Posted on: Sep 03, '09
The Man who came from my School - III
There’s something about Garry…
Signals Garry!! One should know the signals, it saves life…
But you didn’t know that, you had no way knowing that, right Garry ???
No, It seems Garry did know …
5:30 a.m.:
As I boarded the plane my thoughts went back. George had joined St. Thomas College. Two years later he appeared for JFMC entrance examination. He passed and was accepted after the necessary medicals and physical, he began his career as a soldier as well as a physician.
Around the time of his internship, he attended a wedding of a cousin during Christmas. There he met his gorgeous princes, Sylvia.
Sylvia, the tallest and quietest girl of St. Mary’s High, hardly ever interacted with anyone. She was the only daughter of our science teacher, Paul Sir. The strictest and toughest teacher in the school was probably strict at home, too. Sylvia was never seen talking, or even laughing, in the school. I had tried, in vain, to strike up a conversation a few times. Once had borrowed money from my mother to send her a Christmas card, and as I couldn’t send a card to only one girl in the class, had bought 42 cards, one for each of my classmates. I had made my sister write the addresses on the envelopes, her handwriting was superb and when Sylvia’s name came up, she had asked ‘it is for her that you are doing all this, aren’t you??; Till date I don’t know how she’d latched on to that…
Sylvia had completed her graduation from St. Josephs and, all the while, had been quietly following George’s progress in life, and in that wedding, her dreams were realized. Both were perfect match. He, the prince charming and she the princess, both tall, fair, from the same parish and she had loved him from the beginning, quietly.
George had proposed to her at the wedding hall and in two years they were married.
I might’ve dozed off sometime later and the announcement to fasten seatbelts jostled me out of my reverie.
‘So what went wrong, Garry???’
6.30 a.m.:
At the arrival lounge I looked around and located Café Coffee Day, and while walking towards it messaged Harry of my arrival. Promptly came the reply; ‘Where are you, I’m here, too.’ Harry, Here?? As I scanned the thin early morning crowd walking around I recognized him, wearing the same jacket from yesterday’s TV show. He was walking with a short guy, talking and gesticulating. That short stocky fellow had to be Victor, ‘Pint Victor’. Seems Harry has been busy.
‘Pint Victor’, so nicknamed for his short size, was couple of years older to us, but only a year senior to us in school. He was short, stocky and muscled all over as if a midget wrestler. Though short and stocky, he was the most agile and fast in our group and was difficult to catch up with him in any race. He also had a powerful thinking mind, the group’s brain.
I moved forward and shook hands with both of them. As we were exchanging pleasantries, Harry herded us to a quite corner table. While Harry and I settled down, ‘Pint’ went and picked up 3 cups of coffee on a tray and brought it to our table. Harry, meanwhile had taken out his Laptop connected his internet card and logged on. As we were sipping the coffee and Harry was getting connected, he updated us of the happenings of the past 10 hrs.
Was it only 10 hrs. ??
Harry said; ‘There’s something about George’. Harry had received an sms at around 8.30 pm while waiting at the NHTV for YHYW live interview. It just said ‘G’ _ _. needs your help, save him’. As soon as he received the message he knew it was George as that dash dash dot was Morse for ‘G’ and in our group it just meant George. As he was wondering about it the digital sign in front of him said ‘ON AIR’. As the interviewer’s face appeared on the monitor introducing the guest Harry had already made up his mind. He had jotted a few lines to the show director, requesting him to focus the camera on his right hand whenever he was tapping. Harry, after the show, had contacted Pint Victor. Harry and Victor were able to connect to George, via internet, but his whereabouts was still unknown. Harry ascribed that to George’s personal safety reasons.
As Harry logged in and was checking for any message from George, My thought went back to George again. George, after completion of his Medical Training, was commissioned as Captain with Western Command and sometime during his initial years was promoted as Major and deputed to the Intelligence wing.
Probably this is where his problems had started. Being with intelligence, he had to make frequent trips to other areas and was deputed to the UN Peace Keeping Force in Kosovo. Kosovo, that hotbed of international politics and the most strategically placed piece of land between Europe and Asia.
Such stints, outside his command area, and with UNPKF was very severe on him as it kept him away from his family. A loving husband, George was the doting father to his only child Daniel and both of them had made an excellent team. There wasn’t a Sunday or a Holiday the father – son team were not noted going on explorations, trekking, hiking mostly in his car, or a few times on cycle, he borrowing his orderly’s bicycle.
7:25 a.m.
Suddenly Harry exclaimed loudly; ‘Oh, what’s this?’
Harry turned the laptop towards us and on the screen, splashed in large letters, was this;
DEUTERONOMY 32:35; odd.
To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
(E) ‘QEVC LEH E PMXXPI PEQF, MXW JPIIGI AEW ALMXI EW WRSA’
WX. QEVCW GEX MW XLI VEX EX XLI KEVVIX ERH FIHW XAS ICI WII. WUYIEPIV WEJIXC TIVMPIH. MR LMHMRK, HIEXL MJ JSYRH.
Harry looked at me, and then at ‘Pint’, who was already deep in his thoughts.
‘Pint’ said: ‘That’s Bible. Remember how we used quote from Bible to send a secret message?’ He continued: ‘what I understand from this is either he wants vengeance or someone else is looking for vengeance.’
“and what’s that below??” asked Harry.
‘I think that is his real message’ said Pint. ‘I need to make a cipher slip’
Maybe it’s a signal, or code. Was George passing a message? If so, what was it.
Pint picked up a note pad, tore a sheet and sat down working away.
Suddenly Pint jumped from his seat and said: ‘We need to go and find George, soon. Lets hope we are not late… Handing over a sheet of paper to Harry, he picked up his small suitcase, hung his bag on his shoulder and started walking. Harry just closed his laptop and followed suit. I followed him, took the piece of paper from Harry's hands and looked at it;
(E) ‘QEVC LEH E PMXXPI PEQF, MXW JPIIGI AEW ALMXI EW WRSA
(E) 'Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow'
WX. QEVCW GEX MW XLI VEX EX XLI KEVVIX ERH FIHW XAS ICI WII. WUYIEPIV WEJIXC TIVMPIH. MR LMHMRK, HIEXL MJ JSYRH.
St. Mary’s Cat is the rat at the garret and beds two eye see. Squealer safety periled. In hiding, death if found.
Cat??? I wondered as I followed Harry and Victor towards a parked cab. A hooter sounded somewhere nearby. Looked at my watch, it was 8:00 a.m.
You were precautious and intelligent but reckless, George!. We need to find you. Where do we begin?
Where are you Garry?
to be continued...
Tags: search and rescue - sar
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