ESL Blogs

He was my class fellow from 7 to 10 grades.  He was the most intelligent student in the entire school.  Always got highest marks not only in our own class but in the whole school exams.  He never got less than 100% marks in mathematics as I remember.  I was second to him, in spite of trying my utmost to at least get equal to him.  But never, I envied him very often.  Besides in studies, he was the most gentle, humble, polite, and cultured boy, and above all, we were best friends.  Sat on the same bench.  Both of us mostly kept us much ahead of what our teacher used to teach, especially in the maths.  

In our 10^th grade, we both stood in the first division, though his marks were higher than mine. In matriculation, if a student got 60% of the total marks he stood in the first division.  I got around 69% whereas he got around 75%, and got qualified for scholarship in college. 

We got admission in same engineering college.  He was same intelligent and sharp even in the college, where I was feeling difficulties to cope up with the teaching system of the college.  It was totally different from school, there was no help from the lecturers and you have to do all the preparation yourself, which I was finding very difficult.

In the third year of graduation, he got admission one of the top engineering university (level) college, and I stayed behind, and sort of left my education. But I used to see him.  I used to visit him at his home.

One day I found him sad.  I asked him the reason,  then very first time he opened his life to me.  He told me about the girl he loved,  “So what, you have a good future, you are intelligent, a good life is ahead of you, what is the problem, marry her.”

“I can’t do it, though she does want to marry me, but I can’t destroy her life!”  His eyes were welled with tears.  I got shocked, “How come you destroy her life?”  I could not control my shock. “Because I am getting blind.”  “What!” I was dumbfounded, “You have never told me that, I was your friend.”  I was got worried and felt very miserable for him.  “Have you seen any doctor?”  “Yes,” he told me, but there is no remedy for my disease here in Pakistan. I have some retinal problem, not the lenses problem so that change them.  We have researched and found that may be in Russia they have some success in the remedy of this type of eyes sickness.  And I am going to Dubai, where my eldest brother works, and from there we will try to make the arrangement. But there are very fewer chances.”

I could not give him even some encouraging words, hope, or wishes, just left him praying for him in my heart, which was extremely heavy because of the sadness for such an intelligent person, who never got any lower success in his entire education career.”

That was the last time I saw him when he was nearest to get blind.  He then went as he told me since then I could have a single clue about him, what had happened to him.  I don’t know whether he got recovered because he never replied my messages.  I visited his house too, but his entire family has left the place.

I hope that he would be okay and have a good life with the girl he loved.