Confirm and Reconfirm – Just to be sure!

My thoughtful friend Alan, the winking follower of this blog, dropped in one evening after many years. Obviously a lot had changed or so I thought. He looked very different from the person I remember going to school with.

We grew up in a school where everyone knew everyone and hardly anyone outside of it, except the names of President, Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. So our school friends and their siblings were almost like our extended families. Even today, if any of my school friends bumped into each other in any part of the world, we could continue a conversation from where we last left.

After exchanging pleasantries, Alan mentioned it was his youngest brother’s birthday. I responded with a delightful, “Oh! That’s wonderful. Wish Michael Angelo a Happy Birthday on my behalf”, Alan’s eyes rolled to the side and had a confused look but managed to keep a straight face. Given his long silence, I eventually sensed something was not right, so I wanted to confirm with him, “It’s your younger brother Michael Angelo’s birthday right?” OK so Alan’s younger brother’s name was not ‘Michael’ Angelo and it wasn’t his birthday either. It was his youngest brother’s birthday. Bad enough I didn’t remember Avon, I 'had' to confirm, and I ‘had’ to ask, “You have one more brother?", Alan confirmed and was once again getting comfortable, regaining his former self until I wanted to reconfirm with, “Are you sure?”

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