Gerald D'Cunha

  “By chance we meet; by choice we become friends.” Millie   T his morning, I saw a message from Naresh, a dear friend of mine. “Sir, Prem is in town. He will be leaving tonight. So, if possible, try to meet him today.” It was sometime in 1985-86. I was teaching T.Y. B. Com students in small batches all over our suburb. Charan (a girl), who was a T.Y. student of one of my Anushakti Nagar baches, had told about me to Naresh and his friend Prem… So, one evening, I saw these two extremely handsome, young men waiting to meet me after Charan’s batch was over. They came about exceptionally gentle, respectful and, as I said, handsome. But, what has stayed with me is the first image: Naresh and Prem showed up in identical clothes – black trousers and white shirts… Impeccably dressed… Four decades later, these two friends have remained inseparable… the best friends. Of course, they live in two different parts of India… do different kinds of businesses… wear no more identical ...

Today is the first visarjan – of one-and-a-half days’. So, my eight-o’clock-batch students wanted a day off. I could take some rest and reach late.  At nine, when I reached near my classes, I thought of taking a glimpse of the Ganesh murti decorated just outside… There was no one around; so, I thought I could peacefully spend a moment inside the pandal.   My heart spontaneously smiled the moment I reached the pandal . Three kids – aged between eleven to fifteen – were fast asleep inside!  “Good morning,” my smiling heart wished them. Immediately, the youngest one jumped. “What’s the time, sir,” he asked me. “Nine, beta ,” I told him. “Oh, no!” he seemed worried and started pulling the blankets off his friends’ faces. “Nine it is; we have missed the school!” The other two pulled over the blankets and turned to other side. The youngest one decided to sit down for a while… The school, any way, had gone for a toss! ...

"Why do you write your blog? To preach others?" my wife asked me angrily. "You talk about self-esteem and sell-control ... you talk about anger management, all for the world ... all hogwash." It was 8.00 in the morning. We both had dressed up to go for the Sunday mass. I had got up at 5.00 in the morning in order to help my son get up to study for his forth coming exams. As is always the case with him - and with any teenager of his age - he kept saying, "Only five minutes," "Only five minutes" till it became six, and then, seven. All along testing my patience, challenging me whether I could 'practice what I preached." Often, I blow off. And, yesterday, I did, again. It was quite a deadly explosion. He had hardly flipped through the books; and off he went under his blanket, once again. He was to reach his classes at 8.00 for the tests. And, he was still at home! And, that was - even after repeated reminders, even after exhausting all the ...