Thursday, February 18, 2016

My friend's angst.

I was pleasantly surprised when Bernard, my classmate from the University College, had called up in the morning inviting us for lunch, saying that he wanted to discuss something personal that was agonising him for the past couple of days. The short lead time as well as my mom's presence, made me to alter the programme to all of us having a quiet lunch at our place.

I was meeting Bernard after a few months but we've been in constant touch over the telephone, What'sApp and what-have-you almost continuously, sharing news about mutual friends, jokes and our opinions on the news, that hit the headlines from time to time. So, I was very eager to know about what was gnawing him because he definitely looked sad and unsure.

For the initial hour or so, he interacted with mom as is his wont and mom, too, likes him tremendously. He'd bought her a small gift as usual! It was after lunch and when we were at the balcony on a one-to-one that he unburdened his woes. He has a neighbour, quite senior and a retired government servant with whom there existed a cordial relationship. Frequent visits to each other's houses, exchanges of special dishes and attending get togethers when friends and relatives dropped by were a few of the activities that were existent between the two families. Bernie, always used to talk about his neighbour with tremendous love and respect.

Two days back, while Bernie was on an errand, he happened to overhear a telephonic conversation in which his neighbour referred to him as, "A good for nothing idiot who's a lost case......" Ever since, he has been studiously avoiding his neighbour! The angst was getting the better of him because he was at a loss as to how he should react to it.

I could sense my own anger rising within me, wonder why. For Bernie, my answer was simple, "If I were in your place, I'd have knocked on the guy's door at that instant and announced the arrival of the 'good-for-nothing-idiot' and asked him to keep clear of me from then on", and forget the guy as a bad joke! I wouldn't lose my sleep over the incident, for sure.

Bernie and Laila, stayed on a trifle beyond teatime and I think, I could smooth his ruffled feathers to some extent. Laila was upset that her husband was trivialised - she thinks the world about him. He has decided to give the creep a wide berth but with no precipitate action, like the one suggested by me, being the thorough gentleman that he was.

As I saw his car moving away, with him throwing a wave of his hand, I really was angry with the guy who'd caused so much of agony to poor Bernie!


Tailpiece.

Bernie's words, "Yaar Rajeev, how can I stop all communication with the guy because he's the only person in the vicinity that I could share my thoughts", kept ringing in my ears...How can somebody be so mean to a guy like Bernie?

PS.
And sorry Bernie for putting your nasty experience into public domain. People must understand the duplicity in the people that surround them and be on guard.

  

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