A light - extinguished...

'Hey man, hows it going..... ready to party'... the words echo in my ears, never again to be spoken for the speaker is no more. Sometimes I do not quite understand life's quirks; what makes a person so full of life, hale & hearty, generous & kind just give it up on own volition all of a sudden. But rather than dwelling on why and how, I want to pen in a few thoughts and memories of the past, of good times together, of a good, simple and honest friend who passed away from this life into the next.
I got to know Bernd a few years ago; here I was - my first major assignment abroad in a country where I knew no one and did not even speak the language. We met by accident, he was in the room beside me and sauntered in with a cheerful smile and an invitation for coffee. If there was any presumption at the back of my mind about the German dour demeanor it all but vanished there. The summer raced along like a charm, with me living the mantra - work hard and play hard. Now, looking back I can reminiscence, if not for Bernd the latter thought would not have been lived up to its expectation.
Whether it was hiking, biking, touring or clubbing Bernd was ever eager; and with a BMW accompanied with a hunkering engine we thundered all over the countryside making merry on the weaving roads which let us push the machine to its maximum. And to document everything - there was his camera. Like all of us consultants, he too had traveled a fair bit and the camera was his prized possession from his travels. We functioned like a photographer and his light boy (yeah - I admit, 70% of the time I played the role of the 'assistant'). Not a problem with that, cause if anything I learned eons about photography, composition and well taking just darn good pictures from him. What endeared me to him was the patience and effort he took in nearly everything he did. Never a word of frustration and just like me - happy to look at the world through the bright unfettered eyes of a child.
Travels like always kept us apart, but we did keep in touch - when in Bonn he had a door open for me, a welcome retreat from the cold, impersonal touch of endless hotel stays. In the end, I was able to repay a bit of that back when we met one last time in Berlin. This time I was the host and he played visitor. Couldn't have seen a more content Bernd . By then he had gotten tired of traveling and now was happy with a non-consulting position; more importantly he was in love again and had even gone all the way to Peru to see his girlfriend's native country. We spent the day in Berlin - a bright sunny day aimlessly wandering and soaking up the sights of Germany's beautiful capital. Between nice food, and a few cups of coffee we basked in the sun and hung around as guys do. When I bid him adieu that evening, little did I know that it would be the last time our paths would cross.....
I miss the chap, for his hearty laugh, good nature and friendly disposition. If you may not have called him suave, for sure he was honest - a person who you could rely on and a great companion to boot. I can't imagine what could have happened in the space of a month to cause him to take such an extreme path, a path which ended a good life and left us all in sadness.
You were a great friend Bernd, thanks for all the great times we had together..... and I hope, I truly hope that wherever you are, you do find eternal rest and peace.