My friend Bonnie
By Francis Misquita,
Edmonton, Canada
Sept. 11, 2001 will go down in history as a "black day" when thousands
of innocent lives were lost, as a result of a terrorist attack on the
World Trade Center in New York City. My friend Bonnie (Bernard
Mascarenhas) is on the list of the missing people which numbers more
than 5000. Bonnie was previously from Karachi, staying on Somerset
Street and then later in Hussain D'silva Town in Nazimabad.
I first met Bonnie in 1964 in our first year pre-engineering, at St.
Patrick's college - a happy bunch of enthusiastic kids, just out of
school, aspiring to be engineers of the future. I recall we were a very
large contingent of Catholic boys - Edward D'Sa, Lionel D'souza, Noel
Pinto, Vincent Gonsalves, Ronald Raymond, John Barrie, Maurice Aranha,
Emmanuel Raphael, Francis Phen, Michael Castellino and Patrick Pillai.
My apologies for the others whose names I just cannot recall at this
time. I took an instant liking to Bonnie, and we maintained our
friendship over all these years. Bonnie was one of the "smart dudes" at
college and excelled in all subjects especially science and math. I was
always shortof money and Bonnie would always treat me to ' coke and
patties" during the recess. Those were the good days, playing hokey in
the less interesting classes especially Urdu, was very common amongst
some of our
Catholic boys. Iqbal Restaurant was our favorite spot, where boys would
hang around and watch the girls walk by from St. Joseph's School and
College. After completing junior college, Bonnie was accepted to the
more prestigious Adamjee Science College, while some of us went to SM
Science College. We still maintained our contacts - meeting for tea at
Jehangir or Iqbal restaurant, going for a matinee move, or studying late
evenings and nights at his house just prior to writing the exams. If I
recall correctly, a few years later I met Bonnie when he was teaching
for a brief period in St. Paul's school my Alma Mater. He then joined
Habib Bank and quickly worked his way up in the computer field, and then
went to Bahrain excelling himself in the field of information
technology.
Bonnie migrated to Canada in 1978. He was working for Marsh Canada
Ltd.,a large insurance brokerage house, and once again with his hard
work and excellence, he moved up the corporate ladder very quickly. When
I was in Montreal, he visited me a few times, whenever he came on a
business trip and we used to reminisce about the good old times we all
had back home. The last time I met Bonnie was about two years ago, when
I had gone on a business trip to Toronto. We both had very busy
schedules that day, but we made it a point to meet for lunch. I still
picture him clearly saying our good-byes in the parking lot, and hoping
we would meet soon again. Last year he phoned me at Christmas time,
suggesting that I come with the family and spend some time with his
family in Toronto.
The day of the disaster, when I was watching CNN news, the name of the
company Bonnie worked for Marsh Macllenan (the US office) was mentioned.
I just prayed silently hoping that Bonnie was not on another business
trip to the New York office. I wanted to call him at home, but I said to
myself this cannot be true, and it is just my imagination. Two days
later, I got the dreadful news that his wife Raynette and the kids were
taken to New York by the company officials. I made a few calls to
Montreal and Toronto that night, but could not get any confirmed news
about him. Early next morning, I decided to call his office in Toronto.
The secretary picked up the phone, I told her that I was a very close
friend of Bernard, and wanted to get an update on him. I could fee her
voice choking, as she said he was on the missing list, and that his wife
and family were taken to New York. At that time I just cried and choked,
the lady at the other end said, " I am so sorry to give you the bad
news". I thanked her, said I was okay, and quickly hung the phone up. A
few days later I visited the CNN website that had the pictures of the
missing people and I kept starring at Bonnie's picture for a few
minutes, and kept asking the question "Why Bonnie?" I called out to my
wife and my two girls showing them the picture of my missing friend. I
was later told that Bonnie, who worked out of the Toronto office, was
scheduled to attend a breakfast meeting that ill-fated morning of Sept
11, 2001 in the World Trade center.
To me Bonnie was a friend and brother. A man of such great stature, but
yet humble and down to earth person. Once when visiting Toronto, I
reminded him of the 'coke and patties", he used to buy for me at the
college canteen. His answer in humility as always was he just felt it
was right to share what he had with others, whether it was baying me a
coke, or helping others with school assignments. There are very few in
this world that are the likes of my friend Bonnie, who has had such a
great positive impact on my personal life, and the life of others that
he touched upon. Just to quote what his son Sven had to say when
delivering the eulogy at a memorial service in Toronto: " Although he
told me to always value my formal education, it will be the things he
taught me that I'll hold most dear. He taught me the meaning of
humility, taught me to never rub my successes in the face of others. He
lived his life by that credo to the point that many of his closest
friends had no idea just how successful he was in his professional
life". How very true !!! I met Bonnie on so many occasion, we both
worked in information technology, but it's only after reading the
eulogy, I came to know that my friend had risen to the rank of Chief
Information Officer (CIO) at Marsh Canada.
Another quota from Sven's eulogy "He may have lived in Canada, but he
never forgot nor let us forget our roots. His active role in our
community, always trying to help someone out when they fell on difficult
times".
Bonnie, you sure make me feel proud and that I can say to myself and to
others that I had the good fortune of being associated with you. This
tragic loss is very difficult for me to endure, and often at times I
wish by some miracle, he and several others are found alive in the
rubble of what is left of the two majestic tows that once graced the
skylights of New York City.
In conclusion, I would like to offer my since condolences to his wife
Raynette, their children Sven and Jaclyn, to his mother, his sister, his
brother, and all his other friends and relatives, that the good Lord
gives them the courage and strength to bear just a great loss. Adios
Bonnie, till we meet again for coke and patties in a college canteen in
Paradise - this time it will be my treat !!!.
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