To Dr L.
Sinate
CHW
MPW
PHC
These are the strange
acronyms that brought us together in the late seventies
Alma Ata
Primary Health Care
Barefoot doctors
These are words and
phrases that struck a common cord in both of us
Visiting PHCs and sub-centres and in remote villages of
Churachandpur
Selecting sites for new sub-centres
Also clearing the jungle for Parbung Rural Hospitals (and of
talking of a growing town)
Traveling to district headquarters of Director of Health
Services’ monthly meetings
Making the many trips to Imphal from Churachandpur and back
These were times that
strengthen our bonds
I remember
The village visits we made together
The heart warming that we received
And the simple garlands we would receive at the village
gates
The village health clinics we conducted
The many health teaching we would give to the simple folks
who literally ate our words
And also the delicious dishes we shared
And also
Of the few evening our families shared
Of the jokes we shared and of the laughter that we had
Together we watched as our children grew up
We even shared our family secrets like the ‘first love
stories’ of our children
Memories of you will
linger on
It will be hard to forget
Especially of the last few day in Gurgaon
Of the tears I saw in your eyes
But more of the love I saw in them
I held back my own tears
Hoping it will help to hold back yours too
We looked at each other in silence
As we both knew what was coming in not a distant future
U Ruati and Chingnu cheered us up with reminiscences of the
good old days of their childhood
They moved us into another world as they talked of God’s
love
We talked of blessings we undeservedly received of God
Of god’s goodness to our families
I wish we had the courage to talk openly of the hope and The
home you were soon going to
The house in Sielmat will look empty without you!
I will tell U ruat and the kids that our hope also rests on
an Empty tomb!
So see you up there in
a mansion not made with hands!
Langkham January 20,
2005
No comments:
Post a Comment