Found Memories
It was "Dussera" one of the most auspicious days in India, when the goddess Durga is worshiped. Many people start a new venture on this day. That particular day was a holiday. But I will never forget that day. The day went as all other days. In the morning I got up and started studying as I had my geography exam the next day. The day passed by and in the evening as usual I had to check the mails. At 6.00 PM I went up on the 1st floor where my computer is and logged on. I downloaded my mails. There were about 10 to 15 mails. Mostly all the mails were from my topic. But suddenly I noticed a mail whose subject said "CONGRATS". I thought for a split second that may be someone must have done something good or won a prize. I clicked on the mail and started reading it. " Congratulations you have been selected as one of the 100 delegates to go to Boston for the 98 summit" I could not read any further and shouted out loudly to my mother to come and read that mail. There was a big question mark in my mind. We had to vote for the delegates but the date for voting was not yet told and how the hell did I get selected before that day???? My mother came up and asked me what happened. I told her to read that mail. She was also pleased. She also started wondering how I was selected before the voting. Then I thought that someone must have played a nasty joke on me. Thinking like that I felt sick. Then I heard my father's car coming into the driveway. I ran downstairs and told him before he could come in and take a breath. We both went straight up stairs and I showed him that mail. He told me it could not be a joke. But still to confirm and rather to be assured we asked Justine. So I wrote to Justine asking her if I was really selected. After an hour or so I got her reply YES. Well that was the word I was waiting to hear. I started jumping, hugging my mother and father and was really pleased. I just could not hold any of my feelings in me. My father, mother and grandparents told me that I really looked insane but I did not care. I forgot to tell you that the mail had also told me not to tell anyone i.e. the other people in the forum that you were selected. No one at all. From my school 15 children had taken part. I really wanted to tell my friends those friends who had neglected me for so many years, those friends who thought I was a total fool, who used to fight with me for small, small things I wanted to show them yes I am not a fool anymore I really wanted to show them.
For 3 whole days I kept that news digested inside me just waiting when would I be able to tell it. My parents were really pleased to see that their daughter was learning a nice lesson to be patient. My father wrote a letter to Justine and told her my state of mind. The next day i.e. on the 4th day Justin's mail came. In that mail she explained that I was selected by the moderators. 30 children were selected by the moderators and I was one of them. In her mail she also wrote to all the children from my school who were participating in the forum explaining how I was selected. Well so now I could tell my friends. For the first time I wanted to go to school. On that day I had my math's paper (the subject I hated the most) I could not study for the last 4 days. But certainly after reading her mail I could not study at all. At last I went to school. Before going to school I used to go to my friends house and from there we all used to go to school together. I ran and shouted to her at the top of my voice that I was selected. She could not believe what I said. I don't really know how she felt but I never cared. I told her I was going to school early to tell the principal and other teachers. I ran to the principal's office and just barged in without seeing if she was busy or not. She was really happy to hear the news. Then one by one all the teachers came in her room to sign the register and she told everyone. Finally I went to my classroom. I ran like a mad person and jumped on one of my so-called friend and told her I was selected. She got a shock of her life, as she had never expected me to jump on her. Finally the whole class knew that I was selected. That day please don't ask me how my exam had gone. I was in no mood to give that answer. But I guess it did not matter, as this news was far better than the math's paper.
In a couple of days my whole school learnt that I was selected. All the children used to ask me you are going to USA they never really knew for what but as long as I was going that was only what they wanted to hear.
The next month went on so fast that I never really knew that we had got the visas and were off to USA the next day. I remember this was the first time I was going to sit in a plane. I was excited and my mother told me not to worry. I just started getting those weird feelings if the plane crashed or something….. Our flight was at 1 a.m. in the night. We went to the Sahara Airport in Mumbai (Bombay). I had never been to an international airport before and thought wow such an airport is there in India. I sat in the Plane. We were flying by Singapore Airlines. The plane looked so cool. As I told you this was my first time and so I felt a bit odd. My parents had traveled a lot of times in a plane they knew those small, small things like how to fix the seat belt, how to operate the audio video system and all. I some how managed to put the seat belt. It got totally twisted and I felt so uncomfortable that I just wanted to remove it. I forgot about that when the plane started moving. My heart started beating very fast and my mother held my hand she knew my dilemma. The plane started gathering speed and finally it took off. I felt something in my stomach. The rest of the journey went on quite fine. As soon as we were flying we were given something to eat. We were transit passengers at 4 places. According to the time there we were given dinner, lunch breakfast. We were really hogging away. The most tiring part of the journey was when we had to cross the Pacific Ocean. In the whole stretch of 13 hrs we had not seen daylight. Finally the plane landed. The first time the plane landed I felt something in my ears. I looked around to see if anyone had the same expression as my face had. When it finally landed a pop sort of sound came from the ears. I thought I was the only person who was suffering from some strange disease. I built up courage and told my father in such a serious tone that he started laughing. He explained that it was due to the atmospheric pressure.
When we arrived at the Boston airport we were told that someone would come to receive us. We started looking around. Finally I found Hamish, a Cardiologist, who had come to the airport to pick us up. He had a Jrsummit poster and held it out. We were glad to see him. After reaching Double Tree we found out that there was no empty room and that we would have to wait till 12.00 noon to get a room. We had reached around 7 a.m. in the morning. So what was to be done till that time was a big question. We gave our baggage in the luggage room and decided to eat something. In the plane we had ordered for Indian food but for some reason it never came. So we were quite hungry. I was looking out for Pooja and Sonali who were supposed to come a day before me. When I asked the reception they did not give the room number. We went and had a lovely breakfast full of Strawberries, orange's and lots of delicious fruits. After eating the breakfast we went to the reception and they told us that our room was ready. Over joied we went to the room. I can never forget when I first entered it. It was so spacious and nice. There was a beautiful view from the window. We changed and then it was time for lunch. Till that time I had not met any one. We went for lunch. I saw a couple of kids sitting and eating together but never got the courage to go and ask them if they were from Jrsummit or not. Finally someone asked me if I was from the Jrsummit. I said yes. Well so before I could answer yes or no I was sitting with a couple of kids whom I had seen when I entered. Guess who they were!!! Sana, Deepika, Terah and one more person I don't remember the name (sorry). That was the first time I met one of the delegates. After the lunch, which was horrible, I decided come what may I have to find out where Pooja and Sonali were. I went to the elevator and Guess what, both of them were in it. What a nice surprise! So three of us started hunting for our fellow group members. We went to the reception and asked if they had checked in. Mostly no one had come. So we went to find out when they would arrive. We decided that the best way to meet people was in the lift so we kept on going up and down so many times and we succeeded in meeting lots of people. So how does one start the conversation, by simply asking- are you a delegate?
After a couple of hours I found out that my fellow topic members had arrived. I was so excited to meet them because I had never seen them. I had just a picture of them, which I had made out of the discussions of those three months. I wanted to see them in person and the most important thing was I wanted to see if they fitted my imagination. I was in Topic 8 'How to keep children in school'. Five of us were selected to come. Janys from Canada, Akiko from Japan, Vidhroha from India and Bruno from Argentina. I first met Janys in the computer room. Pooja and Sonali found her out thus we got introduced. Then Janys introduced me to Akiko who happened to be her roommate. Again all three of us went out to hunt the other lot. The strange thing was that one of the members had already reached and sent a mail to our topic room that he had reached but we had yet not met him. So finally we met Vidroha. He was really tired and sleepy. So we did not talk to him much. Yet we had not met our last member.
I remember the day when we had our first get together in the hall in Double Tree; we were given badges, bags and files. I yet had not met my last group member Bruno. Janys, Akiko, and myself, all of us were looking out for him. We all were separated in different houses. Things became a lot easier. We saw someone but could not read the name on the badge. Janys said let's ask. So we all went to ask and finally found him. This was how I found my fellow group members. The best part was that my imagination went totally fully wrong for I was not even near, not even 0.1% near to the person whom I expected to see. But I did not care. I had a wonderful time knowing so many different people. I will never forget those 5 days of my life never.