A touching encounter with Tommy Gun..
Amar Jaleel writes..
His family name was not Tommy Gun. He was first introduced to me many years ago by our instructor as Tom in the Florida State University Gym. He was tall, tough, and athletic. a jolly good fellow. The instructor then introduced me to him, and said, "He is Giddu from Pakistan."
Tom warmly shook hands with me, and greeted, "Hi buddy."
He almost squeezed my fingers in his huge hand. The instructor said, "Let go his hand, Tom."
He loosened his grip, released my hand, and apologized, "I am sorry."
The instructor smiled, and said, "For friends he is Tommy Gun."
Tom was with me in Systems Development Center, Florida State University and we both concentrated on teaching through electronic media. We conceived, developed, and produced educational Radio and Television programmes together. Our association culminated into long-lasting friendship. I completed my post-graduate programme in Educational Technology, and returned to Pakistan. For first few years after my return Tommy Gun and I remained in constant communication. Later on, slowly and gradually the circumstances and the vagaries of life sucked us. We hardly wrote to each other. Instead of letters we exchanged greeting cards. And then, we both went into oblivion for each other.
It was few days after America retorted, and launched an assault on Afghanistan that I received an Email, and was pleasantly surprised. It was from Tommy Gun. He was in Pakistan, and was excited on unearthing me. Last sentence in his Email was, "Buddy, we must meet."
We met in Karachi, and hugged each other, and talked about good old days we had spent together in Tallahassee, the city of our alma mater, Florida State University. We talked about Dr Robert Morgan, the Director of the Systems Development Center and his friendship with Henry Kissinger. Tom did not reveal exactly on what kind of an assignment he was in Pakistan. He at least made it clear his visit to Pakistan was connected with American-Afghan war. He immediately corrected me and said, "We are not at war with Afghans. We have unleashed persistent attacks on the terrorists."
"Then, what is war?" I asked.
"In a war both embattled sides engage each other with weapons," Tom said. "So far the Afghans have not responded to our attacks. Therefore, it is not a war. Their encounter with USSR was a war, Soviet-Afghan war."
I smiled and said, "And, you were a party to it against Russia!"
"Now, we are with Russians." He gave out a loud laughter, winked and said, "It is part of the game."
We both have grown old. He suddenly startled with a question. He asked, "Buddy, would you have responded warmly and met me had I been a Russian?"
I looked vacantly at him, and said nothing.
"Forget it." Tom smiled, and said, "It was just a friendly prick."
I found it hard to respond to his friendly gesture with a smile. I said, "I remember the days when cuckoos mistakenly flying over Russian Embassy were hounded by the savage hawks, and were torn apart. Some of the cuckoos were my friends."
"Don't take it seriously." He thumped my shoulder with his massive hand, and said, "I am happy you came to see me."
I felt relaxed, and asked, "How long will you stay in Pakistan?"
"I'll leave for Washington tomorrow late in the evening."
"So soon!"
"I'll keep coming to Pakistan off and on during our attacks on the terrorists in Afghanistan."
"And how long your attacks on the terrorists would last?"
"As long as a single terrorist purports in Afghanistan."
I thought for a while, and said, "Tom, fighting and non-fighting Afghans look alike."
He smiled, and remarked, "It makes no difference!"
"It does make a difference." I said, "How would you distinguish between wretched Afghans, Taliban, and the terrorists?"
Tommy Gun looked straight in my eyes, and said, "Our super intelligent missiles and bombs cleverly identify the terrorists among a crowd, and target them perfectly."
"What about the innocent people around the terrorists?" I asked.
"Naturally some of them would die, and some would be wounded" Tom coolly said, "We would compensate the dead and the crippled with dollars. Buddy, it is part of the game."
"What about your demand for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan?" I asked.
"It is very much there, but in the given circumstances we have postponed it till we have annihilated the terrorists from Afghanistan". With a grin on his face Tom said, "Buddy, it is part of the game."
"Until attack on WTC Washington was not happy with General Pervez Musharraf." I asked, "Have you changed your stance?"
"In the given circumstances we are happy with him, and have relaxed the sanctions, written off the loans, granted new loans and aids to Pakistan." Tom smiled, winked, and said, "It is part of the game." |
