Thinking, what should I share with this world. I read people, I follow people and I want them to do the same. Let me write to share something.
I remember I used to work in a call center, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It was night, we make calls in USA. Those were training days of mine. I was taking calls well enough within 4-5 days. It was Friday, weekend, everybody was tired and excited same as I. Time was approximately 1.30 AM (IST). The calls were automated; I still remember the name, Derrick Johnson, The person whom I was connecting with, I said as I trained to say,
”Hello, Derrick, How are you?”
He replied “As god had kept me!” With that answer I have found him very interesting and his words are still buzzing in my ears. It was gentle voice.
I asked my next question “Is it a right time to talk with you?”
He replied back brilliant, “depends on what you want to say.”
I make a smile that he could listen and then I started my entire speech what I trained to say in all calls,” I am from a XYZ company, and you have been selected, bla bla ba..”. When I stopped, I found no response from the other side. It was soundless on other side. I thought he had hanged up the phone. I took a look on my computer, and found, no he is with me, online. With hesitation I said “Derrick, are you there?” No response observed from other side. Then I approached, “Hello, Hello..Hell..” interruption. And there was a reply with calmness, “You know my friend; I know you are calling from India.”
I was stunt and on thought that how could he understand that? As I have already mentioned him that this call is from California. So, I have to nullify him or I will be on fake mode for him. This will be not good for me. I replied him as I was trained.
“You know Derrick, I’m Indian by birth, but I am working in CA now.” Those silly rebuttals.
“See man! I don’t want to know where you from are or what is your business. The thing only I know is that, I lost my wife yesterday night in a car accident and right now I have arrived from her funeral.” with gentleness in voice he replied back.
I was speechless, But I said him “Sorry to call you Derrick, may god bless you and will pray for your wife’s soul, goodbye.”
This incident shook me down. I couldn’t take calls. My trainer saw me and come towards me and asked me “what happened?”
I told him about my last call. He told me “nothing necessary, that person was saying truth to you, sometime people make harsh excuses like this to avoid our call.” Same things were said by my seniors too.
The weekend was there, I don’t know why Derrick had touched me somewhere in my heart through his low, calm, gentle voice. His voice was very truth to me. There was pain. There was no lie. Entire Sunday night I thought of that incident. Even I thought, how I would react, if a stupid telemarketer calls me on a situation? Will I react so calmly? No never. But he did it.
It was almost 3-4 weeks of that incident. My training period was completed. Last Monday I got confirmation. Again there was Monday, again office, again sleepless nights, again calls, again sales & again targets. It was late night 3.30 am (IST). I was on my desk and making calls. Suddenly, there was him on other side of phone, the voice I remembered till date. I look up on computer screen, found yes it was Derrick Johnson.
He asked me after listening me “Are you the same guy who called me up on my Wife’s death day”
He remembered me too. But without any hesitation I said” Yes”.. And that moment I found myself in very bad situation. I thought now Derrick is going to be exaggerating for him to again calling him on phone. I was expecting something very loud & harsh reaction from other side of the phone, as it can annoying for a person to get a call from telemarketer on a such situation he had passed few weeks before. But my assumption was wrong. He asked me very politely “How are you?”
With astonishment and cheer I replied back “I’m fine Derrick “. But I didn’t ask him back the same question as that will be foolishness. But he said “Don’t you want ask me, How I’m now ?”
With astonishment I replied back” Yes sure, how are you?”
He replied as fantastic answer, which I will never forget.
He said “I’m doing well with memories of my wife.”
I remembered, after that we had a long conversion; we used to talk 1-2 days a week. Lot of things I come to know about him.
He was 78 at that time. He loved his wife so much that even after her death he put a extra plate on dinner table and an extra pillow in the bed to feel that she is with him. He try to do everything that makes him feel that he is not in solitude, he is with his wife. His son was in Chicago and Daughter in Maryland. But he didn’t find himself alone. His is happy and will be happy.
He was known to my identity. It was a rule not to share anything with customers but I did as he had become very good friend of mine. He knows everything about my family, my parents, and my friends, almost everything. Sometimes we share everything to somebody who is absolutely unknown to us and that what we did. We have never seen each other physically but we were emotionally attached through the phone, our long distance was actually the best part for us.
I remembered one day, we were talking about India. He know lot thing about India, about Mahatma Gandhi, Aishwarya Ray, Rabindranath Tagore. He was a retired professor in Literature. And we found the link of same interest. Than he comes to know that I love to collect currencies. Within few days later he sent me five dollars through post in my office address. I still have those with me.
But unfortunately I lost connect with him as I have to leave the company, I am totally detach with him.His phone was not stored with me. But will remember him forever in my life for his gentleness, calmness & the way he spoke to me. Through him I found how to be happy in every situation in your life. I remembered the last call with him.
He said me very happily “you know, and I am having a girlfriend name Joyce, she is 65. I’m enjoying & living my life.”
