A rare and precious meet

Dad and Raju uncle, friends since 1957.........meeting, by chance (?) in Care Hospital.

Daddy and Raju uncle go back a long long way. They met when they joined service, when they were 23 and 27 years old, all of 61 years back, and have been friends ever since.

Through their growing up, work life, getting married, having children, grandchildren, .......... different cities, different offices, different experiences.......yet they kept in touch. They were so close. Raju uncle, aunty and their four sons, Madhu, Sudarshan, Murali and Vijay became our friends by default and they were always there, a peripheral, yet constant presence in life. 

While all of us lost touch, uncle and daddy stayed friends...all through, even post retirement. More recently, when age made mobility difficult they yet kept in touch over the phone.  Right until a few months ago, when  health conditions intervened even that.  

In fact just a couple months back I was telling daddy we should get a wheel chair and go see him, even I wanted to see uncle, wanted to hear his affectionate and gregarious voice again. But it didn't come to be.

Last week, daddy had an emergency, so serious that I don't trust myself to write and do justice to the depths it took us to. Suffice it to say, he came out yesterday to say "I feel like I am on a second lease of life".

Third day in hospital, mom walks in the door saying "guess who is also in the hospital...Raju uncle, I bumped into aunty in the lift". Chance ? Really ??.

Mom and I immediately went to see uncle . Next day Madhu and Vijay came up to see daddy.

Fourth day came news that uncle was being discharged after a month in the hospital, and daddy was ready to go see him. That was the first laughter I heard in his voice after a long time, when he said "how does my tie look?" (he had to go down in the hospital gown). We needed special permission and he was wheelchaired to uncle's room.

Precious moments .....to see them together again. And to hear daddy say to him "all things have to come to an end Raju.....and we are both on the fringe........"