How I recall…

Since the last one or two years some of my companions from our days in the boarding, reached out to me. The first was Frank (is it the same one called affectionately ‘Butler’?). Then there was Joe D’Souza, John Carvallo, and now Philon. I guess we are all in our 60s.

Joe D’Souza as I remember was affectionately called ‘Chintu’ and if memory serves me right, he was a good friend. John Carvallo was the studious one. He took his studies very seriously. And he was also a damn good hockey player. Then there was Philon who I recall was very stylish with a huge puff and handsome too.

Well at the current moment John Carvallo is visiting Dubai for his grandson’s First Holy Communion. We are to meet tomorrow for the first time after about 45 years. Meanwhile I’ve just sent Philon in the USA a hello.

I was saddened by the news about Bro Toth who passed away. He saved my life when I was about 8 years old when he took me piggy back to a doctor in the middle of the night because I had the pneumonia. The infirmary was my favorite spot when I joined the boarding in 1950 or so. This continued for some years until I became toughened. Joe’s technique of giving an injection was like throwing a dart. While his tech of administering an opening dose of Epsom salts was to hold your nose while you gulped the horrible tasting fluid. But the food in the infirmary was just heavenly compared to the refectory food.