NARRATIVE

A Friend Who Deserves a Statue

Reconnecting with an old friend of mine

I am involved in a newly commenced project in a rural area. Here, in Sri Lanka, a rural area means a challenging place to reside. So I had some reluctance to mobilize here, leaving my comfort zone.

Recently, I learned that one of my fellow batchmates is also working in this area, a close friend from my university days. So, I was happy to hear this news and decided to visit him. I tried to contact him, but his previous phone number is no longer in use. I couldn’t locate him on social media either.

I asked around from a few of my batch mates. Many of them have not been in touch with him for years. Fortunately, one of them had his new number.

He sent it with a note stating,. “RG (our mutual friend’s initials) is not the simple guy now we used to know. He now holds an important role. People respect him very much. Pay him a visit and witness it for yourself.”

I dialled the new number. A deep-voiced “Hello” greeted me on the third ring from the other end.

Though it was almost unrecognizable, I continued, “Machan” (a universal slang here, covering every term from bro, dude, friend and etc.), “I am Prasanna.”

“Prasanna, which Prasanna?” the deep voice questioned back.

“I am Prasanna, …… (my nickname)”, I responded.

“My goodness, Machan. It’s been a while ….” The deep voice transformed into a familiar friendly one.

Our conversation continued for a while, and as a result of that, I paid him a visit a few days ago.

He was a genuine guy at the university and conducted numerous pocket seminars before the exam nights. So in a way, I am in debt to him.

Now he has become the Resident Engineer of a large-scale project and is handling several tasks for the betterment of the local community. As a result, the local community respects him beyond his position and considers him a gift to the area.

My first question to him as soon as I saw him was, “Where are you planning to place the statue?”

“Which statue?” He asked me, looking puzzled.

“The statue of you, to be erected for your service to the local community”, I replied, trying to keep my poker face.

Understanding the joke, he responded, “Three quotations were already collected and sent for the ministry’s approval. But they are still waiting for the environmental clearance to approve.”

Yeah! He is still the same old guy but much more mature. We had to wait a bit before heading to his accommodation for tea. While waiting, I noticed his friendly demeanour changed into a kind but serious mood whenever someone approached him for instructions.

His accommodation was located adjacent to a reservoir, offering a stunning view. While enjoying the view and tasting the tea, I inquired about the project, the community, and his career.

Soon after graduating, he joined this project as a young engineer. Eventually, he climbed up to the position of Resident Engineer. He has come a long way, winning over the local community while gaining valuable experience.

I felt genuinely happy about his achievement, as he truly deserves it. But it is not a surprise news since his ability to think outside the box. His way of finding solutions for critical problems faced by the community is remarkable.

I have also mentioned this earlier: as civil engineers, we must maintain a code of ethics. The first and most important principle is:

Engineers shall hold paramount the health, safety and welfare of the public and proper utilization of the funds and other resources in the performance of their professional duties.

I am pleased to have reconnected with this wonderful man who is fulfilling his duty adhering the code, much better than myself. Compared to him, I still have a long journey ahead of me in fulfilling my part. Therefore, spending a month or two in this rural area is nothing to be concerned about.