The Attache Case

As told by- the school bag



One school bag, an attaché case and mind you not of a briefcase variety, out of a motley group of about six, spoke boldly defying its rather feeble condition. Showing mental and vocal strength of educationists whose proximity had rubbed on to it, it told its tale in a rather elite language.

“I have seen better times. Oh! Those were the days, my friends, of fun and romance. I was toast of the town, meaning the shop. Purja and his mom picked me out of so many others due to my color, capacity and sturdiness. I was rather striking looking, even if I say so myself. Purja showed me off rather proudly on the first day of school after the summer break. My biceps and triceps were not to be trifled with. I could easily support him when he sat on me waiting for his bus after school. As you all know, most of us attaché cases also doubled as temporary sitting or resting units providing waiting children some respite. Within a month though, Purja-effect began to show as his filling capacity began mocking my actual capacity. I started bulging.”

“Once an educationist always an educationist. You are confusing me with the technical terms like filling versus actual capacity. Please try to be less mathematical.” Pleaded an old notebook of dubious intelligence.

“Don’t be so daft. I am merely stating that he filled me up faster than a miser does his safe without ever airing its contents. Needed or not needed books, notebooks, pencils in various stages of evolutions, ditto erasers, the pencil shavings plus various collections e.g. shiny wrappers, pebbles, marbles, chalk pieces, springs and nails, leftover food, fruit pips, so on and so forth filled my insides to a bursting capacity. My vital levels came under pressure and a definite skill was required to close the top. Due to the over crowding, the pencil, eraser& co. had ample scope of hiding when needed most. A lazier lot than them I have never met till date. Soon Purja had no room for the actual schoolbooks and most of his notebooks reflected the side effects of cramped living conditions. The covers were ripped and a stale unpleasant smell uncoiled like a powerful genie whenever they were opened. Purja remained unaffected though. His nose had long developed immunity to such nonsense hence remained unaware of the illegal resident smell.”

“What do you mean by calling us lazy. We lived a hard life trying to survive under such hostile conditions. We were sharpened without needing sharpening, chewed, used for various purposes we were most unsuitable for. One could not blame us for being lost in those over crowded conditions. Even his pencil box couldn’t contain us due to all the marbles inside” Spoke a rather offended representative of eraser& pencil group.

“Please accept my apology. It was tough to be organized under such circumstances. But I do feel that you all did take advantage a bit. He could never find an eraser or a pencil when he wanted it the most. I do know that most of the times you all were quite nauseated with all that churning going on inside me, but still you held a position of responsibility. Anyway, the bulging state of existence came to a screeching halt the day his teacher found a tiny cockroach in his notebook. The poor insect quickly found refuge in her open briefcase sending her in hysterics. Purja found this funny and chortled to his hearts content along with rest of the class. The teacher did not take too kindly to this laughter and positively glowered. He was sent to fetch Sesa from her class. Poor Sesa was lectured for fifteen minutes on Purja’s status in most disagreeable language. An urgent note was sent to the parents resulting in some serious checking and cleaning. And hence I was wiped and aired after being emptied of all my contents. I appeared a shadow of my previous bulging self after the whole operation. Even the resident smell abandoned me finding the interiors, too anaesthetized. To Purja’s annoyance, only school- books, notebooks and the necessary writing and geometry implements were allowed entry with an understanding of all rights of entry reserved to parental discretion as of for immediate future.”