I kissed Mani on the cheek and promised to be in touch via Facebook (hurrah for the world wide web!). Then I stepped out of the back seat to hug the beautiful man in pink who was standing beside the car.
'It's been a pleasure,' I told him, and Manu kissed my cheek.
He blew me another kiss with a faint smile and said, 'Je tu verrai en France!' ('I will see you in France!')
I turned towards the gate and walked into the Bishop's College campus. I managed to make it past the security guard and nearly half way to my room before bursting into tears. I like Mani (he's a proper Bengali man and very nice), but I adore Manu. I cannot believe that we just said 'good-bye' and how real (and how thoroughly devastating) it actually was. Oh man! This is no joke! I am leaving Kolkata in less than 36 hours!
Manu was traveling when I first met the French crew. He appeared for the first time (for me) on the night of his 24th birthday party in Youssef's Jadavpur flat. He immediately overtook the room with good cheer (despite the fact that we had all been slightly annoyed that he was running over 2 hours late for his own party and then arrived with three quite interesting men... Manu makes friends with everyone he meets and refuses to think anything but the best about people). He insisted that I, a total stranger who just happened to be at his birthday party, sit next to him and join in the card game that they were playing. This is the way Manu works, and it is impossible to not be enveloped by his positive attitude.
One night (as I, myself, was in a monstrous mood), I told Manu how I appreciate that he always wears a giant smile.
He responded, 'I smile always because life is always good. There is no reason not to smile!'
Have I said that I absolutely adore Manu?
I realize, as I am writing this and fighting back more tears, that I have come to think of Manu as a big brother-type (despite his being a solid six months younger than I). I think I will miss him the most of all the guys in our French-speaking group. He has an amazing heart, and I really respect him for that.
Saying good-bye to Manu makes the reality of my departure all-consuming for me. If tonight (and my hysterical tears) is any indication of how this whole leaving thing is going to work, I'm doomed! The next 36 hours are going to be unimaginably dreadful!
'It's been a pleasure,' I told him, and Manu kissed my cheek.
He blew me another kiss with a faint smile and said, 'Je tu verrai en France!' ('I will see you in France!')
I turned towards the gate and walked into the Bishop's College campus. I managed to make it past the security guard and nearly half way to my room before bursting into tears. I like Mani (he's a proper Bengali man and very nice), but I adore Manu. I cannot believe that we just said 'good-bye' and how real (and how thoroughly devastating) it actually was. Oh man! This is no joke! I am leaving Kolkata in less than 36 hours!
Manu was traveling when I first met the French crew. He appeared for the first time (for me) on the night of his 24th birthday party in Youssef's Jadavpur flat. He immediately overtook the room with good cheer (despite the fact that we had all been slightly annoyed that he was running over 2 hours late for his own party and then arrived with three quite interesting men... Manu makes friends with everyone he meets and refuses to think anything but the best about people). He insisted that I, a total stranger who just happened to be at his birthday party, sit next to him and join in the card game that they were playing. This is the way Manu works, and it is impossible to not be enveloped by his positive attitude.
One night (as I, myself, was in a monstrous mood), I told Manu how I appreciate that he always wears a giant smile.
He responded, 'I smile always because life is always good. There is no reason not to smile!'
Have I said that I absolutely adore Manu?
I realize, as I am writing this and fighting back more tears, that I have come to think of Manu as a big brother-type (despite his being a solid six months younger than I). I think I will miss him the most of all the guys in our French-speaking group. He has an amazing heart, and I really respect him for that.
Saying good-bye to Manu makes the reality of my departure all-consuming for me. If tonight (and my hysterical tears) is any indication of how this whole leaving thing is going to work, I'm doomed! The next 36 hours are going to be unimaginably dreadful!
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