An Effort To Reach Out…

Sometimes in wishful pondering.. I try to recollect the earliest memory I have and they come to me tumbling, in no particular order.  One such misty memory, takes me back to my first day at School, my Alma Mater "St. Anthony’s High School, Sakinaka".  I remember my first friend Seema  in life, wiping my tears and telling me don’t worry "mummy will come soon" ironic though since she was as little as me.  Little did I know that she would be the first in a long list of "best friends" I would make in life.

I am sure that by now all of you must have stopped to think who your best friend was in Nursery and there might even be a lucky one or two who are still buds with them.  Unfortunately I am just an acquaintance with my first bud though still in touch. 

To continue where I left, came Reema Mendonca my first bestest friend I would ever have.  So much so the name itself brings a smile to my face. We were termed sisters in school by our teachers.  You just could not spot one of us without the other.  Tiffin times would be a shared affair of course.  Since her home was nearer to school we would even trot off and her mom serve both of us with the same warm smile a mother would have for her daughters.

Reema left school in the Primary year, and I was lost, never used to being alone, I mean of course there were other normal friends but the Best friend position was vacant for taking.  I do not remember any other candidate being as apt as Reema was ever again.  In my higher secondary year, a year marked with growth both in terms of spiritual activities and knowledge and the much awaited maturity.  A time for school time crushes and the well known drive of infatuations.

I did meet Reema again, when I entered my 12th standard board examinations hall room, I turned around behind me to find her familiar, much loved grin and then we hugged as if the years in between had never happened. Caught up with each other’s lives, still at ease and as comfortable with each other as we were when we were kids.

Being a part of the youth group often put us together with the deacons, brothers as we would call them and priests.  I am blessed to be still in touch with them, though of course now they are officially priests and of course Fr.Hugh Fonseca, Fr. Alex Carvalho & Fr. Eugene D’silva (Redemptorist) were always there for me, guiding and guarding a young teenager from all the terrors of growing up, of disillusionment and the fears.  Fr. Michael Pinto, who is etched in memory is a distinguished person who will be cherished forever.

I still remember the day after I finished my graduation, I went to search for my School Principal ? Sr.Anna, who had moved on to a school in Churchgate.  I did not tell her I was coming, and thought I would surprise her and see if she remembered me.  I was in a for a surprise when she looked at me and said, I was just thinking of you !!  She was looking at a b’day card I had given her as a child in school.  I hope she (being a religious person) said a prayer for me.  One more shining example of what goes around comes around heh??

Funny how when we leave school we think we are going to die without our friends our strength and pillars of support, and when somebody tells us we’ll make new ones, we stare at them as if they are raving mad.

But then in college came Gayatri fondly called Guddu, who till date is like my soul mate, though oceans apart, we reach out and talk to each other, and how can I forget Karen Jacob, the adventuress who was like the crazy fun factor in life, what more proof than to tell you all that she delivered a healthy baby boy on my birthday.  The email informing me, said, I won’t ever forget your b’day again since my bundle of joy shares it with you 🙂

A married person now, I guess my Spouse is my friend for life, and a great one at that, with just a touch of sense of humour a pinch of sarcasm and of course Shetty kind of physique 😉 Thank you so much Vivek for being my BESTEST FRIEND FOR LIFE.  And of course to my Lady FRIEND Sonia Mendonca, who manages to pull me out of the blues, turns weekends into fun and always has great advice in brining up my kiddos.

Being a single child, I must admit has been the most challenging aspect of my life.  I wonder what I would do without Reem & Janet & Chetan, my darling siblings for whom I would willingly sacrifice anything and everything.  I take this time to say a heartfelt thank you for including me and making me feel belonged, which I might add people should not take for granted.

Now when my son comes and tells me he met Abdulla, Karthick, Golu & Alishba, I wonder which one of them is going to wipe his tears, or put an arm around him to tell him that it is going to okay. 

I know of people counting their material worth, their assets, houses and bank balance. I stop today to count my FRIENDS…the unconditional love that goes around in this world, and the only reason the world is worth living inspite of the terrorism, the natural disasters and the man made problems.  I write these feelings down hoping and wishing that we’ll be part of each other’s daily lives again some day.  I wonder what my friends families are like.  What they have named their children and what they have gone on to become?  I see an email alert and wonder is it a FRIEND ??

Author: Tina Miranda- Kuwait