My phone has dialed people randomly many times. It usually does that to
people who are on my frequently dialed list. It is annoying and sometimes
embarrassing. This usually happens when I am putting my phone back in my bag or
taking it out. A couple of clicks and voila!
A few days ago, there was no
bag involved. I had my phone charging on the table beside my bed. I threw a
slightly wet tissue on it as I do most every night with an intent to wipe it
clean before I went to bed. Since Hans was taking a shower and I was waiting
for him to wrap up for the day, I grabbed the iPad to play Charm King. That is another thing I do most every night.
I barely got into the game
and I heard a man's voice loud and clear on my phone. It totally startled me.
And it was so loud that Hans heard it in the washroom and wondered out loud if
I was talking with Smoggie?! That was when I actually unplugged the phone to
investigate. I knew it wasn't Smoggie. Who was it?! The voice was strangely
familiar.
As I looked at the phone, it was
the Eternal Boy! My first question
was "Why are you calling me?" And his response was that he had been
at his work for over 20 minutes and he hadn't touched his phone; fact is I called him. Obviously, I was like
"Why would I call you?" Then I had this totally lame explanation for
him - the tissue dialed your number!
And even as I am documenting that moment in my life, I have to admit that that
tissue did an incredible job of opening up WhatsApp and somehow finding
his number, dialing it and putting him on speaker phone as well!! Sounded more like I was making it up...
But it did happen. Here was
this person who had meant a lot at one point in my life and now plays no role
in it. Why was this call placed?!
There has to be a good reason. So, I decided to catch up. I told the Eternal
Boy that I may have about 2 or 3 minutes before Hans was done for the day. He
started off by saying that I would be so proud of him as he finally got his MBA
and is doing some volunteer work at a Cancer hospital. And he was like this is cool, we must chat more often. I
had nothing of importance to say to him except to reiterate that the tissue called him and not me!
Even after the call ended, I
was looking for a good reason as to why it happened in the first place. Maybe I
needed to hear this voice from the past...revisit a place long forgotten; that
has been put away in the back of my mind. So, I went over the call and I
realized that apart from my protesting about not making the call, I barely said
anything about myself. I believe the most I said was that I wish I had a lot of
money so I could help people all day long. I
must have sounded so foolish...
That's what my mom says to me sometimes. She finds it frustrating to
explain to people what I do all day long. Why must there be any explanation at
all?!
Anyways, I did hang up rather
quickly on the accidental call. However, I did receive a note from the Eternal
Boy a couple of days later. He wanted me to know that I made a difference in
his life. I believed in him and listened to him when no one had the time or
inclination to do so. That helped him realize his dreams and for that, he would
always be grateful.
Then I remembered what I did.
This boy failed his Grade 11 Physics, and he had to retake the exam and pass,
before he came back to finish his final year of high school. That was how it
all started. I offered to tutor him that entire summer. My parents were cool.
This boy would come over every day and my mom would be in the kitchen and we
would be at the dining table studying Physics. At the end of that summer, the
boy passed his Physics exam. Now, that same boy is a grown man doing really
well in his life...and still seeking approval from his Physics tutor from a
long long time ago.
It was around that time, I
was struggling to tell my parents that I wanted to study English after my high
school graduation. I hated studying the Sciences and Physics most of all even
when I helped someone else conquer it!
I think what I should have told the Eternal Boy is that the country has
changed and the house has changed, but I am still at a dining table tutoring
away...this time around, helping those who believe in me. Perhaps he set me off
on this path or helped me realize my own dreams?! Perhaps I should have thanked
him as well?!
Couple of days ago, I was at
ASid's school. I got a call from his Grade 11 Physics teacher asking me to
attend a Parent-Teacher meeting with her. ASid has never done so badly on any
subject in his entire life as a student. There
was this teacher telling me that my child needs to wake up and smell the
proverbial coffee!
Right after the meeting, I
called ASid. I was furious and I was ready to scream, but I was calm. All the
boy had to tell me was to trust him and believe that he would do well. Right
now he is in Grade 11, but he has two Grade 11 courses and two Grade 12
courses. He is prioritizing the latter over the former. He knows what he is
doing and he has never asked for a tutor.
A long time ago, I believed in a 16 year old boy whom I barely knew.
How can I not believe in a 16 year old boy I have known since the moment he was
born?! I must not let a 10 minute conversation with his teacher shake my faith
in him. Maybe that was why the call was placed?! One failure does not define
anyone. One failure should not define anyone. And ASid has not failed yet and I
hope that never happens.
And I do hope to get a call in the future that makes this one faltering
Physics experience inconsequential in the big scheme of Life. I am looking
forward to it.
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