THE RENEWAL

“A few more hours and I will be out of this irony hell”. I was quite unsure of the joy I felt when the thought reverberated in my mind. I was at the superintendent’s office when the cuckoo cooed four. He was waiting in there; the stubby man looked at me out of his metal rimmed spectacles. Offering me a seat close to him, he took out a thick dusty book from one of his drawers. The nameplate, “Officer Barbrody”, was lettered in gold. He opened the book quite slowly, taking care that no dust found his nose, and he showed me a column to sign, right next to where I signed 8 years before. The ink had faded off, congruent to the joy in my life.8 years of solitude, 8 surly years. Memories gushed into my mind, with incredible momentum, just like a waterfall. It was quite clean a plan, no loopholes. The Queens diamond at the Citycenter Museum was the burgle. It was worth a billion.Franko, Sarah and Nicky were in the plot. All went according to plan. I was ready on the roof. Nicky created the false alarm and aroused the guards, drawing them off the exhibit room. Sarah had already hacked into the system.She disabled the lasers,and shut down the cameras. I was lowered into the exhibit room by Franko,40 seconds was all that I had got. I snatched the diamond off its stand and replaced it with the fake one. On the thumbs up, Franko switched on the motor to pull me up.It started with a buzz,whirred and pulled me up,the sirens were approaching from a distance.At about 12 feet from the ground, the whirr started to lose pace,and it halted. Gasping for breath and sweating all over, I was swaying in mid air when the cops arrived.

I still remembered the sound of the hammer on the court-table. “Adrian has been sentenced to 8 years at the Peaktown Prison on charges of theft”.

The tap on my shoulder pulled me out from the tangled web of memories.

It was quite difficult for me to make the signature. I was unable to hold the pen properly.

I marked something on the paper, which came close to my sign, and thanked Barbrody.

The smell of freedom was ineffable.I turned back to look at the huge metal gate.The white walls of the prison and the shining gates are so nice a camouflage to the ruddy acts inside.

The sunshine was soft on my chest. The warm autumn air swirled around me like a whirlpool. I was celebrating freedom, enjoying the feasts of Nature, when a white Chevy rode up to me. It was Nicky. “Hop in man”, he shouted.

We were driving downtown, when he asked me, “ So.. you heard about Sar…”.I raised my palm at that, and I told him sternly, I did not want to hear her name.The letter was still in my pocket. “Goodbye Ad, Franko and I are flying to Austria,SORRY!-Sarah”. She ditched me so coolly, the witch. I loved her so unconditionally yet she repaid me like this. “So where to?”, Nicky questioned. I replied peacefully. “The church”. The car screeched to a stop and he looked at me with bulged eyes and an open mouth. “What? To Where, I thought I heard u say church.” . “I did.”. “What’s with you man?Did the cops take out all the spirits in you? I thought you were back on the team”. “There is no team.I advice you to live shipshape. Trust me, you don’t want to go in there”. I smiled at the rear view mirror and my image smiled back at me.Oh! how I wish that was fate there, in the mirror.

We parked the car close to the entrance.The huge spires threw down their shadows on me.Was it a welcome? I did not know.I walked into the church slowly, with all respect, it was for the first time in 20 years.I had faint memories of the last time my mom brought me here.She had gripped my hand tightly, to keep me from running away.She knelt down at the altar and prayed . I knelt down at the altar. I never came back, there was no one to bring me here after my mom was shot dead.The memories of my dear mother, the only love I ever had, brought a paroxysm of tears down my cheek.

I closed my eyes and began to pray. "Dear Jesus, I was a thief, I had no one to teach me how to pray, You took my mother away when I was just 3,and after that,all that I was taught was to pick locks and to drill through safes. I am here with a new soul, I know that you can see my old self behind the high walls of prison.Please help me follow your path of righteousness and all the 9...oh no..10 commandments the God gave the world.UPLIFT ME FROM THIS DANK DITCH OF SINS MY LORD.”

I felt a drop running down my cheek and it stopped at the chin,as if it were waiting for someone.Some other drops joined the leader and it fell on my folded hands.

Quite suddenly, I began to feel different; the air around me was rendered balmy by some undefined force. I felt a thick warm drop on my thumb. I was unable to open my eyes. I had a vision, I saw an intense white light, It seemed much brighter than the sun,but it did not hurt to look at that extra-humane beam of love. A very radiant palm stretched out towards me, but there was something more to it.

I was stunned to senses by Nicky. He was shaking me violently; his eyes were fixed on the altar wall. Horror was calling out from his eyes. The sight was incredulous.

It was the crucifix of Christ on the altar, right above where I was kneeling. It was bleeding, from head to toe. The floor was flooded with blood, Christ was bleeding profusely from his arms and feet, the nails in them were incarnadine in no time. The hands, the hands..........., the nail mark on it, was just like in the one I had in my vision.

We ran out to get the Rector of the Basilica. The tall bearded man stared at us in disbelief when we narrated the incident. He led us back to the chapel, determined to see it himself.My jaws dropped open when we reached the chapel.The floor was spotlessly clean. The Crucifix was gleaming in the sunshine which poured in through the stained glass windows above it. It was as white as the marble in which it was carved. There was not a single drop of blood anywhere. The old priest snapped on us for lying and hurried back to the monastery.

The miracle had switched Nicky to speechlessness. He was wearing an expression of speculation when we walked back to the car. He threw the keys to me in reaction to my asking for it. I was sure that he has not yet digested what had happened.

I put myself in the drivers seat, and rev’d up the engine. The roar of the engine announced the happiness of my soul. Eternal satisfaction, the immaterial joy, it was inexplicable.I looked at the mirror,and this time, I think I REALLY FOUND FATE smiling back at me.I lifted my hands up to the steering, and then it caught my eye…my thumb, it was stained RED!

THE LOYOLA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT.

The Hindu,dated 06/10/2007:
“Basketball tournament
Thiruvananthaparum: The 33rd Loyola junior inter-school basketball tournament will be held at the Loyola School courts at Thiruvananthapuram from October 8 to 11.
Host Loyola will take on Sainik School, Kazhakoottom in the opening match.
So began the flurry of the most famous basketball championship in city..The news created a whole new atmosphere in Loyola.One of anxiety,hope,the sweet smell of victory pervaded the nostrils of all the boys..
The next day, (07/10/2007)the gamekeeper of Loyola, the all smiles Jose Uncle was seen on the court, aided by the students to sweep the leaves, clean the court, change the nets and to fit the bunker .The banner whose presence every Loyolite cherished was put up in the quadrangle supported by 2 Aluminum poles. It read “LOYOLA JUNIOR BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT”. No one raised their voices that day, maybe storing the full potential of their throat to cheer the home team to victory.
The Quarter Finals
8-10-07-12:50pm.A bell, followed by the flourish of the seniors announced to the school that the 33rd Loyola Junior Basketball tournament had begun.
In all hopes and smiles(in missing the rest of the days classes),the seniors occupied the steps facing the basketball court, ready to cheer the school on to the stroke of success. Creative slogans and banners were geared up after a lot of cerebration.Loyolites were to play the Sainik School,Kazhakootam in the opening match, just like THE HINDU said.
The horde of animated loyolites in the stands exploded into shouts of “ ‘V’V ‘I’I ‘C’C ‘T’T ‘O’O ‘R’R ‘Y’Y….V-I-C-T-O-R-Y,That’s Loyolas Battle Cry”, which was aptly followed my many inventive slogans.When the Loyola team started scoring baskets, one after the other in the exhibition, missing out on just a few, the spectators erupted with “We want another one, just like the other one”
The opening match, scheduled at 1 pm started on time. The match progressed with each second, taking the viewers closer to the edge of their seats with hopes of Loyola defeating the looming Kazhaks.With young spirit within,skill in movements & passes,and propelled by the cheering students,the Loyola team with Nevin Bennet,John Thomas,Thomas K Mathew, and Shekar R.A. at their best closed the account with 47 points,leaving the Kazhaks at 38.The final whistle from the refree had the students,standing up and saluting the young team.The match between Don Bosco School (PLACE) and Sarvodaya Vidyalaya at 2:00 pm was dominated by Sarvodaya Vidyalaya with a huge margin of 20 points, beating the out station school for 46-26.
St Thomas Residential School won the match scheduled at 3:30 pm with St Johns for 34-18.
The most interesting match was between GV Raja Sports School,Mailam(named after Godavarma Raja) and Medical Higher Secondary school.With fast-paced techniques,lightning passes and great shots,GV Raja crushed the Medical School to 42-18.
The Semi Finals
The Semi Finals on 9-10-2007 had four qualified teams, with matches fixed between Loyola and Sarvodaya at 2:00 pm and GV Raja against St Thomas Residential School at 3:00 pm.
When the likes of Sanjay V,Thomas John,The Johnsons(Jubin and Jian),enthralled the vivacious Loyolites,Sarvodaya School were always the arch-rivals,with some fierce brawls and bouts,which would be accompanied by tired scorekeepers,who always had to keep the scoreboard ticking.

This year found no difference,The untiring seniors started cheering for the propitious team with relinguished energy and they did make us proud,after a match that seemed like a sprint wherein two runners had their shoulders glued to one another.
After much cheering and moral support,no one was unhappy to fing the Loyola Basketball team triumph over the clash of the rivals.
Seconds before the final whistle,the stands were so quiet,as if no one was present ,the squeak of the shoes and the bouncing of the ball was not audible to any.All our senses were drowned in tension,but just a fraction of a second before the final whistle,we found the orange ball make its way through the hoop quarded by the Sarvodayans.This was instantly followed by a burst of high frequency whistle from the refree.The gallery erupted in joy,Loyola finishing Sarvodaya with 70-69.
GV Raja displayed their skills once again with enough pomp,Knocking STRS clean out of the tournament.
The Final Showdown
10-10-2007, The watches showed 2:30 pm,anticipation all around,tensed faces…! On the court-the Loyoites and the boys from the GV Raja team. PHREEEEEE..a whistle and the ball goes high up in thr air.All the students had taken their positions to witness the most crucial match of the tournament.8 of my classmates were in the chapel,praying for our team,Another one in class,saying the Namaz.In spite of all the gallant moves and shots Loyola made,with great cheering from our side, the boys from GV Raja showed great skill and opened a riposte of jaw-dropping moves & passes,the finals,had all the Loyolites,without losing hope, cheering for the young team with great approbation .Not one sprightly Loyolite lost his words for the home team even when the Domination of the GV Raja boys was prominent.
In half time,the Loyola team was almost beaten,but with inspiring words from the coach Mr.Arun,the team bounced back to action and put up a mighty fight,but luck was displeased with the loyolites and turned its face away from us..with the GV Raja team defeating us 59-41,walking away with the most coveted basketball championship in the city
It is of great honour for me to say that the Loyola team finished second in the tournament,losing only to a school that devotes half of its time to sports.The best team did win the tournament.



With Refreshed spirits and strong souls the juniors are now regularly practicing basketball in the second trip.Let us hope and pray for the boys to bring the honour that Shinoy and the other great captains of Loyola School gifted the school..


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The Loyola Phenomenon

It all began twelve years ago.When I was a small kid of just 4 years.A small innocent child who was not exposed to any of the world,unprepared to face the hardships and the problems in life. My mom dressed me up in a blue shirt and black shorts,and i was like where are we goin mom? and She replied "Were goin to see your new school son,Loyola".It took me quite some time to pronounce the name properly.Till then it was like Olola and Loloya for me.
I gleefully entered the car.My ears reciprocated the sound of the engine.IT said "we were OFF". I was suspicious if i was going to a school or some native place.(as of then.I had thought of native places as faraway places)
When i looked out of the window.It showed a lush green landscape.Acres and acres of it.When i asked my dad which place it was.He told me that it was the TUBER CROPS RESEARCH CENTRE.I made my brain digest the information even if it did not mean anything to me.! little did i know tht in just a few seconds,i was going to enter a place that would change my life.Little did i know tht i was about to enter a place that would make my life more serene,peaceful and of course-playful and fun-filled.
When we crossed the loyola gate,my dad told me that we had reached the school.I couldnt believe my eyes.I initially thought that it was some sort of a place where classes were not in classrooms,but underneath trees(like a gurukul).for i dint see any buildings for quite a while.It was just trees and lots of it.I just enjoyed the view.I was soon put in queue for the interview.I still remember the day as if it were just yesterday.When i entered the room,the first instruciton given to me was not to turnaround to see my parents.There were 3 priests in the interview panel. Father Thomas,Father Pulickal,and Father Mani. Even now, memory has the imprints the first question i was asked. Father Pulickal asked me "how did you come?".
I replied " i came by car." Even my small brain could understand that he was delighted by my answer just by looking at his face.I also remember the only question i couldnt answer correctly.When Father Thomas showed me a steel glass and asked me what it was made of,I could only answer "metal" He tried to prompt steel out of me to his very best, but was unsuccesful.

That was how it all began.It was my membership card to the LOYOLA FAMILY.

Whts LOYOLA all about...? all of the non-loyolite readers might be still wondering what loyola is all about.
The Fundamental mantra of success and the secret of the nice atmosphere in Loyola can be attributed to the fact that the Teachers are Friends!.The student teacher relationship is so amazing. Dont students learn things much better from friends than from some strangers? that is what Loyola is! Classes are as though friends are teachin you...

About the campus: The loyola campus itself is inviting to any stranger..The greenery makes the senses calm and refreshed! Students find their own favourite haunts.

The non-teaching staff is equally loving.They are upto help us whenever we need them.

So..
if you are not yet a loyolite...if you wanyt to enjoy life and drink its essence to the lees...i say you join LOYOLA now itself.Time and Tide waits for no one BUDDY!