Open Letter To Close Friend In Chennai

DISCLAIMER: All names have been changed for the sake of online privacy.

Hi Rachel, this is an open letter to you. By open letter, I mean a letter in which I share my thoughts and feelings for you; and the experiences we’ve shared over the years. I am hoping to keep it as short as possible and at the same time, make it as interesting as possible. So, here goes:

Rachel, you are a really close friend of mine. You as well as your spouse Vivian. To start with, both of you were my colleagues in my first ever job and right from day one I had a good rapport with you both. Yes, there was some friction between us sometimes; but on the whole, I really enjoyed working with you. You were always helpful, while at the same time you wanted me to learn things on my own; something that I appreciated, because you were concerned about my long-term career development.

Rachel, it is thanks mainly to you that I learned some “simplicity and humility”, as you put it. I am not boastful by nature and have never been, but I have been pompous for a long time and you and Vivian helped me acknowledge my flaws and change gradually for the better. However, the biggest thing I like about you is that you generally give people second chances and it was no different with me. I got into an argument with you sometime in October 2013 and ended up shouting at you; right in the office. Not only was what I did very wrong, but had it been anyone other than you or Vivian; I would have got into serious trouble and rightly so!

Rachel, not only did you forgive me and maintain a cordial relationship with me at the workplace; you even showed concern for me due to what you saw as unusual behaviour – this I learned from a very close cousin of mine. I never dreamed you would become my friend after my inexcusable behaviour, let alone a close friend; but it happened! I am truly grateful to God for creating such beautiful human beings like you and Vivian and connecting them with me. By the way, I forgot to mention that it was incredibly brilliant of the pair of you to somehow manage not let the company know that you were in a relationship until it was time to send invitations for your marriage.

You and Vivian’s wedding was the first church wedding that I have invited and I had a wonderful time there. You two are really made for each other and one of the sweetest couples I have known. I am also honoured that you both shared some deep secrets with me; shows how much faith you have in me in spite of having seen me at my worst. As the years passed by, we didn’t speak a lot but stayed in touch through Whatsapp. I forgot to mention by the way, that it was one of the happiest days of my life – when you came to my grandparents’ home in Mylapore in 2014. I will never forget you helping my late Patti with her cooking and she had a lot of praise for both you and Vivian.

Talking about you coming home, I’ve been to your home thrice, in 2014, 2023 and 2024. I will never forget any of these visits. 2014 was the first time I had Egg at someone’s home and I could clearly see that it was made with a lot of love and care. In 2023, I saw your children for the first time – Alicia Lily is charming and Stanley is cute but naughty. The kids honestly couldn’t have asked for better parents – a perfect mix of indulgence and strictness!! Also, interacting with you and Vivian was like interacting with family. I shared with you two a lot of intimate stuff and also got to know a lot about Jesus and the path he follows. The Biryanis were simply fantastic and the chicken drumstick was even more delicious. I did get freaked out a bit by the dog though!!

Later in the year, you sent me to a Christian gathering where I got an idea of what it means to be a true follower of Jesus, unlike the “organised religion” practice of the Church. It was a wonderful place to be and I took part in singing quite a few of the songs and hymns. The people there were very friendly to me, even though I was a complete stranger to them. I often used to associate wearing the cross with devout Christianity and learned that it is nothing more than idol worship. I also saw a few people with health issues and illnesses being healed and it was surreal. This was incidentally the place where I got a copy of the Bible for free. I am very thankful to you, Rachel, for doing this for me – it means a lot.

In 2024, the visit to your home felt even more intimate. I opened up to you about the issues I faced with Tracy, who used to be my best friend and was our colleague too. It was a huge relief to get this load off my chest. Your children were warmer with me this time around, especially the sweet but mischievous Stanley. I am really sorry I haven’t visited you since. I will be coming to Chennai again this December and then hopefully we’ll meet for sure then. Also, it is a pleasure to speak to you over the phone; again, it feels like speaking to one of my cousins. I wish you all the very best in your career as a German teacher; I hope you are enjoying it so far.

Rachel, I regret to say that in the last few months I’ve lost the habit of praying and reading the gospel regularly. However, I assure you I will restart it today or tomorrow and from now on I am going to lean on Jesus as much as possible; taking guidance from Vivian whenever required. We may not have spoken much recently, but I will tell you this: you are completely welcome to share anything with me, anything that bothers you no matter how trivial it may seem. I will forever be there to support you and Vivian, as a close friend. I will end the letter with this charming quote: “I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” – Helen Keller.