Bestest Journey Continues #1

continued:-

Sid couldn’t believe this was happening. Had he by a stroke of luck ended up with one of the best kept academic secrets, that is now in his hand? Was this the light at the end of the tunnel he was looking for since years? Would he be able to walk shoulder to shoulder with Vic in academics and talk eye to eye with the ‘Best Test’ group? Or was this some sinister prank? What magic formula had this wise man stepped on to ? All sorts of thoughts were going on in Sid’s mind. He could hear his heart pounding with excitement. Only way to know was to go through the book he thought. He is about to turn the page, when his phone rings. Its one of his friends, Sid picks the call. ‘Hey Sid, I am worried about the math quiz Mr. D’Souza has announced for next week. He has covered 3 chapters so far and I am not able to make head or tail of it. What are we going to do?’ Sid resonates his friends feeling, ‘Yes, am worried too. Wonder what he will ask in the quiz.’ he replies, his eyes still fixated on the book in his hand. ‘I will catch up with you at school’. Sid hangs up the phone and hurries on to the next page. It read –

‘There is so much I have to share. It took me many years to get there, some I stumbled upon myself and some discovered by others who could dare.’

Sid continues reading –

‘Each pearl of wisdom is precious and rare. Pick them up one by one if you care. Put it together as you get there, keep at it and the most precious gift will be your’s to bare.

There are many who will learn new stuff TOMORROW. There are many who are yet to learn from the PAST. But there are only some who learn TODAY and a few who learn NOW’

Couldn’t have been more apt, Sid thinks to himself. In school he wasn’t attentive most of the time, at home he found reasons to keep himself from studying, at tuitions he felt there was something he could pick up later or do tomorrow. In short there was little time that he spent on learning TODAY and  NOW.

Vic and his other friends did spend more time learning today and now, each day, he thought to himself. It was a revelation to Sid. He looks for his math text book and class notes, and starts going through it, I want to try it NOW!

Days go by. These days have been tough for Sid. Ever since he had read about learning ‘Now’, it had got etched in his mind. He found it tough, but he tried to be attentive in class, focused at his tuitions and learnt by himself at home daily. It wasn’t natural for him and he struggled each time. But he was also conscious of the fact that not learning ‘Now’ meant, he was then having more things to learn from the past, and more things to learn in the future. So he keeps at it.

Its the eve before the quiz is due. Sid finds himself more comfortable with the 3 chapters that were to be prepared than he would have imagined. He goes through the remaining few problems and by the time its night, Sid is too tired and hits the bed. He couldn’t spend the night like in the past sitting with his books. He also forgets to put the Math textbook below his pillow, his usual quirk before his test or exam.

Next day at school, Sid is all worried as the Math session begins. As usual he has butterflies in his stomach as Mr. DSouza is passing the quiz question sheets. The quiz is on. Sid looks at the paper and to his surprise, the questions look relatable. He reaches for the pen and starts working on the answer. Sid had never hit the answer paper so fast in Math before. His friends were exchanging glances, but Sid wasn’t looking around this time. What’s up with Sid they thought.

The quiz ends. Sid is pleasantly surprised when Mr.DSouza puts up the answers. He has got some of the answers right. Not bad, thinks Sid. Learn Today and Learn Now, he thinks to himself. I wonder what the wise man has written next. Sid can’t wait to reach home and turn to the next page of the book.

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