July 2001
Above L:Parvez,Ritchie and Ernie..R:Sharukh trying out the bell.
6pm all the bags are stuffed in Sharukh's car
We take off for Devlali - we've got to travel far
Sharukh , Ritchie, Parvez and me off to Barnes once more
We can't wait to lunch at Barnes and the Dhal we all adore
As Sharukh dodges pot holes we catch up on the news
What you did , where you've been and all our crazy views
Ritchie's back from Dubai on his annual holiday
From his wife and family we manage to steal him away
We stop at Palavi for dinner the time is about nine
As Tandoori chicken dissappears from the plate we're doing fine
We carefully cross the Ghats where the mist is really thick
Sharukh's very sober and his driving is safe and quick
Suhas has kindly invited us to stay at his hotel
So we head for Nasik with Sharukh driving really well
We reach Suhas's 'Quality Inn' in Nasik about midnight
And check into our rooms and find that everythings all right
Out comes the whisky from Ernies's spacious bag
We ring room service for sodas while Sharukh lights a fag
Two thirty in the morning we decide to go to bed
Lights out , A.C. on and pull the blanket over my head
But we're too excited so talking on we keep
It is another hour before we get to sleep
I share a room with Ritchie while Parvez is with Sharukh
When Ritchi started snoring we could swear the building shook
Every morning Parvez wakes us up with a nice hot cup of tea
We throw open the windows and the view is great to see
We're relunctant to leave our spacious comfortable suite
But to Devlali we must go our date with Barnes to keep
So after a sumptious breakfast we set off in the car
This time Parvez does the driving so we reach in half an hour
We have prior information that this will be an exciting day
The Christ Church team is here a friendly match to play
The moment we enter Gate Lodge nostalgic memories almost bring tears
We realize how much we missed our alma mater all these years
The Christ Church contingent has a badminton and debating team as well
We reach in time to see their badminton team give us hell
'Thorpe' in his prize giving speech loses with bad grace
He says ' badminton is a womens game we feel his remarks are out of place
We walk around the school reliving old memories
Admiring our old campus and all our favourite trees
Parvez on the parallel bars has'nt lost his touch
The students gather around and all are impressed very much
We join the students for lunch shouting '' please pass the doll ''
The food has certainly improved and for seconds we all call
Parvez is elected to say the grace after meals
He makes a hash of it much to our amusement and laughter peals
Sharukh says he always thought '' us truly '' was ''Kasturi''
So now try saying the grace and use ''Kasturi'' instead of ''us truly''
After lunch we take a round of our old domitaries
Above: The dorms and below the toilets
NO MORE SOAP HOCKEY!!!
To our delight Suhas joins us and we also visit the quarries
We meet the son of our famous hairdresser ''bansi''
And watch him cutting the hair of a young student with glee
He reminds us that 'Bhendi ' still owes his dad ''charzees''
He says that with compound interest its a fortune if you please
We then raid the tuck shop but this time we're glad to pay
Old 'Sai' is still in charge but he does'nt have cream rolls today
We find it is almost time for the football match to begin
So we take the long walk to the field they'll play in
While the players are lumbering up we take a look at the pool
It is in a sorry state no longer a highlight of the school
The match begins and Barnes dominates from the first mimute
We have no doubt in our mind that Barnes is going to win it
We reach the match at half time with the score at two nil
The boys are doing well and scoring almost at will
We're bored with this one sided match and we decide to go
Later on we hear that the total score was four
To visit our old principal Mr. Davis we decide
And we take a short picturesque drive to the cottage where he does reside
He welcomes us warmly to his comfortable hall
He is eighty-four but he still stands straight and tall
Ma Davis recognizes all of us and serves us biscuits and tea
We were much impressed by her photagraphic memory
We try to meet 'I say man' Gadre' but we find an empty flat
By now we're getting thirsty so for a drink we sat
Sharukh and Parvez are avoiding alcohol and 'goldening'
So Suhas, Ritchie and me have to do all the serious drinking
Suhas heads for home and we head back to school
We're just in time for dinner and the menu makes us drool
This time there's mutton curry, cabbage bhaji , dal and rice
And a piece of cake for dessert now is'nt that really nice
Soon the music starts from Evans Hall up above
There's a dance on tonight come on guys lets fall in love
We spend some time upstairs but we did'nt fit in at all
In our time dancing was a 'contact sport' and we had a ball
Now they dance in a circle boys with boys and girls with girls
The boys shake their mascular bodies and the girls their pretty curls
We head back to our hotel long before the dance is done
Back at the hotel out comes the bottle and we are at it once again
Watching the kids we felt really old but the alcohol kills the pain
Its been a long day, we're pretty tired so off to bed we go
I sit down to write this poem while Ritchie starts to snore
Sunday morning in Nasik is beautiful but we stay in bed till ten
Suhas says he will join us but we don't know exactly when
So after a leisurely breakfast we wander around the 'Quality Inn'
The pool looks inviting but its too cold to go in
Back in our suite we ring ' room service' because its time for beer
Suhas and his friend come and join us here
Beer and conversation flowing with practiced ease
Remembering our old girlfriends each other we try to tease
We'd like to leave for Bombay the time is half past three
Suhas our generous host tells us our stay with him is free
He says all Barnicles in future get a 50% discount
So make a note of this ---on Suhas you can count
But before we leave Suhas has logged onto the internet
Chatting 'on line ' with Erica and Bharat about leaving we soon forget
We log onto the Barnes site and see the '' class of '73 ''
And laugh at all those photographs of how we used to be
From the Quality Inn to Suhas's 'Palace' we make a dash
We admire his beautiful bunglow on which he spent a lot of cash
We meet his lovely wife who fits in like a queen
And see albums of Australia where Suhas and family have just been
Then we say good-bye and start the long journey back home
Sad to leave this beautiful place where for two days we did roam
Its raining really heavily almost all the way
But with Sharukh at the wheel in good time we reach Bombay
We stop for dinner at a roadside 'Dhaba' where rain drips into our food
But the food is really tasty so it doesn't spoil our mood
Now we're back in Bombay and Barnes is far away
We will anxiously look forward to our next visit another day
ERNEST JOSEPH FLANAGAN
