Garfield and Mrs. Norris
I had thought that rain would play havoc in our meticulously planned efforts to meet each other, but I was proved wrong by Mother Nature, or more perhaps by our own zeal to meet each other. As I entered through the gate of the ‘apron shaped’ OMC building, I realized there has to be something like ‘a necessary evil’ to be done, because after all it was an exhibition, and be it might that I was a friend of one of the students there, I had to purchase the tickets! Oh yeah!
Finally, after what seemed like a year and five months (but actually 10 minutes) I see her coming. She hasn’t changed much, only that she’s decided to decrease her size I suppose, or maybe the medical exhibition has done that to her. I wouldn’t know… Nevertheless, seeing RW walk towards me, with that big smile of hers, and a gloomy morning face, I was reminded, immediately of my +2 days, where we spent so much of our time together. I could see nostalgia building up already. A beep from my mobile thankfully sent it off and here was another one of my best friends. SL was there at the gate and after the ‘hi’s and hello’s’ we set off along with what was described later by RW as a ‘chaotic crowd’!
The first half an hour was spent more in contradicting and pulling each other’s legs and having a look at the lockers again and again, (SL was specific about the latter). Nevertheless, we saw the ‘Anesthesia department’, learnt CPR technique, though now I don’t remember RW showing what to do after the 30 compressions and the second two breaths. Guess I should’ve taken that paper they were giving me after all. We walked to the ‘Forensic Department’ next, which undoubtedly was the most ‘happening’ place, for it had the most unusual (for non-science people) display of corpses. The display of the homicidal and suicidal differences was worth learning. I wouldn’t have a problem saying this part moved me a lot. Along with the corpses, we met up with other fellow mates of our +2- SG, SR, SP and VR.
The ‘Gastro Enterology Department’ was the most innovative of all. As you enter the room, you find yourself in the oral cavity, flanked by tonsils at the sides and the uvula at the top (Oh! I so wanted to do the Vicks’s ad germ-boxing thing!) Of worth mention here is the display of rugae on the ‘top’, the liver on the ‘right’ and the pancreas at the ‘bottom’. They did it all! As you enter the intestines, you find it (thankfully not highly coiled) but showing a fine display of worms hanging (the diseased condition) and finally you’re out through the… well… anus!
We hadn’t seen all the departments yet, but the desire to talk was taking over now and with a little rule breaking (thanks to RW’s presence) we took short-cuts and headed straight up, top floor! Sitting in the first-aid room, we finally had time to catch up on the current events of our lives. Whoosh! The time flies! It’s time for RW’s call on duty. Reluctantly SL and I (after a lot of persuasion from RW) toured the remainder of the MEDEX. A quick mention of our ‘brief tour’- the ‘Dissection Department’ showing wonderful dissected bodies, and the ‘Embryology Department’.
By then SL had had enough and I was feeling hungry too. We pulled RW out of her duty and off we went to the ‘food court’. Munching on, we did what we wanted to do the most- TALK! And we did just that! We realized how lucky we were to become a part of MEDEX, which was happening after 21 yrs at OMC, and more so how lucky RW was to be involved in it completely. We went towards the hostel (it was quiet and provided privacy- a relief from the noisy exhibition!) It was here I met Garfield and Mrs. Norris, but what difference does that make? I knew that this chat of ours would lead to loads of satisfaction and pain. It would be beautiful and terrible. Beautiful as we had met after a long time, and terrible well… because of the obvious reason. Alas! It is time for us to part. SL needs a nice stretch here she says! That was incredulous. (She yawned too!) Our chat was nice, I should say, as it was perhaps after a very long time, we did it patiently and without contradicting most of each other’s statements.
Heading towards the exit (not really! Again, we broke rules! We exited through the entrance), I could feel the dreadful feeling of parting, which is the one I dislike the most. However, there was nothing that could be done. We got more time together than we’d bargained for (we were supposed to be together till 12 itself, but we actually were till 3!) The ‘good-byes’ were said, RW went back into the ‘chaotic crowd’ and SL and I had a brief chat with a feeble belief that we’d meet soon. Walking towards the bus, there were multiple emotions I was feeling then. But the one thing that stood out was the meeting with ‘Garfield and Mrs. Norris’, the two cats at the hostel where RW, SL and I had just spent a wonderful time together. An inscrutable smile crossed my lips and I knew life would bestow such friends upon me never again. You might be wondering why I chose the title as ‘Garfield and Mrs. Norris’. Well, it’s just those cats I met at the hostel. Then again, it could mean something more. Cheers!
Finally, after what seemed like a year and five months (but actually 10 minutes) I see her coming. She hasn’t changed much, only that she’s decided to decrease her size I suppose, or maybe the medical exhibition has done that to her. I wouldn’t know… Nevertheless, seeing RW walk towards me, with that big smile of hers, and a gloomy morning face, I was reminded, immediately of my +2 days, where we spent so much of our time together. I could see nostalgia building up already. A beep from my mobile thankfully sent it off and here was another one of my best friends. SL was there at the gate and after the ‘hi’s and hello’s’ we set off along with what was described later by RW as a ‘chaotic crowd’!
The first half an hour was spent more in contradicting and pulling each other’s legs and having a look at the lockers again and again, (SL was specific about the latter). Nevertheless, we saw the ‘Anesthesia department’, learnt CPR technique, though now I don’t remember RW showing what to do after the 30 compressions and the second two breaths. Guess I should’ve taken that paper they were giving me after all. We walked to the ‘Forensic Department’ next, which undoubtedly was the most ‘happening’ place, for it had the most unusual (for non-science people) display of corpses. The display of the homicidal and suicidal differences was worth learning. I wouldn’t have a problem saying this part moved me a lot. Along with the corpses, we met up with other fellow mates of our +2- SG, SR, SP and VR.
The ‘Gastro Enterology Department’ was the most innovative of all. As you enter the room, you find yourself in the oral cavity, flanked by tonsils at the sides and the uvula at the top (Oh! I so wanted to do the Vicks’s ad germ-boxing thing!) Of worth mention here is the display of rugae on the ‘top’, the liver on the ‘right’ and the pancreas at the ‘bottom’. They did it all! As you enter the intestines, you find it (thankfully not highly coiled) but showing a fine display of worms hanging (the diseased condition) and finally you’re out through the… well… anus!
We hadn’t seen all the departments yet, but the desire to talk was taking over now and with a little rule breaking (thanks to RW’s presence) we took short-cuts and headed straight up, top floor! Sitting in the first-aid room, we finally had time to catch up on the current events of our lives. Whoosh! The time flies! It’s time for RW’s call on duty. Reluctantly SL and I (after a lot of persuasion from RW) toured the remainder of the MEDEX. A quick mention of our ‘brief tour’- the ‘Dissection Department’ showing wonderful dissected bodies, and the ‘Embryology Department’.
By then SL had had enough and I was feeling hungry too. We pulled RW out of her duty and off we went to the ‘food court’. Munching on, we did what we wanted to do the most- TALK! And we did just that! We realized how lucky we were to become a part of MEDEX, which was happening after 21 yrs at OMC, and more so how lucky RW was to be involved in it completely. We went towards the hostel (it was quiet and provided privacy- a relief from the noisy exhibition!) It was here I met Garfield and Mrs. Norris, but what difference does that make? I knew that this chat of ours would lead to loads of satisfaction and pain. It would be beautiful and terrible. Beautiful as we had met after a long time, and terrible well… because of the obvious reason. Alas! It is time for us to part. SL needs a nice stretch here she says! That was incredulous. (She yawned too!) Our chat was nice, I should say, as it was perhaps after a very long time, we did it patiently and without contradicting most of each other’s statements.
Heading towards the exit (not really! Again, we broke rules! We exited through the entrance), I could feel the dreadful feeling of parting, which is the one I dislike the most. However, there was nothing that could be done. We got more time together than we’d bargained for (we were supposed to be together till 12 itself, but we actually were till 3!) The ‘good-byes’ were said, RW went back into the ‘chaotic crowd’ and SL and I had a brief chat with a feeble belief that we’d meet soon. Walking towards the bus, there were multiple emotions I was feeling then. But the one thing that stood out was the meeting with ‘Garfield and Mrs. Norris’, the two cats at the hostel where RW, SL and I had just spent a wonderful time together. An inscrutable smile crossed my lips and I knew life would bestow such friends upon me never again. You might be wondering why I chose the title as ‘Garfield and Mrs. Norris’. Well, it’s just those cats I met at the hostel. Then again, it could mean something more. Cheers!
