26/04/2021
Sara kochamma a name synonymous to Nicholson school. The flag bearer of what the institution stands for. School was her passion. Her fellow teachers and the thousands of students who passed out of the school make up her family and ofcourse her beloved canine friends too.
She was strong, independent, assertive, confident, caring, loving, determined and committed. No words can fully express who she was. She was many things to many people. She was the heart and soul of Nicholson school. There is no one like her.
Her faith in the lord, her simplicity, her principles, her disciplines inspired anyone who came to know her.She was a mentor, guide, teacher and counsellor to anyone who needed her. She had good character judgement. She understood that authority and responsibility are two sides of a single coin.
While studying there; we never understood the responsibility she had, the safety of 500 odd students and staffs of an institution. Not even a single leaf would turn in that 20 acres of land without her noticing, such was the care and observational skill of kochamma.
I remember the first time I met her when me, my sister and my mother had gone to meet her at her bungalow on my sister's first day of school. She told my sister, do give your wrist watch to your mom in a soft loving voice. I think I learnt to live in both prosperity and in scarcity because of those lessons from school.
The initial years as a day scholar I feared her stares if I ever came late to the school assembly. She could stare you down like a pro. In later years I would hide away from her shadows as much as possible and if I ever had to walk past her I would be so nervous.
Only when I became the head girl of school that I got to interact with kochamma and she was always cordial with me. I made sure that I never gave her any room for complaint, still I worried I would get shouted at some point but that never came and I am glad. The biggest compliment I felt she gave us was when she mentioned after the final exams that she could see team work between the heads of the house and prefects.
The last time I visited her back in 2017, she told us that her health has started slowly detoriating due to age related factors and I could see that.
Though Sara kochamma is mostly infamous for her assertive nature, I can only remember her smiling face.
Kochamma nurtured girls of so many generations and through her work she has served God by serving people.
Kochamma has run a good race, and finished it. May the God present her with the crown of life in heaven. Rest in Peace kochamma. We love you and we miss you.
