To Sir, With Love...To Cikgu Nazir

When Cikgu made his comment in my last posting, making a remark about him wanting to act as a bad guy in a movie - supposedly to be based on that entry - I was reminded about this book I read and how I had pictured Cikgu Nazir as one of the characters in the book.

Icarus, written by Russel Andrews, is a 2001 publication and is a who-done-it story. Though the story itself is nothing outstanding, the narration by Andrews is! Since the book involves several characters, some with intimate ties, I found Andrews narration of the bond between Jack Keller (main character) and Dominick Bertolini or Dom for short, rather heartwarming as far as the relationship between a man and his adopted son goes by. But I'm not going to write about this chapter. Rather, let you read it yourself as I've scanned it and hopefully, the text-picture will come out nice enough to read. But to give you a better understanding the relation between the two, I have briefly outlined the story below.

Jack Demeter is a successful Restaurateur, married and devoted to his wife. But he has a phobia of heights which sort of became the theme for this story, though as a child of about 10, he loves to visit his mother's office in a high rise building and flatten himself against the huge window panes in the office. As he does so, he would imagine himself flying, similar to Icarus, a legendary Greek figure.

On this particular day of this story, Dom took Jack to see his mother's office while Dom himself stayed below to give the 2 a private moment. Though it was not mentioned, the writer hinted the possibility of Dom marrying Jack's mother, and hence, the private moment for Jack's mother to break the news to Jack. Unfortunately at the very same time, a deranged ex-con went up to the same office - where everyone else had gone home for the day - seeking blind revenge.

As the story goes, Jack's mother was killed when she was thrown out of the 30storey window. Jack too nearly suffered the same fate but somehow managed to break free from the ex-con. With the mother dead, Dom took Jack into his life, perhaps out of sheer love and devotion to Jack's mother.

The rest of the story, well, you have to buy and read it for yourself :)





Ok, so you may not find much in this chapter and I am a romantic fool who thinks the writer managed to show the bond between the 2 - the soft side of each - amid the tough exterior each man portray. Mind you, this is not a love affair between a guy and a girl, nor is it a gay-thing; it is though, the natural love between 2 matured man, a camaraderie bonded by the hard time both faced when they lost the woman they loved. Needless to say, this is my favourite chapter.

Now, if you've read the chapter, then perhaps this would make sense: if ever amongst my friends and blogging brothers there is a guy who came to my mind when reading about Dom, then surely it has to be you, Cikgu Nazir; if not physically, then surely, I would think, in character. Forgive me if I am wrong, but that is what I think. Er, it is a compliment ya :)