“How was school?” That’s the question maa asked me everyday after school and everyday I was too tired to answer but today was different. This was the last day of school.  So today being the last day of school, my genius friends decided to skip it like most of the students and the teachers. I did not. I needed this last day to look at the place where I grew up, the place that made me who I am. It was weird being at school and walking these corridors for the last time as a student. “C’mon I just mopped the floor!” yelled Maury, he was out janitor. He was known for being grumpy and scaring children away. “Um.. sorry Maury”, I said awkwardly to the old grump who just huffed in response. “Do you need some help?” I have no idea what prompted me to say that but the look on Maury’s face was worth it. “Grab a mop” he said. We mopped the halls in awkward silence till lunch time. “Follow me” he said. We went to sit under this huge tree and we started eating lunch in silence. “We planted it” he said. “Planted what?” I asked. “This tree”. The tree must’ve been decades old. “It was around 40 years ago, my last day in high school, or so I thought. My friends and I crying our eyes out knowing we were all going to be separated in a few months. So we made a pact, a pact to show up right here every 10 years on the last day of school.” “Did they show up?” I asked, “Nah” he replied. “It wasn’t the age of mobile phones we couldn’t just call each other up we did not even have each other’s numbers for god’s sake.” It was sad to see, he clearly missed them but hadn’t talked to them in ages. I know my friends are also going away but the thought of never talking to them again was not one that crossed my mind. We ended mopping and chatting till 5 O’clock and somehow Maury did not seem like a grump anymore, just someone who needed some company so I wrote it on some desk, ‘Don’t be scared of Maury, just ask him if he needs help’ I wrote this hoping some kid next year would see how kind Maury is. As I was leaving, I saw someone standing outside. “Is there anyone inside the school?” He asked “Oh no, it’s the last day of school.” I told him. “Oh” he said. I could see the disappointment on his face “Maury’s still cleaning up I guess” I added. His face lit up and I could almost see tears in his eyes as I saw him rush past me looking for Maury. I saw two old friends hugging each other after 40 years. It was a beautiful sight, something I would never forget. I went home smiling thinking about those two and as I walked into my house, like clockwork, maa asks, “How was school?” for the last time, and this time I wasn’t too tired to answer.