The tap

There was a small clayey slope opposite the then Vice-Principal's office, that bore little toe holds for those who wanted a shortcut to the big tree out there, that fell in a monsoon rain onto the girl’s hostel, and ended up as charcoal probably in one of Woody’s grand scientific experiments. It had ivy and a wild rose, a peach tree, that seldom bore fruit and one day it was cut down for that very fault. Charcoal. 

The path behind the girl’s hostel had that remarkable sustainer of life, the water tap, that washed tiffins and faces and feet and jawwies from pockets, and marbles and jats and hand kerchiefs and had the best water you could get anywhere. So humble, self effacing, faithfully working for many years. Many tales were exchanged at that very place. Michael Lim Susai's gold watch being rescued from the toilet there, by Woody himself, the small landslide and a couple of wattle trees down, giggles and unholy glee of the bread jam conspirators, scenes of misery upstairs… and there came Aloysius and his little friend. Aloysius turned the tap a little too hard and a piece of history was made. The little boy, fear in his eyes shouted, “Aloysius! Don’t broke man!!! ”