40 Landed in the American Land

1998                          

It was first week of June, 1998. I received the airplane tickets from an American company Newark, State of Delaware. Ever since, we were busy: visiting relatives, buying items, packing and ready to travel.

With lots of anticipations we landed at John F Kennedy Airport, New York on 12^th June 1998 at the noon hours. From there, we were supposed to fly to Philadelphia and therefore waited at the domestic terminal. Things looked bizarre and we felt that we were nonentity.

          “Several flights services are cancelled and flight to Philadelphia is delayed by few hours due to bad weather,” airlines authority announced. I could not tune to the American accent and therefore I did not understand it accurately. External noise was more than the promulgation and it was not audible and had to pay more attention to guess the announcements.

My wife stayed cool. She thought that I was following everything. Eight hours passed. It was 8 o’ clock night. Both were very hungry. “We are in a lost world,” I felt, did not reveal, but. Huge crowd was there at the inquiry counter. We could not go nearby to the counter and were waiting in the queue for several hours. There was no official announcement about Philadelphia flight for few hours.

I lost my patience and said to my wife, “Please listen to the airlines carefully.”  She nodded and chuckled, but, she was not in a position to take over that job. I showed my anger. She took it in a lighter way and showed her maturity. Time was about 10 o’ clock night.  And at last, we managed to reach the counter. By then, we found that all flights to Philadelphia were called off for that day. On inquiry, the Airlines authority told, “A shuttle is arranged and it takes about three hours to reach Philadelphia; please rush and accommodate in that.”

We rushed to the shuttle around half past ten. It started in another 5 minutes to Philadelphia. On the way, there was a quarrel inside the passengers. They exchanged the filthy and unparliamentary words among them. They made our travel ghastly. We did not have a chance to eat anything for the whole day.

“USA is a developed country but is no way better than my India,” I concluded. It was a momentary reflection based on the first experience. But, I learnt several best practices from the American land later. We reached at Philadelphia airport around 3 o’clock in the early hours. CEO of the Corporate was waiting for a long time at the airport. I spoke to him while I was working as a consultant to Swiss Bank, Basil, Switzerland once. He was far nicer, received and greeted us with warm heart. He took us to Melrose Garden Apartments Newark, State of Delaware in his car; spoke to us in mother Tongue, Tamil, friendly and he put us in a comfort zone.

 A gentleman named Basil Antony from Cape Comorin, India was on ‘bench’ in that Corporate. He demonstrated us to operate some of the basic things on the same night itself: electric gas stove, micro ovens, AC system, electric cooker etc. We cooked, ate and rested.

“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God”(Leviticus 19:33-34)

06 Education

1985.

I was grown to 18 and admitted at St Xaviers College Palayam Kottai. I chose Chemistry as major subject and became top scorer.  The college days were very interesting and I earned good friends. God blessed my studies abundantly. It was His Grace and His plan on me.

Post to the science graduation, I got admission in B.Tech Instrumentation Engineering at Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) the only institution gave a hope to Science graduates to become Engineers. Dr Abdul Kalam, the eminent Scientist who served as the 11th President of India, was my Alumni.

  

Government of India merit scholarship covered my educational fee during graduation at MIT. Canara Bank respected my merit in B.Sc graduation and sanctioned an amount of Rs fifteen thousand as educational loan with moderate interest rate and that covered the remaining expenses.

In the summer holidays, I went and worked as a daily wager with my father in the brick kiln. I never revealed my holidays’ entertainment to any of my friends inside the campus.

I got a high score in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE-91), and my post graduation expenses were sufficiently covered through GATE stipend.

But, I was not loyal to my nation! The Government gave splendor support to bring me to do higher education. But, as soon as the completion of my post graduation, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) hired me as a software analyst trainee.

And soon I entered into a materialistic world, focused only on work and gave less importance to the human relations and stayed away from spiritual world. Environment and situations changed my life style very fast. Corporate transferred me from place to place for their business achievements as per their plan whether I liked it or not but everything complied with the appointment terms and conditions. Still, I was under God’s direct sight because I was selected for His work. 

When I was a child I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (I Corinthians 13: 11-13)

30 First Covenant

1998. 

“Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.”(Proverbs 19:14). I was 29 years old, a free man, an agnostic but not atheist. I said that there wasn’t enough evidence to believe either way about God. But He is the mighty Lord!

 It was last week of Dec 1997. I visited my home town Marthandam, famous for honey and cashew nut processing; a place for rubber and hand-embroidered motifs; most fertile land of Tamil Nadu; full of greenery; a river adjoining and a major trade centre across National Highway in South India.

 

I was there in the village named Thickurichy searching a soul mate. On my visit, I came to know that there was a girl near my village who was also searching a heart. She was grand-daughter of Mrs. Esther.  On hearing the information, I rushed to Esther grandma’s place. It was 10 o’ clock night. I stood in front of their home and knocked at the gate and called, “hello, hello, grandma,” and I heard a huge dog barking. I wanted to show that I was brave man thinking that the girl was inside.

Mr David, son of Esther grandma, an air force man came out with a big appearance pulling a chained dog in his hand. I showed my teeth in fear. He saw me and both of us showed natural prominent teeth. He gave green signal to see her niece, the girl, but in the next day morning. My inner heart started beating fast and longed to see the girl immediately. He asked me to come in the next day morning in a traditional way. 

Very next day early hours!  I urged my relatives and brought the family members together. My father, brothers and cousins! We went and saw the girl. Upon seeing her, my heart was the happiest. She gave one broad toothy smile and I fell inside the net.  The sight was like a chemical reaction and we both transformed.  I spoke to myself, “I have found the treasure and saw the reflection of moon in her.”

  One week later. The girl came to Chennai to see me. Her father accompanied with her. I was working as a Software Engineer in Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).  Her visit was a sign that I won the match. But, she thought that she won the match. Her father verified and assured that I was a staff in Tata Consultancy Services. And the office environment impressed them because the receptionist gave positive things about me.   

I took them to hotel Saravana Bhavan, Radha Krishnana Salai for a coffee and I did not spend much more than 15 minutes showing them that I was busy. I set my eyes on her. Four eyes met! Her facial expression pulled in and both attracted each other, exerted equal and opposite poles of magnet, interpreted the language of life, a spontaneous kinship. Then on she illuminated me and I was floating. I visualized her as my better half, liked to make a pledge. I urged his family members to go for betrothal and we betrothed.

"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what [a]fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” 2 Corinthians 6:14–15

35 Second Covenant

 1998                                                    

Our marriage was instituted and ordained on 15th April, 1998 at CSI Church, Marthandam. We committed completely to each other. United and built together. Lovemaking blended. It reached its state of heights. An eternity in relationship attained its ideal point. “Burning the feather alone breaks the bonds between us,” we felt. 

I had a H1 visa at that moment and decided to work in the USA. Therefore, I resigned my job from TCS. My wife informed our travel plan to her friends proudly. Her passionate mother, a Government hospital staff nurse broadcasted the news to the entire population in and around of her domicile. Her father, a retired Kadhicraft staff conveyed the journey to his relatives. 

I urged my father-in-law to get a passport to my wife. “Apply for a visa first and he will apply for the passport later,” he responded. “Passport is a mandatory document to stamp the visa and hence passport first and visa second,” I conveyed and convinced him.  At last, he agreed and permitted to apply a passport half-heartedly.

Regional Passport Office, Trichy, liked us to fly together and therefore issued a passport in an urgent basis. The news spread out in and around. Soon the villagers’ started talking about our travel and it became the talk of the village.

One week later. My wife appeared before the American Consulate for the Visa. The Consulate rejected her Visa. “Do you go alone leaving me in India?” she cried out. I did not give any answer. I noted her turned pale facial look. Therefore, I decided to cancel the travel without any second thought. I gaped on her as lovey-dovey. I was not willing to travel alone due to the holy bonding and affinity with her; and was unable to fly on my own, in fact. Therefore, I looked out a job immediately in India. “Joining both hands and hearts of us enjoy the soaring love of the eagle,” we realized.

However, I reviewed the reason for the visa rejection and made her to appear for Consulate interview - second time. I instructed her, “You have to carry essential documents and demonstrate to the officer that you are my wife.” “Hmm... that is the truth,” she responded casually. “But, you have to prove it to the Consulate through evidences. They do not look at you and decide based on your appearance. You must convince them with the facts in hand,” I elaborated.

“What evidences? What facts?” she questioned innocently. “Carry the marriage certificate, wedding albums etc.,” I listed and lectured. “Never provide any false or irrelevant information to the visa officer,” I warned. She responded saying “okay, okay,” and gave a big smile and nodded her head. She gained the confidence from my long lecture. “She will get the visa,” I believed. “With confidence and belief one can do anything,” I determined. 

May 22^nd morning! We both went to Cathedral Church, Dr. RadhaKrishan Salai, Chennai, close to American Consulate. She prayed there for few minutes. Then, she appeared before the Consulate. There was no enquiry. She got the dependent visa. A more joyous day!

"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mark 10:6-9)