A friend of mine called me to help him to design a brochures for his school. He along with his wife runs a special children's school. I wanted him and his expert wife to talk more, so that I have better idea, what I should put in that brochure. As he was talking more and more to help me to understand about the special child and their behavior. While he was talking, it all reminded me so many people, I grew up in Bal Mandir. One name that really stood tall is Kalpana Maharjan.
I think we were in same class, but because normally we are so many in a class that automatically, gets formed in small groups of like minded people; then its so hard to remember who were in my class. Except, some close circle of friends and then the same face also used to be in the same room, so this too added confusion; was she my class mate or room mate ?
Okay, leave the confusion aside. By the sixth standard, we were in the same class. She was a first bench student and I was almost a last bench student. But if you think only a bright student find themselves seated in first bench, her story may surprise you. She was not a bright student, but perhaps attention seeker.
Low Intelligence Knowledge : Her IQ was low, so the teachers avoided her, not knowing what to do with her. Now I know this, but then I did not. Because she was one of us, and did not look abnormal from any angel, physically; so she was sent to regular school with us.
During the exam, if she got opportunity to cheat; she would start coping it from the first paragraph, instead of coming to the point. Her comprehension of understanding was zero. If asked a question in front of a class and she did not know the answer, she would let her long tongue out from her mouth.
Confused and Impatience: Once, I was along with my other friend, was waiting for our turn in the toilet. But Kalpana was dying to relieve her. She was impatience and just could not wait patiently like us. She was making noise and banging on the door to come out fast whoever was inside that toilet. When at last, she got a chance to go inside the toilet and as she relieved herself; a loud audible sigh came from her mouth, Prabbbhhhhuuuuuuuuu, meaning [Thank] GOD ! I turned towards my friend and then laugh loud. That kind of act, also give people peace in their mind to thank GOD ? and to remember God to thank, as odd as that situation ? that was Oh My God ! situation. I would be lying to you, if I say, this incident does not bring smile on my face, even today; whenever I mention about it.
She was so confused to give respect to a person or good. “Your call just arrived” in a line simple like this, she would give more respect to the phone than to a person, who got the call, while relating this line and that brought roar of laughter in all of us. That sure confused her more, leaving her to wonder why ?
Over reaction [hyper reaction] : her reaction to a situation can be termed as over reaction or at times its hyper reaction. Another incident which I remember is, she was standing next to a girl, who suffered from a kind of skin disease, that makes them look so white and their hair also becomes blond like westerners. She was busy watching a talents show that was going on in the Baithak Room. Suddenly, her eyes fell on the person, who was standing next to her, she was from another school accompaniying the main performer from her school perhaps. Kalpana’s reaction even scared the one who was watching her from the distance. That person felt so bad [as she too must have been felling so bad about her own disease and it sure must have added inferior complex in her mind too]. She was not aware that Kalpana was mildly mentally challenged. It does not surprise me today, if the person with skin disease may have reacted that children from Bal Mandir are manner less. Today, I know this for sure that, she was speaking from her own insecurities rather than why she reacted that way and thinking that all are mentally challenged like her.
Loud behaviour : She was loud also. A couple of years ago I was in the Yak & Yeti Hotel with a stall of my own to market my woollen products. This was about a week long exhibition. One day Kalpana saw me on the corridor of a hall . She has been working in this hotel as a maid for so many years by now. She loudly greeted me in excitement I was almost embarrassed. I knew she had nothing to do to make me feel embarrassed, not intentionally, but her loud way of greeting and talking made me so, so embarrassed. I suddenly felt that all eyes, fell on me from the hall.
I knew, she was termed as a crazy, when she was in Bal Mandir by her fellow mates and she used to act just like that; saying loudly this line, “if you treat me like one, I will act line one.”
If only she could have been in good hands who identify her problem when she was still a child and then trained her accordingly, who knows she could have been better in her life.
Note : Kalpana’s mother died immediately after giving her a birth. She was admitted to Bal Mandir, when she was only 22 days old. Children, who come to the earth from a mother who had problems in delivery; also face such fate in their life due to the lack of oxygen flow in their brain during very early stage of life. Just a three minutes delay in flow of oxygen in ones brain can play a huge role in that person life later on. Apart from this there are many other reasons, which make children mentally challenged.
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