The Sudden Demise Of A Well-loved Colleague

This is the first time I experienced losing a dearly loved colleague who was a father figure to all of us. It is a very sad day today as we came to know in the morning that our beloved Mr. Polly (I will call him Polly) has passed away in Karachi, Pakistan while he was on vacation leave. The painful part is that, we just saw him last Thursday in the office with his family in tow including his little grandchild whom we teased as the little Mr. Polly. It was just few days ago... We could still remember his billowy laugh, his happy face that lit up the whole place and his gentle nature. Today, he is gone forever.

He was my Polly. I was his Rolly. Together we were the rolly-polly of the department. I have known Mr. Polly for a decade now and he gave me that monicker and loved to tease me endlessly. He just knew I wouldn't mind. And honestly Mr. Polly, I never mind. It was a nice banter we had all those years. And in one moment, I no longer have Mr. Polly.

We shed some tears but I cried more in silence knowing that my "father" figure in the office is forever gone. There won't be name calling now, someone to bug for answers, no one to give me wise advice or someone to chit chat in the pantry while waiting for the water to boil. Who will call me Rolly now?

It's quite difficult  as we still go about our day to day activity. Leaving the office this afternoon was a bit painful because I have to pass his desk and turn and this time, no one to say "bye Mr. Polly" to which he would always reply, "bye Rolly!"

Today, with a heavy heart, I whispered my last goodbye, "Bye Mr. Polly" to an empty desk that still holds mementos of his existence.

Thank you for gracing our lives with your gentle presence, your light demeanor and your fatherly care and love for all of us in the office. You're not just a colleague to us Mr. Polly. You are a friend, a brother, a mentor and for me, another person I could call my father. I will miss you. I will terribly miss you Mr. Polly. Go towards the light and may you rest in peace eternally. (So sorry, I didn't get to say hi or hello in LinkedIn when you added me just last Sunday. If I had known it was the last, I could have messaged you a very, very long note...Sorry, I didn't do that because I thought, I would say hi to you when you come back from your leave...)

My Teacher

I have taken great interest on my studies early in life. Part of this desire to learn has been imbibed in me by my parents and my teacher in grade school. I remember the feeling of eagerness and unabated anticipation of what wisdom my mentor would impart that day. It was this one teacher who really brought the best in me and her name is Miss Vicenta Quinto. She had made a great impact on my growing up years and the way I would embrace knowledge. She was my 2nd Grade classroom adviser.

It has been many years since I last stepped in my childhood alma mater. It was not even a reunion but just to enquire for the curriculum they have for kindergarten as my daughter was to begin her baptism of fire in academics. I got curious and asked if Miss Vicenta Quinto was still teaching there. Unfortunately, the person I asked had no clue.

Times have changed and we can now search for our long, lost mentors, relatives and friends through the aid of internet. One great site to check is MyLife. I checked out her name but my search result was nil. However, I tried typing names of the teachers I still recall during my elementary days and I have many hits.

I am really glad that I have met Ms. Quinto in my developing years. Her patience and motherly advise prompted me to give my best. She believed in me when I had doubts back then as to what I could be capable of. I hope I will still meet her one day so I can personally thank her for the positive impact she had in my life.