The story started when I was in class four. It was the day of distribution of our first math test results of the year. We were anxiously waiting for the report. Our math teacher came and started calling out names according to the descending order of marks obtained. Most of my friends had just scored three or four out of 10. Names were called who scored two. I was eagerly waiting and finally, there was the last paper which was obviously mine. But to my surprise, I had scored one! The math teacher just added to woe telling me that I had actually got a zero but gave me one out of sympathy. I was so devastated when I saw all cross in red ink all over my paper. If I had only scored two, I would not have felt as bad as there were other students with the same score. But I was the only student who got one and that too out of the sympathy of my teacher. I was ashamed. I didn’t talk with anybody and just sat quietly on my bench.
Coming home was the hardest part as you can never show a paper with all red crosses over a result. But I had to. I thought I would be scolded by my mom but I wasn’t. Instead she consoled me that everything was fine. But that was not enough for me. I was just crying as if my life had stopped there. Finally, when my crying session stopped, my mum advised me to make a time table and study hard. Going next day to school was tough especially attending the math class. I had a very heavy heart that day.
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The real thing happened when I returned from school. My mum took me to a neighbor, Bimala didi, who used to give tuition classes in her room. Then my days of struggle of mathematics started. I knew nothing. But slowly with rigorous practice, I did well in exams. For 5 years, I continually went for math tuition. I must say I have become fascinated by numbers and math problems now. I already knew the formulas for sin cos tan and well aware of the trigonometry problems before the teacher even taught me.
People say earth is round and history repeats itself. The day of distribution of results of the first test in the secondary level arrived. All were anxiously waiting for their results. Our optional math teacher was calling name and giving their test papers. This time, full mark was 40 and most of them were getting below 20. As most of them had got similar result there was no question of getting upset. I was smiling remembering the same memorable ‘one’ mark.
When my name was called, the teacher smilingly called my name and said 35 out of 40. All heads were turned at me as it was highest score after the first boy. I was happy than ever before. The same situation had repeated but this time I was not embarrassed. Due to this first impression, my math teachers considered me a very bright student and I didn’t prove him wrong. From that day, my confidence boosted up and love for math grew bigger. The satisfaction that I used to get when I used to solve a very difficult question was extraordinary. It was a competition with me to grow from the failed student to one of the brightest students.
This was a big achievement that taught me important lessons early in life: mostly thanks to my mom who didn’t scold me but instead guided me and my tuition teacher who boosted my confidence that I could do well. I wonder sometimes if I had scored two in that test, I would not have felt so bad and all these would’ve never happened. This was not just about a math score; this was a life lesson to me. The importance of that one mark will be forever imprinted in my life that taught me about self-realization and self-improvement. I would’ve never felt the sense of achievement if I had not failed. True hard work really pays off one day.
