Memoirs of My Childhood - Part 2 (1973 - 1976)

Montessori
I remember enjoying these three years. I do not recall the first day. But on many days i try not to stay there with strangers. One day some girl bit me on my cheek and i was given some sweets to stop me from crying. My mom said that i had an oval and dashed cut marks on my cheek from the teeth of the one who bit me. Other than a few faces, i cannot bring to my mind the many children i played with.
I went to school on the paddle of my fathers bicycle. This journey was an interesting inspiration which i carried in my mind for long. The footsteps of my father, the sound of the bicycle wheel turning on non even sand roads, the talk of the passing people and the bell of the bicycle which i played with. The "walking" buildings that became bigger as they came closer, the few vehicles on the road zooming in as they go and the shadows playing around. Most interesting was the rainy days when there were puddles on the road. This is when i can see the reflections.
We stop some days at a shop (70 no. Majeedhee Road) to buy cotton candies. It is something i was surprised with. how the shop keeper made those candies was the interesting part. He put a stick into a steel box with a circular hole in it and turned his hand in a circular motion. After sometime when he put his hand out, i was shocked to see a pink cotton like fluffy thing around the stick. he told me to press it and eat. But some days i do not press but tried to eat quickly and the sugar get stuck on my face. The other sweets of the time that i liked was a yellow coloured rectangular pineapple flavour candy called "alanaasi metaa", a pink colour oval candy called "delta metaa", a small square locally made "one laari" sugar candy and a circular rainbow striped candy. But now i think that these must be the only few candies available those days.
There was a large frangipani tree at a corner of the school. This tree is still there as a center piece of the public space now outside of the school. A steel square structure was kept at the play area and it was fun climbing it. Some days  i use to sit and play on a rocking horse. One day some kid pulled it so hard that i nearly fell. What i remember most are counting sticks which i thought was long "kana-madhu" (indian almonds).
My teacher was Nirmala whom i still remember. I met her in recent years and even she still remembers.  I remember her as an always smiling one. I do not remember her in any other mood. She was a kind and polite Sri Lankan teacher who married a Maldivian and was later in school management.
The day my pre schooling ended i took a picture at home, in school uniform and with my other siblings. My father prepared a banner reading "finished montessori - 1976". I still have this photo and have a look every now and then to recap the good old moments. I remember the day we took the photo. My younger sister, who was the youngest then, was trying not to come for the picture.