knowledge of swimming few of us ventured into the deep ends exploring the nooks and corners very very proudly.The days that followed were the happiest in my life .Our pranks ,mischiefs,races,dives,pushes ,kicks and words we invented in due course of our classes like rotation swim,doubles swim,dog swim etc etc still remain intact in my mind...golden days that wont come back and friends whom I can never ever dare to forget .Thanks to our corres sir for making my life so wonderful.
More insight to what my school is and how I was in school...click here to see my older post....