School of thought(s)

                                                 

                                           

The stone on which she was resting  was cool and her dangling legs lay immersed in the pond. The aqua-blue serene waters of the pond was disturbed by the gentle ripples caused by the frolicking of the orange , white and silvery colored aquatic species .
The fishes are lucky to have good friends, thought Anjali , as salty tears flowed down her cheeks  till they reached the end of her jawline to fall abruptly on her lap. Her school uniform pinafore was moist pool due to the collection shed by her two little brown eyes.

Her classmates had tugged her pigtails and teased her and her teacher blamed her for not gelling with her group.

 'That's so unfair', she thought. How she hated school! Wish she could sprout fins and dive in with the fishes and play gleefully among them and with them.

 Anjali stared at the shallow waters. Suddenly , the big white fish kissed her big toe and  said , 
                      "That's not fair , O fair maiden!
                       with sorrow filled heart laden
                       Weep not, thy salty tears
                       pollutes the pond , sears.                   
                       Go back, to your school,
                       swim not against the pool.  
                       Learn , play , laugh 
                       shared joys double, sorrows half.
                       Enjoy, for life's a minute long.
                       Smile, whistle and hum a song."

And the fish kissed her big toe again and amalgamated with its school. Anjali was brought back from her reverie and she rubbed her eyes. Was it an illusion or a fantasy? She questioned herself. Whatever it was , she had learnt her lesson. She turned and looked back. She could hear the laughter emanating from the school playground. Slowly she got up and wiped her tears. The close encounter with the aquatic kind had to be under wraps but had left an indelible impression on her tender mind. She had to go back to her school.

This prompt is written for FRIDAY FICTIONEERS PHOTO PROMPT-NOV 1 where the post had to be inspired by the picture below.

                                                     
                                                        Copyright – Douglas M. MacIlroy



P.S. : - School life is an integral part of childhood but some children find it difficult to settle down to school life and resent school  that they find every reason to evade going to the temple of learning. Parents and teachers, alike , have to be catalysts in this process. Here the fish in a school takes her on the right path.