Last meeting with Br. Brendan MacCarthaigh Sir before he left for Ireland on 2019-06-15

I wonder if I will ever get Br. Brendan MacCarthaigh Sir at arms length to soothe me every time I feel extremely low or disturbed 😥

It's almost 8.30 am on Saturday, 2019-06-15. By now his aircraft must be airborne. He is on his way from Kolkata to Dublin via Dubai. He will be there in Ireland for 3.5 months and will return to Chandigarh in India but not to Kolkata anymore 😢

Sir was my class teacher in St. Patrick's School in Asansol during the 2 yrs of my ISC after ICSE.
A life shattering incident immediately after my ISC brought me in close touch with Mac Sir. The sky had almost come crashing down on me on a 30th June decades ago. He was a godsend. He pulled me into his arms.
It was only then I realized what a gem of a man he is. His guidance and pep talks for about 10 months helped me to take up worldly challenges in my stride.

Thereafter, for about 17 years (till early 1997), I was not in touch with him since I was busy pursuing my higher education and shaping my career.

However, from thereafter I gave him gyan on how to market SERVE NGO better. I got him his email ID, taught him how to send and receive emails, opened his Facebook account, etc, etc. I have lost count of how many times he'd called me up and say that so & so content was there 15 minutes ago and now it's no more there :D

Anytime I felt depressed or have gone through terrible lows, I simply had to land up at Sir's place in Kolkata. Discussions of 1 - 4 hours would brighten up my mood and I always felt like fully serviced and refuelled for another journey of life till boredom or sorrow stuck me again.

I reached his office at St. Joseph's Collegiate School Annexe on Bowbazar Street around 3.00 PM on Tuesday, 2019-06-11 to get hugged by Sir, maybe for the last time ever. He was not there. Neither was he reachable on his number. I kept waiting trying to recalll all that I learnt from him.
At 5.50 pm, I spotted him walking towards me on the narrow lane between St. Joseph's and St.George's. He was in a hurry. He hugged me and then held my hands tight for the next 5 mins. My eyes swelled up. I think I saw his eyes watering up, too.
He smiled and said "Cheer up, son. Stay blessed. Convey my blessings to your daughter and wife. Let's have the selfie session fast"
Selfie over, I kept staring at the 81+ busy young man limping off to the next back to back meetings lined up.

On Friday, 2019-06-14 at 8.00 pm, I phoned him for not more than 20 secs to hear the signature "Hello Deep" and "God bless" for one more time.

I only pray that the decision makers at the Christian Brothers organization has a change of heart and asks him to return to Kolkata, his home.
At 81+, there's no way that Sir can adjust himself in Chandigarh.

Sir, I for one will be missing you every moment.
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P.S: It was exactly 5 yrs ago on 2014-06-15 at 4.45 am, I lost my other mentor, my Father, forever.
When I met Mac Sir after 15 days, his comforting words were enough for me to realize that 'life must go on'.
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* Meeting Mac