The Old Boy(s)

Well I finally went to that Old Boy meeting – it’s a great English tradition after all, yet strange for a school which was singularly set up to take the very Englishness away from the masses. Its not Eaton or Marlborough you know. Its funny when you come to think of it. A schoolboy yesterday – sitting at a classroom taking in the lessons, and today you wake up to find yourself an Old Boy there nearing retirement age in the outside world. And it all never crossed my mind when I was sitting on that bench, one day I’d come here as a mature “nevermind who” with a glass in hand….. Life is a bitch.

So how did it go? Well, some fellers there I never met since I left the school confines. There was one who used to sit next to me and I did not even recognise him. Someone uttered his name and I was filled with a deep sense of shame, I mean we used to sit next to each other, share lunch, take the same bus – yet did not recognise him… I was never the one to remember faces. No kidding, if I were to take the time tunnel I’d not recognise myself 20 years ago. Who the f*** is this obnoxious bastard, I’d ask about myself. You need to go to Oedipus to see worse consequences of not recognising people…

Our boys seem to have done justice for themselves, wondering aimlessly among Lawyers, Medical Directors, Surgeons, Company Directors, Corporate Managers, and whatnot, exchanging greetings and groping desperately to name each face, there was another internal struggle within me. Not recognising them is one thing – there is always some means or an excuse. But introducing myself! What do I say I am now to the company director with a beautiful secretary draped around him? Life is indeed a Bitch.B capital.

Wondering in the wilderness of my blog, written in an informal free style, you’d surely say just tell them who you are, a visa consultant – what’s the complex you got. Another one of you might say Why, is being a visa consultant such a lowly menial job?, Would your girlfriend run off with a better if you said it? Well, its not that bad really, and I could hold my own in any crowd with it, spare the uber-academic. But there is another issue. I never felt comfortable with anything I did, and though I lion it out here on the blog, within such close quarters I’d rather have it they just took me for whoever they painted me out to be. Even a porcupine would do just fine, but what I really am, ah that is a no no. Why? Cause I belong to the Nevermind School, unless there is a professional reason to know otherwise, such as them having a gorgeous kid sister or a sister-in-law for an example…. And in that place, there was little reason to suspect anybody being in possession of either of above two important factors in the edible variety..

All in all, the event went just fine, we had a good time and, yes, I did meet Soosthiya, and a few others too. They have done themselves good, and I pretended to be an oil importer throughout. Relax kids, I know that trade, and I am a fast talker, quick on the draw, cross examining me on oil importing is a re-enactment of Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, with me played by Wyatt Earp.

As you know, I rarely go to these meetings, and I shun crowds. So it was something of a treat for me to be there. And it was of course good to meet so many of my colleagues after all these years, strange experience in the sense I have only seen them in school uniforms whole my life – that is before this day. It was no good talking old things, for I rarely wallow in nostalgia. Besides, there was the nectar of Eden in plenty, Girls? Who needs girls? asked Pinocchio after being treated for that splinter issue, and after a few fillings of l'eau des dieux, I was singing, nostalgia? who the – ok nevermind the other bit – wants it? Fill in the blanks according to your own taste; I am a libertarian, if you please.

And before I sign off, you know I was very young when I was at school, and being in the company of all those school mates indeed did me some good. I felt 20 years young again, and my vision had improved so much, I started to see everything doubled till my next morning shower. The effect of course was very short lived, but it tells me I need to get on more often with these guys if I want my vision improved to that level. Only hindrance to the plan is the routine occurrence of pigs on unexpected points of public highways. I am no Dick Turpin you know, but with some more of that l'eau des dieux and some other stuff which was available, home run at the end of that fine evening had been a highway robbery alright. 

Did I tell you I am good at riding too? Well, make it a point, I just told you. But I rather if you don't try this at home kiddies. I am bit of a lucky devil, sometimes.