The Forsaken Being !

I had and I still have a friend, who is a so large in human terms, that my friend is a blend of all the good. My paranoia is all about not being able to make it to my friend when I was needed the most. My temporary amnesia tells me I am the most-forgetful of all beings alive. I hate myself for being that. God crucify me for being that!

It was a mundane evening, tired and almost in fatigue that took a U turn in my friendship. I was on a good happy errand that I was doing at home, washing clothes and cleaning the place-which I seldom think about? I called my friend only to hear that my friend wasn’t feeling well. I on this end offered my all-help (moral, social, emotional) and declared with pride that, “If I am of any help, I am just a phone call away”. With this my friend slipped to sleep, as I was told later.

I had to bring in some veggies for the supper and the blunder of my life struck. I forgot the phone at home and unknowingly window-shopped for some greens. As I was doing this, I crossed over another friend of mine. What else then, a game or two of billiards. I utterly forgot about the ill friend of mine. As a matter of fact, my billiard games came down to a minimum and even my gulping-shots of beer down my throat reduced significantly after I met the ‘ill’ friend. I was an all bad trait human until some of it changed when I met my friend.

To continue, after an hour and a half, when I got back home, I instantly reached for my phone and I hit my head after seeing ‘9 missed calls’. I immediately rang back only to hear the telecom lady speak, “The subscriber you are trying to call is not responding, please try again later”. I tested the endurance of my patience by attempting 17 more calls. All the calls had one similarity, yes you are right, all the calls were answered in the same statement, “The subscriber……..”

I panicked in guilt and felt wholly ashamed for forgetting this time. I tried to mend my utter failure verbally but no answer came from the other end. This worry was the last thing before I slept and the first thing when I woke up the following morning, in mind. I went office late to see my friend and I was glad my friend made it to the office. I again attempted a call and yes, there was no responding.

Later, when my friend called me up I heard something very deeply insulting on my part. My friend was taken to the hospital by a neighbor and had a rough night trying to get some sleep. My friend over the phone declared, “You expect your friend to help you in times of need once you know that your friend is ill”, further “you told me ‘if I am of any help I am just a phone call away”. Now this definitely will hurt even if I were to be the sick friend. 

This is what happened as of now and I expect my friend to be getting well soon and our friendship to come back to normalcy like before.

Thanks for reading this piece and yes do not forget to carry your cell phones as it mends or bends human relationships.

I am such forsaken being…………….

Eating habit makes a man: Sounds Funny!

It is obvious that habits die hard and childhood habits can have a lasting and changing effect (some bad of course!) in people in their later years of life. Some good habits may come handy while others may bring about ones weakness. My story of a similar habit that changed my life is seriously humorous but I also learnt a few things along the way. Here is how…

Biscuits are my weakness and my choice of snacks is bit annoying. When kids of my age were fond of chocolates and candies I was after the crispy and crunchy biscuits. To this day, I love biscuits and would have it in stock any time of the year. From available brands of biscuits like Krackjack, Marie, Glucose-D and Coconut back then, I used to melt at the sight of one satisfying bite of Parle-G. The good old days had money value so high that for two Ngultrums, one could get a pack of refreshing (Parle-G) biscuit.  Now the same would cost you ten. Spending a penny on something like that would cost my dinner and some slaps back then, because the money that I used to spend would be stolen from the home altar (Choeshum).  Those days biscuits were a delicacy during tea time and for me it was rare. Every time I got hold of my mother’s fingers and walked with her to the market, I would frustratingly insist on some Parle-G. There were some instances where my plea was accepted but I was mostly denied.

My envy was too strong for others like me whom I saw with Parle –G that I was in love with. I would end up quarrelling with other kids if they didn’t spare me one. This weakness of mine gave boys an added advantage over me to let me do all sorts of mean things for a pack of my favorite biscuits in return. In high school, for want of such packets of biscuits, I would affectionately take their love filled messages to grown up girls, positive or negative reply from girls was not my problem as long as I get my reward for the job done. Sometimes I would get those biscuits for passing on messages but this time it would be the other way round, from girls to boys. I used to be bribed for trivial things like copying notes, drawing diagrams for science, home works and so on. It kept my adrenalin up when I ate one and I would be active in the class. These bribing incidences and I doing things because of the reward gave way to a whole new change in me and making me active even after high school, but this time there were no Parle-G(s) of course!

As a school going kid, I was never taught to be participatory especially in the classes but the magic of those biscuits did. Gradually I managed to be active even without those biscuits which were almost my life blood once. I have the habit of interacting actively in the class with peers and teachers and I have no problems outside the class either. Even in crowd I can fairly adjust and mingle around people. This very habit made me confident during gatherings and while speaking in public. Hesitation has a minimum place in me and I don’t like to be silent and reserved. I was good with my studies. I am talkative, energetic, prompt, jolly and mostly anxious. I am always with the question why? This nature gave an insight into my life and to begin new things with considerable energy and enthusiasm.

On many instances, I was told that I talk too much and my class mates in college even told me to get rid of this habit. This was too late for a person like me, I thought. To make matters worse, a trainee girl in my class told me, “No one likes talkative boys! You will end up having no girlfriends! Talkative girls, people love them!”  While I was listening to her suggestions, deep in my mind, I was thinking that she was cruelly jealous of me and grudgingly envied my character particularly because she was a miserable soul with English presentations and very pathetic when it came to public speaking. Her choices of words were even more pathetic. This was my personal observation in three years that we spent training ourselves to be teachers. We were closing in for the graduation and within weeks we would be tagged ‘teachers’ of Bhutan teaching in various places. This remark of hers made me think of her, wondering what is that she is going to teach when she herself has problem understanding basic things. For a teacher, to be talkative and to be active is a tool that helps learning in children and for oneself. I had wonderful opportunities to attend classes lectured by Mr. Thakur S. Powdyel[1] and I truly thought these lines by him suites her remark on me, “Our nation is at stake! The foundations of this institute must be shaking”. It was declared when a trainee failed miserably in front of the class with a presentation in poetry module. A year later I heard she was teaching in one of the middle secondary school. Great, still!

I would take this incident of mine as an advantage of eating habit and yes the cruel people will always make a part of this world because they are the critics of life, without such people nobody would learn. If I fall victim to such criticisms I take it as the next lesson that I will remember for the rest of my life rather than confronting over what just happened.

This trait of my habit is undeniably because of the magic biscuits that I still continue to eat and whenever I see small kids with packs of biscuits, it reminds me of the good old days that I once lived. Therefore, it is my belief – ‘eating habit makes a man’.

---

[1] His Excellency the present education minister

Foretold love !

This is a story about a young lone voyage of a boy in his early twenties, the voyage of love. He always dreamt of a beloved who would patiently wait for him by a utopian shore anticipating his return. He was a sailor in the making not by chance but by his love for the seas and the adventures associated with it. Although riding the high tides for a pretty long time, he never missed a thought of meeting a girl someday and raising a family of four.

He was Odysseus of his time and the luck wasn’t by his side. After two arduous years of sea adventures, the time had finally come for him to land, the literal-real land. Contrary to his dream, there was no one waiting for him on the shore. When he scanned the shores he felt that dream is what dream means. It remains a dream. He swept his mouth with this left hand and stepped on the land.

In the midst of the people busy in the market chores, he glanced at the diverse and varying people as the place was a busy trading port. A child claimed to be a fortune teller and he was awestruck at the facts foretold by the child. He tried his luck on this child. “Boy can you see my fortune?” “Why not mister, can you tell me your name?” cried the boy.

Glancing at snaps, the boy told the man about his future partner. “She is a noble woman and you will have three children from her”. “I have always dreamt of a woman waiting for me by a sea shore” and quick came the reply, “but you will die when you see your youngest child reach seven”.

“This is not something that you forced upon me but it is something I chose to be” uttered the man.

He later found that woman and lived to see his youngest child die......

The help dilemma

Dear readers,

This thing called friendship is a little bit misappropriated by individuals and it’s governed by personal perceptions. This is the ground reality. If you think this is the worst fact, then I am just a phone call away! Try me!

Friendship is defined in million ways. Friendship is a relationship that has many dimensions and styles. Friendship can be of between any two or more persons and there is no compulsion of age, gender, geography, race, creed or nationality. People living in a house or living in this world are equally prone to this relationship of friendship. Friendship has no boundaries and no limits.

Friendship is no doubt useful Friends help in our difficulties. Friends save us in our dangers. Friends give us timely advice. Friends guide when we are perplexed. Friends wish our good friends like us from the core of their hearts. We feel relieved when we tell our sorrow to a friend. A true friend is our asset. Friends share our sorrow and redouble our joy. When we are in pain and agony our friends soothe us. They console us.

For instance, I have spent many nights helping other people complete papers that they are struggling with. After reading Aristotle, the question of whether I am gaining honor from this while they are gaining profit (good grades) or simply being used confounds me. I know the favor will not be returned in the same form, but I still feel as if I have gained just as much, if not more, from the friendship or from a professional boss. While they have gained a better grade, I have increased my feeling of self-worth and contribution, and therefore honor, which lasts far longer than a high score. For instance, Aristotle maintains that "someone who suffers a monetary loss receives honor in return, while someone who accepts gifts receives money [but not honor]; for distribution that accords with worth equalizes and preserves the friendship"

Lobzang Nima wrote this when he felt that some friends are just as good as hunting goodwill. Or for that matter, he is upset that he wasn’t acknowledged for the academic contribution he made for another fellow being whom he respected with much awe.This world is just the same as it was created, no ignorance.

Have a nice day!