Immediately after completing my study, I joined a Shipyard in Kerala India as a apprentice trainee. As usual the trainees are paid very less. Not enough to feed and pay rent.
Most of my friends their joined some part time job. Some friends went to hotels as cook, cleaner etc. Some other went as helper in construction site, carpenter shop etc. Our main money earning work started after usual training hours. We got more payment from part time work than shipyard.
I had teaching experience during my graduation. I trained students in high school part time during my study.
Immediately joining shipyard, I shared my teaching experience with few employees in shipyard. After 2-3 days, one of the employee come to me asked " One of my friend is looking for science tuition teacher, she is studying higher secondary" I was very happy that day. I was not knowing anything about tuition fees in Cochin.
When I was teaching in my native during my studies. I got Rs.300 per month. I was sure Rs 300 per month was not sufficient for me to survive in Cochin.
I went to one my friend Jamal. He is from Cochin, He was coming to home daily. A lucky man because he was having a two wheeler and having food from home.
Jamal told " I used to pay Rs 150 per hour to my teachers as a tuition fees during my college days". I felt it was very high because I got Rs 300 per month for at-least 60 hours. That means Rs 5 per hour to RS.150 per hour.
Very next day, I went with the employee who informed about the tuition class. We reached in front of big house. I saw a board " Advocate Abdul Shakeer, Govt notary. Yes I was going to teach science for his daughter Aysha.
We went inside. Advocate Abdul Shakeer and entire family was there. They started taking interview.They started asking me about my family and other details.
Finally I passed the interview. Finally they asked one last question. What is your fee? I was thinking How I can ask Rs150 per hour. I didn't think too much. I closed my eyes and asked Rs 100 per day. A day means it will be 2 hrs class. That means, the fee is Rs 50 per hour.
They agreed and asked me to come class from next day.
I was happy. I announced everybody. I can't keep anything with me. I told my friends and roommates.
One of my room mate, Santhosh, He is very senior to me. He is carpenter in Shipyard. I was sharing room with them. He offered me his cycle to go for tuition classes.
As soon as reached there. I saw Aysha, she was waiting for me at her father Advocate consultant room.
She is a small beautiful girl but I read fear in her face.
Initially, she was not telling anything to me. I started saying some interesting incidents i had experienced in my college days.
She started responding to me.
Later I realized that she used to get fever one day before Mathematics exam.
I understood one thing. She is fearing mathematics and failing every mathematics exam.
Next day I big job was to remove mathematics fear from her mind.
I asked one question to her, If you are dying today, Will you die with happy or sorrow?
She responded " Die with happy".
I told think like this " Anyway you are going to fail in mathematics exam, Why don't you go and write the exam happily?".
This question made her to think differently. Here onwords, she never failed any mathematics exam
Thanks for reading. Please give your valuable feedback, I am trying to collect my all memories during my stay in Cochin 9 months and making a book.
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