When Rains Come, it Come in Battalions

So many grave things are happening in our school these days. I'm starting to wonder if someone secretly built this place on an ancient burial ground. Let me list the disasters—not for sympathy, but because listing things makes me feel in control.

First Grave Thing: The Vice Principal's Absence

Our school vice principal's wife has been hospitalized for several months. Naturally, he has been by her side, as any decent husband should be. Unfortunately, the subject he was assigned to teach—science—has been left in complete shambles. For more than a month, classes V A, V B, and V C have had their science books bolted inside their bags. The students are thirsty. Not for water. For scientific knowledge.

When there was no hope of his return, and when the exams came knocking like an angry landlord, our science department finally took initiative. They decided to cover those classes. But here's the problem: science teachers in Bhutan are loaded. Not with money—please don't laugh—but with periods. They already have more teaching hours than a clock has ticks. Somehow, they agreed to adjust and spare their already compressed time.

When I asked my class V students how it's going, they said, "One period is enough to cover a chapter." Yes. One period. One chapter. That's how sciences are taught when everyone shares the teaching—it becomes nobody's cake, and everyone tries to munch it all at once. Digestion is not guaranteed.

Second Grave Thing: The Principal's Family Crisis

The school also had to remain for a month without our principal, which saddened every one of us. His sister suffered a severe trauma, and on top of that, she had birthing complications. This kept both her and the baby in the Thimphu hospital ICU for many weeks. Life is difficult, I heard him saying. And he didn't even mention the state of our lesson plans.

Third Grave Thing: Two Students Behind Bars

Two of our students are now behind bars. Their sentences: up to three years. I feel deep pity for these two boys from classes IX and X—locked up in the dark, missing their education, their futures now clouded. It makes you wonder: what if this had happened to a rich or noble family? It wouldn't even be news. It would be a "private matter."

These two boys committed a fourth-degree felony. Burglary. But here's the heartbreaking part: it could have been settled before it got punched all the way to court. That's the cruelty of law enforcers sometimes. They don't always study the offense or the nature of the crime as carefully as they should.

What exactly did the boys do? They entered a shop in Rinchentse and stole some food items and a little money. I heard they didn't even break a door. They simply walked through an already unlocked entrance. One of the boys was living alone on rent and struggling to get enough ration to eat. He was hungry. Not greedy. Hungry.

That boy then took his class X friend along with him to the shop. See how bad minds infect and change others? Except here, the "bad mind" was just a hungry stomach. They allegedly took items worth around Nu. 8,000. Not a fortune. Not a diamond heist. Just enough to survive.

The real question now is: once they are released from that dungeon, will they ever think good thoughts about life again? Or will the system have taught them that hunger is a crime and desperation has no mercy?

Fourth Grave Thing: The Football Humiliation

And then, as if all this wasn't enough, the Bhutan football team was hammered by the Hong Kong team. What a disgrace! I'm not saying we should stop playing football. But maybe—just maybe—Bhutan should focus on some necessary developments first. Like roads. Like drinking water. Like poverty. Not just "routing playing," as someone beautifully put it.

Don't do what we can't do. Do what we can do. And right now, we cannot seem to kick a ball OR keep our students out of jail. Priorities.

A Small Prayer and a Big Chorten

Anyway, I pray that this mid-term exam gets over before another misfortune strikes here. There is already a plan for our school to conduct a small ritual to drive these evils away. Because at this point, we'll try anything. Even burning incense at the principal's desk.

In our last review meeting—which was surprisingly fruitful—everyone agreed to contribute Nu. 1,000 for some months to lay the foundation of our school's chorten. Yes. A chorten. Because if we can't fix the living, at least we can honor the dead. Or the cursed.

The meeting also unanimously agreed that there is a need for a Threma Rimdro in the school. The house agreed without a single objection. That's how scared we all are.

Our national assembly will continue in the next session. Until then, may the exams be easy, the rituals effective, and the science chapters mercifully short.