|
-------Original Message-------
From:
Godfather
Date:
Saturday, February 14, 2004 11:16:52
To:
gaspercrasto@hotmail.com
Subject:
HI CHIEF!!...happy valentines
Hi Gasper!
Thanks a lot for the wonderful piece of yourself
you have shared with me.
There were tears in my eyes by the time I
reached the end.
May the good Lord Bless u and keep the way you
are always.
thanks once again.
Appreciate You...
gaspers
World <gaspercrasto@hotmail.com>
wrote:
dear viet,
had been for ben's drama 'devak zai zalear' at
the Indian Arts circle...Britto got us tickets
in the 3rd row from front...think i never saw a
drama from that close...never wanted to go but
britto insisted; he and his wife don't miss out on
dramas...the hall was packed but I did not
like the drama even a bit.....
being valentines day on 14th Feb, i just thought
of writing soemthng since you love to
read...Last 2 valentines, i had gone to Wafra
desert and spent time watching the
camels....(somethng different when the new
generation would usually have a good time being
valentines on this day...) but I've always been
different.....this time it's a pity 14th feb is
a workng day...the camels will miss me
surely....i know you will laugh...
Somehow, people get to know me very late...I
have noted this all my life....During
my school days, I was always an 'A' grade
student but there was a girl who used to beat me
in English.....It was a time when i couldn't
understand why 'bird' and 'curd' were spelt way
differently when they sounded similar...this
girl used to speak such fluent english that i
used to note words she spoke, go home and look
in the dictionary for meanings...
She was in my
class from 7th to 10th standard...the worst part
is she always used to fight with me....and i
used to fight with her...like how kids
usually fight...you can say she was my worst
enemy that time....There was no difference
between boys and girls at that age...we used to
fight with girls just the way we fought wth
boys...
There
is an incident that happened which reminds me of
valentines day...
During the Interval, we always used to play with
chalks on the black board... One day, this girl
just drew a monkey on the board in my absence,
and when i came in the class she started
fingering me - telling the whole class to see my
picture on the board...Before anyone could wipe
out the picture our teacher walked in for the
next period. The teacher was the strictest and
meanest i can remember... He just asked the
class in a harsh tone, 'who drew the picture on
the board'..(Maybe he thought the monkey was
him)... I wanted to point out to that girl
straightaway but i just kept quiet...and the
whole class kept quiet...
Everybody said they were out during
interval...Like most teachrs who ask the
brilliant students first (self glorifying), the
teacher asked me. I said I didn't know. He asked
that girl and she said my name in
her tip-top accent and pointed at me. Maybe she
thought it was funny but I was shocked. I was
too dumb with my English to complain. The
teacher asked me again. I wanted to
say, 'come-on sir, it's not your picture!' or
something like that and the thought made me
smile...
When
he asked again angrily, I knew he was serious.
Without a second thought I simply said, "yes
sir, I drew it..."
He
slept me so hard, that i saw some stars during
broad daylight...He asked me why i lied when he
first asked me... I kept quiet... He ordered me
to take my books and march out of the class. 'I
don't need monkeys in my class" he shouted.
Though I was hurt, I did not cry. I just took my
books and as I was about to leave I glanced at
that girl... There were tears flowing down her
cheeks like water....
I
smiled at her and left the class. Next day, the
girl said sorry to me atleast a thousand
times...she never fought with me from then on
till we passed out from school...
I
never remembered that incident or got
to see that girl till the last time I went on
vacation. I met her brother who knows me. When i
inquired about her, he took me to their home.
She looks a way different...and has 3 kids
now.... I was surprised to hear about the old
incident from her mouth. And she still feels
sorry about it...I had a great laugh...She said, "I have alwasy remembered that incident
and you all throughout...you have been my only
valentine..."
She
really said those words....It was nice to hear that....i
had never even thought of that girl in my life
and i told her so...and if it was not for her
brother, i would never
even
know she was alive...
Really it was nice to hear that she thought of
me in a good way...We've never been in touch
with each other but this valentine, i am going
to pray for her and her family...
wishing you a happy valentines day...may you
have all the love and happiness you deserve...
regds,
gasper crasto
--- x ---
Viet's mailing list: comments by Melanie Noronha:
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Melanie Noronha" <melanie@sultan-center.com>
To: gaspercrasto@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: A tribute to "De Godfather"
Date:
Thu, 16 Sep 2004 09:32:50 +0300
Dear Gasper,
Though Viet has spoken of you a number of times
and shown me on the Soor ground, I am yet to put
a face to the name!
If there was one person's mail that Viet loved
to share with me, it was yours. And when you had
a posting of his put on your website, he was
absolutely thrilled. Thank you for that. He
was as excited as a small kid who had just
received a new toy from Santa! I remember that
day!
Viet loved to forward mails and his address list
was beyond imagination. I often asked him how he
managed to keep in touch with so many people.
That's what he loved to do, make friends and
forward mails.
He did share with me the valentine message that
you had sent him. I remember it all too well.
He was deeply moved by it.
Melanie. |
