"That doesn't make sense!" S said as he looked up from my farewell invitation card during board-prac-week. "I mean, what the hell??"
No, we told him, it's like, Farewell *cheers* to a new beginning!! Like a toast.
Aah.
After two-or-more-weeks of roaming around with the Farewell on the brain, it was finally here. Yay and all that. Saris were draped, hair was combed, fingers were crossed, I even went very out of character and bought blue eyeliner! And we just prayed that the 11th graders would give us a better farewell than what we gave our seniors.
So I get to school to find that out of our girl-gang, only Snoopy's turned up, looking all 80's style diva fab in a black sheer sari with big hair. Then I find Vagi (short for Vagina, that's my nickname for her, how it started is another -entirely clean- story*) in pale blue chiffon, and she's actually listened to us and let her hair down. And Jan, in pink. With a haircut. After the usual eye-sweep pver the crowd, who's wearing what, etc, we made our way into the hall and found our seats. Sneh etc finally turn up and we proceed to enjoy the great show the 11ths put on for us.
There were the usual songs, dances, and a special dance by two of the council guys to an 'emotional song'....tu cheez badi hai mast mast.....which has us, well, me, rolling in laughter.
We were uncharacteristically effervescent, excited, obviously, at being together again after so long......Basically we went mad, cracking bad jokes, passing comments, screaming our throats out.....
I didn't tear up. I didn't get nostalgic. I didn't get all emo. And now, I really wonder why. I mean, I've been in the same school for 12 years, and it's made me who I am now.......I guess it hasn't really sunk in yet...
Then the school awards........pretty cool, really, Snoopy won Miss Genius, I won Miss talented, so all happy-happy.
Unfortunately the pic they flashed on screen for the nominations, that was the passport photo i took two years ago. Where I looked like a guy. Not even androgynous. Shit. I got a lot of ribbing about that.
All too soon, it was over and it was picture time, clickclick!!!
And then we split, sneh snoopy anki subin went bowling, I went to the Farewell after-party woth Jan, Vagi, S and Rak.
And then when we get there I found out that two of the girls I went with are suddenly part of a couple. And plan to spend the night cozying up the the other half of their respective couples. And Jan wasn't in a dancy mood. And I was.
So I danced. Under the neon lights (which made anyone wearing bright colours look like a traffic signal) and the psychedelic-y posters, I danced. I danced alone, then I danced with the girls from 12 A, I danced with RK, and then when my feet hurt, I watched the couples on the floor, not bothering with the music or the beat, just happy to be with each other. Got a bit lonely (so what's new...), went and sat with Jan, had a little heart to heart about her situation and all, laughed at the glo-in-the-dark-couple (Vagi was wearing white, so was the other.) then did the wise thing and spent credit international messaging a friend in Bombay. Who was mercifully awake at that time. Thanks luv, you made my night. Well, a quarter of it anyway.
And then I danced again, alone, with my eyes closed, clowing, fluorescent, letting the music and the lights wash over me, I danced like no one was watching.
And now it's all over. Now there is truly nothing left for me this year. Except for those pesky exams. And the study study.
So as usual I say, My presence here will be erratic.
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* the Vagina story, you say? well, she addresses me as 'Bum', so one day I went one step further and nicknamed her Vagina. So now she's my Vagina. See, even my vagina has a vagina!
ok that was a little too much.
