The Walls of the School – Marks of Memories

The Walls of the School – Marks of Memories

The old walls of the school... where countless memories were carved, some fading with time, while others remained forever imprinted in the corners of the heart. Today, those walls stand in silence, the classrooms lie empty, but the echoes of the past still whisper in the wind, filling the space with the laughter, lessons, and emotions of bygone days.

Those walls have seen it all—the hesitant little steps of a child, letting go of their mother’s comforting hand on the first day of school, their tiny feet shuffling uncertainly at the threshold of a new beginning. They have witnessed the gleam in innocent eyes as tiny fingers wrote their first letter on the blackboard, the mixture of pride and joy in that moment. Those walls have heard the stern voice of teachers, sometimes striking fear, sometimes shaping character, molding young minds into what they were meant to be. Within them, countless secrets lay buried— the fierce competition for the front row seat, the thrill of whispering to a friend in the back, the guilty pleasure of sneaking a snack in the middle of a long lesson.

These walls remember the trembling fingers on the day of the first examination—the nervous grip of a pencil, the anxious glances at the question paper, the hesitant first words scribbled on the answer sheet—sometimes neat, sometimes rushed, sometimes erased and rewritten with uncertainty. They have seen the sparkle of unshed tears while correcting mistakes, the victorious smiles of those who performed well, and the worried frowns of those dreading their report card.

These walls have felt the weight of emotions, the names hastily etched onto wooden desks—names that once meant the world to us. Those names belonged to childhood friends, inseparable groups, and little teams that were the center of our world. Over time, those names faded, erased by time or replaced by new ones, but the memories they carried never truly disappeared. The walls have absorbed the loud excitement of annual day rehearsals, the synchronized steps of performers, and the thunderous applause that echoed through the corridors, celebrating moments of triumph.

And then came the last day... the most bittersweet of them all. The once lively classrooms were wrapped in an unusual stillness. For the first time, the words, "School is over," did not bring the usual joy, but rather an ache that settled deep within the heart. That day, for the first time, saying goodbye felt heavier than imagined. Warm embraces turned into tight grips, silent tears replaced unrestrained laughter, and countless promises to stay in touch were made—some fulfilled, some lost in the winds of time. Even those walls, silent yet omnipresent, could not tell how many of those friendships endured and how many faded into distant memories.

Even today, the school walls remain silent, yet they continue to whisper stories to those who listen. A mere touch against them is enough to stir a rush of nostalgia, to awaken the warmth of childhood that still lingers in their embrace. Sitting on the old school veranda, one unknowingly shrinks into their younger self, their voice takes on the carefree tone of childhood, and their eyes relive the vibrant memories that once unfolded in those corridors.

The school walls may have aged, but the memories within them remain timeless. They still carry the echoes of a ringing school bell, the sound of hurried footsteps rushing out of the gates, the laughter of children sharing their lunch, and the hushed farewells spoken with teary eyes.

Those walls stand unchanged, but the people who once filled them have grown up, scattered across different walks of life. Yet, the voices of the past never truly fade. Because memories do not remain silent—they continue to murmur, to echo in the heart, forever alive in the spaces we once called home.