Why I dont get April Fooled?

(A Note: I is not me, maybe some of me but not all, for sure)

Come first April, and the mind brings back memories of that 1 st April many many years ago…

It wasn’t a big deal, and I am sure some people have gone through worse 1 st April’s. But, for me that day will never be forgotten. I was in a boarding school then. I was not used to the boarding life and in fact I never got used to it (because fortunately, I was taken out of the boarding school and got to live with my parents…but that’s another story).

They tell me, when any of the family used to come visiting, I used to catch hold of their legs and beg them to take me out of there (That no one actually did, made me wonder if anyone loved me at all. I am sure, if I had to live in the boarding school for a few more years, I would be convinced I was unwanted). Oh! One thing I forgot to mention here—I was the youngest kid in the boarding, about five or six years old.

One fine morning (the date,as I later realized, was 1st April), I was shaken into reality from the deep, dark, secret realms of my dreams (I dream a lot, but that again is another story) by some loud shouting children, calling out my name.

“ Rahul, get up, someone’s here to see you.”

I woke up, and like always, the thought of someone coming to see me filled me with great joy. I thought maybe this was my rescuer. Maybe this time I will be able to catch hold of that leg and they wont be able to break my grip. Maybe this time they will take pity on me and take me with them.

“Who’s it?” I asked.

“ Well, someone you want to see”, said one of the kids with a twinkle in his eye. I had seen that twinkle in his eyes when he was with his parents. So, I imagined that it was my parents who had finally discovered that they loved me and couldn’t stand to live without me. I don’t know, how many of you have been in a situation like this, but the happiness I felt in those five seconds was pure and unadulterated. It was bliss; it was heaven to be alive in those few seconds. I ran (bare feet, mind you) up the stairs and into the waiting room where the visitors were made to wait. I reached there in record time (To this day, I think it’s a pity no one timed my effort).

The silence of the empty waiting room welcomed me. Yet, I was not one to give up hope so easily. I thought maybe whoever it was, was going to surprise me. I looked here and I looked there. I looked behind the door and even under the table. It never occurred to me at that time that only a dwarf could fit under that table, and I surely don’t have any dwarfs in my family. At that moment I heard laughter, jeering and shouting behind me (How heartless children can be…Ok before you say anything I accept that it was all done in good humour…but it was still heartless). I realized then, it was all a joke.

So there I was, standing with tears welling up inside me, looking at the wall, as the kids stood at the door having a good laugh at my expense. I dared not turn and face them. The moral victory would still be mine. All I had to do was to keep the tears in, get a smile on my face, turn around and join the club. Well, that was what I thought but try, as much, I could not do that. All I was able to do was run back (another record time) to my bed and wet my pillow with the most innocent tears ever shed. I was not to be rescued that day either but in the span of those fifteen minutes I experienced pure joy and extreme sadness.

Though there was a silver lining to the dark cloud . Never again, to this day, have I been fooled on an April Fool’s day.