Memories #5-How I Met your Mother

As my 5 month old son lay cooing next to me, I decided to narrate the story to him of “How I met your Mother”in the voice of the protagonist Ted Moseby of the popular show. This was my favorite sitcom from the last decade only second to the all-time great F.R.I.E.N.D.S. For starters both our houses back in our hometown of Trivandrum (TVM), Kerala are merely a km apart. However, both of us left the place almost a decade back me for work and she for Post-Graduation/Work.  Growing up I recollect seeing her in a number of occasions since both of us went to the same church. But my wife has no recollection of seeing me at all. I was a bit unsettled when she told me this for the first time because I was fairly high profile in the church thanks to dabbling various roles like the Altar Server*, Catechism(Sunday School ) Teacher, Bible reader during the Church Service and so on. I guess it was her way to put me in my place then itself. To prove a point during our wedding ceremony I made sure that I did the Bible Reading myself which was unprecedented. My rationale was that way at least she would at least understand that I was not boasting.

*Altar Servers-An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian liturgy. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, among other things. Source: Wikipedia

I also recollect vaguely seeing her in the White and Maroon School uniform of St Thomas School while waiting at the bus stop and all. Now a bit of history about our Schools there was a bit of rivalry among our schools since these were among the prominent Schools of the city. Today even while going to a get together involving the former Alumni of these schools we don’t let slip an opportunity to make fun of each other’s School.  Loyola my school was a boys only school while St Thomas School was a co-ed school. The rivalries in basketball tournaments is quite well known. Not only  that LA Fest, the one of its kind Cultural fest organized by Loyola for schools at that  time saw a whole hearted participation from St Thomas. I can’t go ahead without mentioning another School in the city  viz Holy Angels because this was a girls only School and a favorite topic of interest of the Loyolites.  In addition there were umpteen tuition classes in the city which comprised of students of all these schools. These were some of the forums that the students from schools interacted with each other .There is no chance we might have met in tuition classes because we are from 2 different batches.

Once while we were discussing our activities in the Church it came to our notice that in the year 2000 both of us had gone in the Church bus to write an exam conducted by the Trivandrum Archdiocese*. Both of us had topped for Catechism (Sunday school) in our respective classes and were selected to represent our Parish in that class. Come to think of it both of us were in that bus chatting with our friends oblivious of the fact that their life partner is in that very same bus. This could very well be a scene straight out of the movie. I remember that journey and the exam very well because it t was the first time I had topped the class and got to represent my Parish. I was in my 10^th grade at that time.

* An Archdiocese refers to an administrative territorial entity of the Catholic Church in a district headed by the Archbishop and is divided into Parishes under the charge of priests. Source: Wikipedia

I have often imagined how both of us would have interacted if we had the met back then. The following excerpt is prepared with inputs from Jeslin as well.

18 years ago during the Vacation Bible class in our Church both of us meet.

Angelo: Hi, my name is Angelo

Jeslin: Hi I am Jeslin

Angelo: I remember seeing you for the TVM Arch Diocese exam last month.

Jeslin: I don’t recollect seeing you

Angelo: How did the exam go?

Jeslin: It was okay

Angelo: I am studying in 10^th grade in Loyola School and also the Alter boys Leader

Jeslin (in her condescending tone): So what am I supposed to do?

Angelo: Just wanted to say hello

Jeslin: Okay

Angelo (Thinking to himself and beating a hasty retreat): She is very haughty, shouldn’t have spoken to her in the first place.
Jeslin (Thinking to herself): What is wrong with that guy?

XX End of story XX

Almost a decade and a half later both of us were attending the Marriage Preparation course at the Headquarters of the Trivandrum Arch Diocese. I was asked to assist the Archbishop in the Holy Mass Service that he was offering for all the couples present there. I have not assisted in a Holy Mass after my School days but more or less knew what needs to be done. As I was getting ready I remarked to the Mother Superior (Head Nun) that it was a strange co- incidence that the last time I served for this very same Bishop in a Holy Mass was about 15 years ago. He had visited our Parish for administering the Sacrament of Confirmation*. Incidentally my wife was also one of the recipients and I was the head alter server then. I felt as if life had come a full circle for me. The Nun told me that it is Providence that brought you two together and you guys are a blessed couple.

*The Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church together with Baptism and Holy Communion. (source:www.catholiccompany.com)

Even today it beats me as to think as to how my wife could miss out such a prominent figure like me in the church during that time. Many a times I have tried to narrate incidents to her that might invoke in her some memory of me but I fail miserably .I always console myself by saying that maybe I might have looked very different at that time. This could be the reason why she couldn’t recognize me years later. Come to think of it every husband wants his wife to hold him in high regard.I would like to share an interesting anecdote in this regard of Field Marshal SFHJ Manekshaw one of the finest Military Generals of the Indian Army. During one of the public meetings where he was being felicitated for his extraordinary leadership during the Indo-Pak war, a speaker was going on and on singing praises of the General. While it was his chance to speak the General requested the speaker to write those praises in a piece of paper so that the General could show that to his wife which evoked a huge round of laughter.