She had been asking me to visit her home for a long time.  Me, the busy bee always came up with the so called ‘good excuses’ of everyday mundane yet seemingly important ‘do or die’ chores and agendas.  This particular day, which I would like to describe as a ‘bright sunny morning’ was actually a ‘steaming hot sweaty’ summer day.  But I wanted to see him. I don’t think the urge was from me because I knew him not, but all I can say was – it was a strong desire and longing that came from somewhere.

My friend led me to a room where he was waiting for me.  She told me that my impromptu visit had set the folks of her house to just then shower and get prepped for this stranger. My first glance – I saw this frail, thin 80 year old man with peppered grey & black hair, fresh from his bath with talcum powder sprayed on his chest, a typical sleeveless baniyan, just slipping on his shirt as I entered. A bright smile made me feel welcome.  I sat beside him on a plastic chair.  He spoke but I couldn’t hear…..I drew myself near him….then I heard his hoarse voice barely audible.  Just few days back he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and it had engulfed his vocal cords as well. I barely noticed he was hemiplegic though I was a doctor because there was something else distracting.  The twinkle in his eye! He caught me with his eye and kept me engaged a full one and half hours with his wisdom filled conversation.  Initially, when my friend slipped after introducing him to make lunch for us, I wondered how I am going to keep the conversation going.  To my amazement, so much was exchanged in that short time –  the least of which were ‘words’. Tears, Faith, Hope, Smile, Courage, Encouragement, God, Belief, Religion, Memories, Wisdom, Challenges, Trust, Confidence, and most of all simple plain old ‘Love’!

Soon my friend served her father his favorite lunch…..he ate eagerly her handcooked meal.  Every mouth was an anticipatory wait of whether he would swallow or cough or aspirate. What touched me the most – both his grandkids, both teenagers, rubbed his back instantly whenever he coughed.  One was his daughters daughter and other his son’s son.  It was evident they loved their grandpa very much.  As I sat watching those kids react that way to every bout of cough like reflex action,  I realized how much love and affection this man must have sowed into their life as they were growing up for them to love him back so much.  I silently sat and watched this exchange of love between daughter and father, grandpa and grandkids and vice versa as he had his lunch.

Before I left the room, I felt the least I could do was pray.  I held his paralytic hand and on the other side my friend’s hand.  The grandkids joined in and made a perfect ‘circle of love’ with this stranger they just met.  As I lifted him up to my Heavenly Father to fill him with His love, with reverent hope to renew his strength in body, mind and spirit – I realize, looking back, that this time with five of us holding hands and praying in unison – is frozen in time!  It was a powerful, peaceful and blissful few minutes.

I left his room and joined for the quick lunch that my friend had prepared.  We started chit chatting and  I soon learned that he was a professional Bajan singer and a good one too.  I realized how painful it must be for him not to be able to sing or talk now. I also came to know about the great life he had lived – not for himself but for others. The endless list of people he cared for, stood by in life at times of suffering and distress, uplifting families of widows and their daughters not just for a month or two but for life. As my friend went on and on about her dad, I just had a gut feeling that I had met someone who was a ‘celebrity’ – who celebrated life with others and for others.  Soon we were chatting about other things and I forgot about him. Then I saw him come to the room where we were and he said apologetically he was going to take a nap and excused himself like a gentleman.  He blessed me with both his hands on my forehead and walked back to his bed dragging his paralytic right leg. As I came back to the couch, I wondered why he just didn’t call for me from his room but took the trouble of pulling his body with the little strength he had, to come and say good bye.   Then I realized – he was a thorough gentle man! One of a kind…

As I drove back on the highways my thoughts kept taking me back to the twinkle in his eye – something was gripping my heart – there was something special about this person I just met. I have never felt drawn to anyone in this manner in such a short time.  He did not want to be treated for his cancer and bravely said ‘Cancer – It came only from within me. Just like the other organs …let it also be there ‘. I felt he was putting up a brave front especially since I knew his wife had also died from the same disease and he knew first-hand the progression of the disease and its repercussions. Inside him I’ m sure there were queries of the unknown and what the future holds as it unfolds. But he was a fighter and I instantly knew somehow he was going to put up a brave fight!  I came home, prayed and send him a text message of what the Lord gave me when I  put him at his feet Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand”

Next day my girl friend called.  First thing she said was “What did you do to my father?  He has been talking nonstop about you since the time he woke up this morning – that you are bundle of positive energy and this and that and on and on’. He had also mentioned, it seems, he slept the entire night peacefully without a bout of cough whereas the previous day he was awake till 3 am with incessant cough. I only felt God must have loved him so much that He pursued him with his relentless love to use me as a messenger to reveal His heart for this good man.

Life got back to routine…and I got busy with work but every now and then, he would pop up in my head – this 80 year old man with the twinkle in his eye!  I prayed for him, everytime I remembered him. I even managed to find a little time to get him a little gift and send him via mail. I heard he received it just after his minor surgery for an oesophageal stent and was thrilled to open the gift wrapper. His daughter clicked him holding my gifts from the hospital with a great smile. She even mentioned that the pose and the smile in the photo were exclusive for me!

Soon I received a text from him thanking me for the ‘soulful prayers’. The first line gripped my heart ‘To a kind and caring daughter….Soon I started texting him more often than I did with his daughter who was my friend and class mate since childhood. We kept the conversation going. He had written down the Bible verse I had given him  and repeated it 6 times along with his Slokas for the day.  Days rolled by. Once he mentioned he could no longer talk because of the cough and lack of clarity.  I encouraged him saying that when we talk less to human beings we can spend more time in His presence and converse with our Creator and most importantly ‘listen’ to His small yet gentle voice.  Then there were no more messages for a long time.

One evening I was feeling low myself – just got done with grocery shopping and pulled my car to the side of the road as I didn’t feel like going back home yet.  I suddenly got this beep from my phone and there was a message from my friend.  It started with the same loving address ‘ To a kind and caring daughter….Jesus last Sunday…then the sentence ended abruptly….then it went on …He lifted me up with his victorious right hand and still holding me up’.  As soon as I saw this message I felt a sudden strength flow into me and a joy that filled my heart.  Little did I know that this was going to be his last message to me. Soon I heard he was getting weaker and weaker to even text back. He was now at his son’s place and I was hesitant to visit him even though my soul was urging to do otherwise.

On that unique Sunday morning, I just decided I was going to meet my friend again. After church I drove to his son’s place where my friend also happened to be there and I entered the room where he was lying. What I saw, gripped my soul……there lay my friend …..he was panting for breath, eyes closed, his weak body crouched in foetal position. When his daughter mentioned that I have come to see him, his face turned in an effort to see me but he was too weak to even open his eyes. I was late…. Too late to see that twinkle again! I held his hand, rubbed on his wrinkled skin gently which was still warm, spoke to him close to his ears – he could listen and was alert still– thank God we could still have a one way conversation!  I sat beside him for an endless hour and slowly from nowhere tears rolled on my cheek for this stranger who had become my friend – who has come so close to my heart in just under 2 months.  All his relatives were around him – his daughter, son, grandchildren, brother, 95 year- old mom, nieces, cousins-– all of them loved him – it was evident. What a big heart he must have had!

I prayed again holding his hand and lost myself as soon as I closed my eyes.  I know I started a fervent prayer in English but really, for the first time had no idea what I asked the Lord for! My friend exclaimed her dad opened his eyes to look at her one last time while I sat there praying with closed eyes. Perhaps she was lucky to glimpse that twinkle again!  When I opened my eyes I saw a glow on everyone’s face in that room, an immense sense of peace and tranquility had filled the room.  I squeezed my frail friend’s hand one last time and left their house with a sober yet peaceful heart.

As I was leaving, more relatives of him poured in – no body I knew…..but everyone knew me!  My friend had introduced me to everyone he knew and were close to him.  What an honor! I could tell what he must have told them about me, by their smile and warmth towards me.  In short he had introduced me to his whole family and left me his whole family to be my friends for life.

A rich life, well lived – a life dedicated for others – life lived to show others by example what a great man he was.  His love for others was evident by the number of people who thronged to visit him from all cities in India.  Wish I had known him earlier – wish I had many more chats – wish I had listened to him singing for me – Wish I had learned from his wisdom- wish I could have laughed more – cried more with him – Wish I could love people they way he did – selflessly!

That night before I retired for bed I prayed for him yet again and felt a shudder in my heart.  I just knew he was gone! The morning after my visit, I woke up to a text from his phone which started ‘ Sad news……’.  He passed away 5 hours after I squeezed his warm hands……..Was he waiting for me to say good bye?

I have met so many people in my life … so many friends …some stay, some leave, some vanish, some use & leave, some hurt, some sting, some bless, some uphold, some crush, some stand by you, some come like angels and disappear, some change your life forever………. this was different … this one friend left me many more of his friends and family …..our friendship was brief but I know it will last forever.

As I write this anecdote, its been a fortnight …..I have thought about him sometimes and this question pops up often…. “Why me?” Perhaps, he needed ‘one more’ friend before he left the earth.  I am so honored to be your ‘last friend’, my friend!  Rest beautifully…rest peacefully…. I know you are up there twinkling like a star as always. Good bye!