Hustle and Bustle winter

Life is not always easy and comfortable, as we may imagine. It was the month of November, and everyone in the school was busy with various tasks, much like bees gathering nectar. Students in classes ten and twelve were busy taking trial exams, while teachers were diligently grading the answer scripts. The examination coordinator was putting pressure on the teachers to submit the annual papers and assessment marks on time. It is hard to truly comprehend the hectic and tiresome nature of a teaching job until one experiences it firsthand.

One evening, I received a text message from my sister, who was a B.Ed trainee at Samtse College of Education. She informed me that our mother had been referred to Thimphu Hospital for an immediate operation by the village health personnel. The doctors had detected Pterigium, an extra growth covering the whole pupil, that would probably discard proper vision. Mom decided to commence the journey towards Thimphu the very next day and asked me to pick her up at Gelephu.

I rushed down to Gelephu without attending the school picnic. It was almost mid-day at the picnic spot when I received another call from my sister, informing me that mom was already on the halfway to Gelephu, and I had to be there to get her. Sacrificing lunch, I instantaneously rushed and pleaded Thinley Tobgay, a teacher, to drop me at Zero point. Having waited for a few minutes, a tripper agreed to give me a lift till Sunkosh.

As I was looking for a vehicle at Sonkosh, a Bolero that was plying towards Thimphu gave me a lift till Tsirang-Dagana junction. Once again, I had to look for vehicles plying to Gelephu. As I was waiting tensely, an Alto car appeared, and I waved my hands to stop, and I asked for a lift till Damphu because I was pondering to hire a taxi from Damphu. He granted me a lift, and as we were introducing ourselves, he asked where I was actually heading. I narrated the whole story, and I knew he too was going to Sarpang.

We had a simple lunch at Damphu and went chatting till Sarpang check post. I thanked him for the lift, and as I disembarked from the Alto car, I saw a driver entering at the check post, and a police officer approached me asking where I was going. "I am looking for vehicles plying to Gelephu," I said. He entreated the Bolero driver to take me till Gelephu. It was already 9:00 PM when we arrived at Gelephu, and by then, mom had already arrived with one of the acquainted staff. We spent a night in a stinking dirty room, which perhaps compelled us to shift to another room the next day.

It was Sunday, and we couldn’t go to the hospital, so we spent the day shopping for some stuff. On Monday, we visited the hospital, and they directed us to the ophthalmic chamber, but there wasn’t a doctor. The doctor was away abroad for training and would be back in two weeks. The health assistant prescribed an instant requirement for eye operation. With no other choice, the next day, we had to move to Thimphu, spending a night at my cousin’s house.

After completing the science examination, I took leave once again. The next morning, I was searching for a ride and a friend told me about the Vice Principal's wife who was going to Damphu. I confirmed her travel plans and she agreed to take me as far as the Tsirang-Dagana junction. I got off there and started looking for a way to Thimphu. Soon after, a Bolero owned by T-Cell Company came by and offered me a lift until Wangdue Check post. From there, I took a taxi to Messinna and then another one to Thimphu. I ended up in the TB ward as my mother's attendant. It was a very difficult and boring experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone else.

Once, I was on my way to witness the Druk Wangyel Traditional Archery tournament in Changlingmithang when I received a call stating that one of my cousins who was studying in Bangkok on Trongsa Penlop Scholarship had been stabbed in a bar on the arrival night. I rushed to the emergency ward and found him lying half dead. Later that day, he was shifted to the surgery ward and his worried parents were at a distance from home. Meanwhile, it was the local Annual Tshechu at Khomshar and his father and little brother had to come to Thimphu without attending the event. This incident reminded me of how immense parents' care is compared to children's love towards parents. They had to reserve a vehicle and arrived in Thimphu Hospital at nine PM, looking blank and saying no words. As a result, I had to take care of two patients and cook for nine people.

Before the school closed for winter vacation, I went to the school to submit my leave statement and obtain a relieving order for attending a winter workshop program. I returned to the school on December 15th, taking a bus till Tsirang-Dagana junction, then a Bolero till zero point, and finally a hired private van till the school. The school closed for winter vacation on December 18th, and I left for Tsirang in the afternoon. I stayed at Tsirang for two days and then moved to Thimphu as a sick attendant for my cousin who had been stabbed. When I returned, my cousin had been discharged from the hospital, and his case was proceeding in the Attorney General's Office. Despite my busy kitchen chores and taking meals to the hospital, I had to go to the Attorney General's Office and court for the case. When the semester in Bangkok resumed, my cousin was late by five days and had to ask for court permission to go to the university, and he had to emplace one of his in-laws as his representative to file the case in court.

One afternoon, while shopping for foodstuffs with my uncle in town, I received a call informing me that another cousin, who worked as a domestic air manager in Bumthang, had been hospitalized in Thimphu. He was admitted to the ENT ward and advised to undergo an operation. Later that afternoon, he was taken to the operation theater and operated on successfully. This happened on January 12, 2015, just in time for me to attend the winter evaluation camp at Rinchendhing, Phuntsholing, as a marker for Class ten Biology.

I stayed in Phuntsholing for almost two weeks, during which time both patients were discharged from the hospital. On January 25th, the evaluation was over, and I rushed back to Thimphu because an environmental science orientation at Bajo was scheduled for January 26th, 2015. At 4:30 PM, my friend and I started our journey by bus from Phuntsholing to Thimphu, arriving at 9:30 PM. The next morning, we hired a taxi to Wangdue. However, when we arrived at Thinleygang, vehicles were stranded due to a road widening block. It opened to traffic at 9 AM, and we reached Bajo HSS at 10:30 AM. When we arrived, the session was already in full swing, with over 57 participants attending the Environmental Science Orientation for Class IX.

After a long gap, I was able to meet five of my old trainee mates, which was an immense triumph. We had dinner together and went for an evening hangout at Messinna. We visited Drayangs, partied, and went for a night ride to Khuruthang, then to Punakha. It was 1:00 AM when we got back into the room. It was indeed the most adventurous time with my old comrades, but the next day was a disgusting day for me. I suffered from diarrhea and vomiting, which compelled me to be absent from the workshop. I had to visit Bajo hospital and rest for half a day. On the 30th of January, the workshop ended, and on the same evening, we departed for Thimphu. It was 10 PM when we reached Thimphu.

 

An appointment was scheduled for my mom's eye operation two days later. On February 2nd, the operation took place, and the next day was for dressing and follow-up checkups. On February 6th, we traveled to Gelephu and stayed there for two nights. On February 8th, I sent my family home on a Buli bus and returned to Damphu. Unfortunately, there were no buses or taxis available to take me to Damphu. I managed to find a taxi that took me to the Sarpang check post and then a private car that took me the rest of the way to Damphu. The next day, I had to report to school, so I had to find a vehicle to take me to Drukjegang. While looking for transportation in Damphu town, I met some staff friends who were there for personal reasons and they agreed to let me ride with them. On February 10th, all the staff gathered at the school with new hopes and determination to provide the best education to future youth.

As the winter vacation drew to a close, I was taken aback by how quickly it had passed. Days were busy and nights were cold, and before I knew it, the start of the new academic session was upon us. It was hard to believe that the winter of 2014 had come to an end so quickly. There were many unanswered questions in my mind, and only the mighty God could provide the answers.