It is a little over 42 years now and memories of three chance meetings hover in my mind’s canvas like fresh wet paint taking time to dry. They are ever fresh springing up now and then when I read the odd Facebook post or these days triggered by intrusion of What’s App pings disturbing a well earned afternoon siesta! I just saw one that I deemed as two sides of the same coin of Greed and Capitalism that we may be vexed about but are party to.
It was late August 1979 and it was hot even at 6 PM as you would expect in Hyderabad, India. I was in a car with my former boss who owned a locomotive business in the same industrial district where I was working. Seeing an elderly couple at a bus stop nearing the city centre, he pulled aside and asked the two to get in and that he could drop them off at the railway station nearby.
The gentleman was a bit stressed saying that they need to get to Madras (Chennai) for a wedding the following week as his niece was getting married to a lad from the US. He was vexed that it seemed all in a hurry and was unsure if his brother had done enough due diligence on the groom. I heard the conversation and said that my wife’s brother fits the description and would his niece be the daughter of a retired Major? You can imagine his shock given his concerns expressed just a few minutes earlier!
After the wedding of my wife’s brother, I was away in Paris on work where I stayed in a Hotel in Champs Elysee. I had just got off the Metro returning from work and a travel weary Indian was dragging his suitcase along and seemed somewhat lost. I thought I should ask if he needed any help. He was grateful for any assistance and pulled out a paper from his wallet saying that he would like to contact the person. Believe it or not it was my name on it as we were suppliers to Telco and the gent was the head of R&D based in Pune.
A week after the above, I was visiting Fontainbleau on my own and enjoying the many admirable walks around the well maintained gardens. At one of the many fountains in the sprawling gardens, I thought a picture of myself there would be nice and looked around and found a middle-aged Indian couple and sought their help for a picture with my camera. The pictures taken, we introduced ourselves and that he was based in Singapore and that he had a brother in Hyderabad working for a French collaboration. And guess what, the brother this gentleman was referring to was my boss in Hyderabad!
The above three are in my life remarkable coincidences. Was it meant to happen the way it did? What makes these events take place the way they did in our lives? I have no answers other than to say that everything happens according to a divine plan!
Turtledge 