I was sleeping deeply when I heard my mother’s voice calling me because it was time to get up.
I opened my eyes, still sleepy, and a ray of sunlight coming through the slits of the window hit me on my forehead.
I yawned, turned away and started thinking, I don’t know what anymore.
Immersed in those thoughts, I forgot about my mother’s call
When I heard eight bells ringing from the bell tower I was frightened because at a quarter past eight I had to go to school
I got dressed in a hurry
I went to the kitchen and saw that my mother was not there.
I got ready, had breakfast, reviewed the lesson, and ran towards school.
The road, which at the time was usually packed with children and young girls who, singing and arguing among themselves, went to the school, was then almost deserted.
Halfway, I felt a pain in my side, and I had to slow down.
I arrived at school sweaty and tired.
I approached the gate and saw that it was already locked
I looked around and saw no one.
Then I rang the bell
The janitor appeared and said to me: “You’re late, so come with me.”
He opened the gate, took me by the hand and led me in a direction.
He left me alone in front of the Principal.
He stared at me with a stern look and began to scold me for my delay and beaten I listened to his authoritative words.
He seemed to be a judge pronouncing sentence.
He told me that you must be punctual in every action and that punctuality is one of the most beautiful qualities that you must acquire.
At the end of that scolding I headed towards my class and resumed my lessons
When my mother came home, seeing me a bit mortified, she asked me if I had received any bad grades.
I told her what had happened
She also scolded me for not being punctual and the scolding served me as a rule that one must always be punctual.
What can happen due to lack of punctuality
Switzerland, February 28, 1945
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