Life’s syllabus for Alex: in retrospect - Bhaskar Sinha || English story || Short story || English short story

Life’s syllabus for Alex: in retrospect

            Bhaskar Sinha

Today, I am filled with excitement. My childhood friend is in town. For the past few months, we've been in close contact through social media, and now those warm conversations are finally bearing fruit. Accustomed to traversing the globe, he has a brief window of time to spend in this unremarkable town.

I am incredibly fortunate to have many special friends, yet not all of them are equal. Some are indeed more special than others, and Alex definitely falls into this extraordinary category. My childhood narrative would be incomplete without mentioning the significant role of Alex. He was not only a close friend but also a formidable competitor. Whether it was in academics or sports, we were always pushing each other to greater heights. Initially, I assumed that his interests leaned more towards sports than studies, giving myself a false sense of superiority in academics. However, a stark reality check came with the Grade 10 and later Grade 12 results. While my marks were decent, there was a significant gap between our scores.

Alex's family was displaced from West Pakistan during the partition, which was based on religious divisions. His father was advised that relocating to a suburban town in this country would be safer for the family, even though it meant starting from scratch. His father secured a job at a new branch of an emerging industry. At the time, we didn't grasp the significance of these events. As I grew older, I gradually learned that Alex's father was a passionate advocate of left-front ideologies.

In our family's case, we had been living in the town for generations. To me, everything about the town was as familiar and predictable as a textbook syllabus. I believed that if I studied it thoroughly, I wouldn't miss any question on an exam. I never paid much attention to reference books or additional sources. However, the disparity in our Grade 10 scores made me realize the value of such materials. By then, I was already struggling to keep up in the vast curriculum of Grade 12. Alex never let me down and shared several recommended books with me. Eventually, I recognized that I should have overcome my pride and asked him for more recommendations earlier. It was only later that I fully appreciated how voraciously Alex read books from all available sources. Gathering and judiciously using resources was key to success.

We grew up well, playing football, participating in different tournaments, attending drama classes, and causing a bit of mischief here and there – those were our little devils’ days! Life followed a predictable pattern: attending Sunday masses, hunting for Easter eggs, and sharing Christmas cakes, though I don’t recall ever seeing Alex’s father at these events, except for Christmas. Organizing the year-end picnic was always thrilling, especially with the delicious turkey and fruit cakes supplied by Alex’s mom. Meanwhile, I was occupied with writing trivial poems and publishing insignificant little magazines, activities Alex always encouraged.

I only discovered Alex’s love for literature when he posted a travelogue on social media about his first journey abroad. It was incredibly insightful and revealed his family's financial struggles. He had even borrowed money from his professor to buy a ticket for his postdoctoral studies, a path I never imagined he would take. It required immense courage to stay in a foreign country, sharing a hostel dorm, with the assurance that expenses would be covered once the first installment of his scholarship arrived. Such remarkable bravery was beyond me.

Alex was usually reticent about his political beliefs. When he urged me to attend a public lecture by Mr. E. M. S. Namboodiripad, I assumed it was for educational purposes. Socialism was a prevalent ideology at the time, and I was open to expanding my understanding of it. Gradually, I began to perceive the deep-seated pain in him caused by the partition, the massacres, torture, and the riots that ensued as millions crossed borders in a desperate bid for survival. This pain ran deep, leaving scars that wouldn't heal in the usual manner. His feelings were intense and complex, perhaps even bordering on schizophrenic, and not easily understood.

To Alex, God never existed; for me, the concept of God was a beautiful creation of clever humankind. Even though the existence of a supreme power seemed more baffling and debatable, I often contemplated the nature of power-hungry humans and their propensity to exploit resources to the fullest. Alex, while more articulate in his responses, never sought blessings from godmen or deities. Although our views diverged, we both moved away from the god-fearing and religious ethos that had been favored and ingrained for centuries. Alex could spend hours debating the concept of sin and challenging the notion that everyone is inherently a sinner. He had a knack for identifying the glaring faults in religious texts with ease, but I doubt his opinions ever reached beyond our circle of friends.

Alex’s classical music collection was astonishing, and he was always eager to share his favorite pieces with us. Apart from spending sleepless nights at live musical events in our township, we devoted countless hours to enjoying his music collection together.

While I attended a reputable state college, Alex secured a place at the top college, having passed an entrance exam I hadn't even considered attempting. He once visited my college with his seniors, and we spent a delightful time together. During this visit, I was introduced to Alex’s seniors who aspired to study abroad. My perspective was more limited; my main goal was to secure a job immediately after graduation, which I ultimately achieved. Later, when I visited his university to collect a research sample, Alex arranged everything meticulously. He provided delicious food and a comfortable place to rest. We spent our time discussing my love interests, smoking cigars, and my modest attempts at poetry. It was only about two decades later, after he was happily married, that I learned about his own love life.

After enduring several low-paying jobs, I realized the need to expand my limited worldview and enhance my education. I eventually enrolled in a better college for further studies, a decision that turned out to be quite fortunate. Subsequently, my job prospects and financial situation improved significantly.

During this period, the concept of a global village was rapidly expanding, facilitated by the widespread use of the internet. After a hiatus of almost two decades, Alex and I reconnected through social media. It was a delightful surprise to learn that he now owned a massive international company with operations across multiple sites and states.

The long-awaited day finally arrived when Alex promised to meet his lifelong friend. It was early morning, the air tinged with a light fog. Alex and I sat in the drawing room, sipping steaming hot tea from beige cups, watching the elegant spirals of steam rise. I was keen to catch up on everything that had happened in his life over the past two decades. Alex proposed that I spend the entire day with him, to which I ecstatically agreed, but there was a caveat. I had to accompany him throughout the day. First, he planned to visit Mother’s House to offer flowers, and he had even arranged flight tickets for both of us. In the afternoon, there was an inauguration of a school for special needs children.

The visit to Mother’s House was peaceful and grounding. I always found immense tranquility there, and I expressed my gratitude to Alex. Later, while seated among the audience, I witnessed a different side of Alex. He spoke passionately about the need for a school for special needs children and the importance of showing empathy towards them. It was revealed that all expenses for the school and its students would be covered by Alex’s company. His magnanimity was overwhelming, and I couldn’t help but salute him for his grandeur.

Reflecting on the day, an anonymous saying came to mind: life is an exam where the syllabus is unknown and the questions are unforeseen. The more we read, the more passionate we are, the harder we strive, and the bigger our vision, the more likely we are to stand tall and triumph. In the end, it’s the resourcefulness and strength of character that define humanity, not narrow-mindedness.