THE BROTHERHOOD

We were young. All 131 of us were sent to this school by our parents, hoping their children will someday be successful in life.

So begin our life in a residential school. We learn how to survive without the supervision of our parents. We did errands for our seniors and took the bullying like a man. That’s what we’re supposed to be anyway. In those days, forget about going to the teachers and wardens as they will tell us that we should grow up and tough it out. Its tradition. Our seniors told us. One day we will do the same thing to our juniors.

We adjusted well and embraced the fact that we will be there for a long five years. Throughout the journey, a few of us had to leave school for all sort of reasons. We continue to learn about the facts of life, surviving, having fun and absorbed all things the school thrown to us.

We grew up leaving the school with enough experiences and education to last us a life time. And through it all we stuck together.

Years passed and we were scattered all over finding our role to play in this life. Contacts were lost and renewed, reunions held now and then. A lot of us made it, some are captains of industry, hot shot lawyers, bankers, doctors, diplomats, civil servants, corporate figures, engineers, businessman, politicians, world known travelers, pilots, all up and coming names in their chosen professions.

We had lost one in this life’s journey and we lost another just last Tuesday. We grieved and went to his funeral, offering our condolences to the family. We talked about the old days, and how he touched each of our lives. We said our prayers.

We were there not as what we are everyday in our professional lives.

Instead, we were there as brothers, bidding farewell to one of our own.