Of friendship ...

In the midst of an extremely busy season of work, studies and extra-curricular activities, I chanced on two movies that seem to highlight areas that have been on my mind of late - that of true friendship and of love.

The first was The Kite Runner (view trailer).

Here's a synopsis that was taken directly out of the author Khaled Hosseini's site:

Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the present, The Kite Runner is the unforgettable, beautifully told story of the friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Raised in the same household and sharing the same wet nurse, Amir and Hassan nonetheless grow up in different worlds: Amir is the son of a prominent and wealthy man, while Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant, is a Hazara, member of a shunned ethnic minority. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When the Soviets invade and Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet he cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him.

The Kite Runner is a novel about friendship, betrayal, and the price of loyalty. It is about the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of their lies. Written against a history that has not been told in fiction before, The Kite Runner describes the rich culture and beauty of a land in the process of being destroyed. But with the devastation, Khaled Hosseini also gives us hope: through the novel's faith in the power of reading and storytelling, and in the possibilities he shows for redemption.

The depth of true friendship

I loved the way friendship - true friendship - was depicted in the movie. There was a scene where the two young boys' friendship became very evident. They were as close as brothers ...

Here's a conversation the boys had while waiting to retrieve a kite:

Hassan popped a mulberry in his mouth. "It's coming," he said. I could hardly breathe and he didn't even sound tired.

"How do you know?" I said.

"I know."

"How can you know?"

He turned to me. A few sweat beads rolled from his bald scalp. "Would I ever lie to you, Amir agha?"

Suddenly I decided to toy with him a little. "I don't know. Would you?"

"I'd sooner eat dirt," he said with a look of indignation.

"Really? You'd do that?"

He threw me a puzzled look. "Do what?"

"Eat dirt if I told you to," I said. ...

His eyes searched my face for a long time. We sat there, two boys under a sour cherry tree, suddenly looking, really looking, at each other. ...

"If you asked, I would," he finally said, looking right at me. I dropped my eyes. To this day, I find it hard to gaze directly at people like Hassan, people who mean every word they say.

"But I wonder," he added. "Woudl you ever ask me to do such a thing, Amir agha?" And, just like that, he had thrown at me his own little test. If I was going to toy with him and challenge his loyalty, then he'd toy with me, test my integrity.

I wished I hadn't started the conversation. I forced a smile. "Don't be stupid, Hassan. You know I wouldn't."

Hassan returned the smile. Except he didn't look forced. "I know," he said. And that's the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too.

And my favorite line from the movie ...

was in response to a friend, who was as close as a brother to him, little Hassan would promise when asked to retrieve a kite for his friend - For you a thousand times over.

The simplicity of life, people

It takes the Monday Blues to help one appreciate the simplicity of life and people. I must confess, the thought of the long checklist of to-dos and a failing memory can cause undue stress at the beginning of the week.

People come in all shapes and sizes ...
On top of that, we meet all sorts of people in the corporate world. Not everyone is a friend - some are your "friends" because of the seat you are currently in or what you can do for them to help them fulfill their own agendas; others seem to be "lost in space" most times, like me during peak seasons. Thankfully, there are a few good friends, too, who are there for the simple joys of being who they are - a friend, a colleague, and a blessing.

No connectivity = The Simple life!
Connectivity was poor today. As a result, I was not able to stay connected for a few hours ... that too, was stressful.

So what did I decide to do?

Given the current shortage of useable cars at home, Dad agrees to drop me off at the nearest Starbucks after lunch so I can get connected and send along the many emails that piled up over the few hours of non-connectivity.

Along the way, the car tyre goes flat. Dad gets out of the car and confirms that we have a very flat tyre. There was no doubt we had to stay put and change the tyre.

Skeleton in the closet ...
My heart skipped a beat as this was going to further delay my sending out the emails in my Outbox.

Another confession - I have worked in an automotive company for 2.5 years and am ashamed that I still don't know how to change a flat tyre. I asked Dad if I could be of any earthly use at this point.

He shakes his head.

"I can help you carry the good tyre from the trunk, or you can just tell me what to do with the car jack and I will do it. You have a bad back ... just let me help!" I said.

He shakes his head again. Somehow, Dad exhibits his stubborn streak at the oddest times. He chooses to put his frail five feet 10-inch frame (maybe shorter by 1 inch now!) through the torture of bending down to inspect the flat tyre and fittings for the car jack.

Light drops of rain started falling as we stood along the side of the slopy road just outside the famous Sunrise duck rice shop at Paramount Gardens.

Within seconds, large raindrops pelted on our heads and bare arms. By this time, Dad was working faster while I grabbed an umbrella from the back seat ... and still feeling terribly helpless.

Modern-day Samaritan
Out of the blue, a gentleman came by and said, "Uncle, do you need any help?"

My almost 70-year-old Dad shakes his head and said "No need. I can handle this!"

The gentleman said, "Uncle, it's raining. Better to have two pairs of hands to get the job done faster."

Thankfully, my Dad agreed and the young gentleman took over. Dressed in corporate attire, he rolled up his shirt sleeves, bent down and began unbolting the tyre.

It was raining cats and dogs by then. Dad and I stood under the old golf unbrella, trying to stay dry while also trying to keep the gentleman from getting wet.

Water was gushing down the side of the sloped street. It was obvious the man's leather shoes were pretty much ruined, while Dad and myself were drenched from ankle up.

A young lady comes to the rescue and brings her medium-sized umbrella to provide more coverage but to no avail. Water was coming through our old umbrella with tiny holes.

(We have so many good umbrellas at home. I don't know why we still have an old umbrella sitting in Dad's kinkety-kank Bimmer!)

A good 15 to 20 minutes later, the job was done with the good tyre in place and the bad tyre in the trunk.

... still raining heavily ...

"Thank you so much for helping. I don't know what I would have done otherwise ..." Dad said.

To our suprise, the gentlemen replied, "That's what Christians are supposed to do ... to help one another ..."

And the thought that completed the gentleman's response came to me ...

"If people of faith cannot be the blessing whom God has called them to be, how then will the world know and experience God in our midst!"

I don't even know the gentleman's and lady's names. They were the good Samaritans who parked their light green Proton at the side of the road just so they could give us a helping hand during our time of need. They were a blessing and did not expect a single thing in return. They were like God's angels sent to comfort Dad and me today.


Godliness with contentment is great gain ...
This incident reminds me of how precious and simple life can be ... if only we can be nicer to another, if only we can be gracious with our words and seek to be a blessing to the other without seeking material or worldly gains in return, the world would be a much nicer place to live in.

In celebration of the simple miracles in life, I am contented to just stay home tonight. To enjoy a very simple dinner, and post this entry.

(Photo) Malaysian delicate snacks made of flour, sugar, corn bits and ground peanuts coupled with a wheat cereal drink.

Thank God for reminding me of the things most important in life - to have good relationships with God, with loved ones, and friends; to be obedient to God's purposes and plans, and to do good works so that God's rule and reign on earth can be experienced by peoples.

Thank God for all he has done and all that he is about to do.