Dear Mr.Dias

Dear Mr.Dias,
Its June and you're in my thoughts again. There are so many things about this time of the year which make so special for me. The soothing rains, my birthday and of course June signaled the end of our summer vacations. Why would a kid like the end of his summer break you ask? Well to be honest with you sir, I enjoyed the first day of school. It invariably coincided with my birthday and what better way to start a new year at school without having to wear that awful uniform and of course having people singing the birthday song to you.I beg your pardon sir,for I'm drifting off from what I really wanted to say.
Was it not in June that you first came into our class Mr.Dias? Yes, I remember it very vividly. We were a bunch of unruly fourteen year olds who refused to cooperate and you had the patience of a sage. Thats quite a combination I tell you.I always wondered how you managed to go about teaching for an hour without having to raise your voice unlike the teachers. Time has made me wiser, Mr.Dias. I now realize that what you had done was something that had never been managed by the other teachers. You had actually earned our respect. And thats not an easy feat, believe me. We were hot blooded and rebellious but there was something about you that made us "behave" appropriately.
Another thing that struck me Mr.Dias is how you managed to remain so humble.You knew a bunch of languages didn't you? French,Italian,Latin...Your knowledge about Greek and Roman mythology and English literature so vast you could've chosen place to teach in. And yet,you chose our school which was in the middle of nowhere, with little reputation to speak of. What motivated you to keep your feet on the ground amidst all the ignorance around you?
Was it not in June that you fell ill Mr.Dias? When you were on leave,we got a substitute teacher and things began to change. We no longer enjoyed English class.She taught the subject alright but we could tell she didn't have the passion that you had. She spent time trying to get us to listen to what she had to say rather than having the hypnotic effect you had when you spoke. We knew they could never replace you.
Yours Truly
Balaji

It was a rainy morning on the 22nd of June 2003. The whole school was made to assemble in spite of the drizzle outside. There is a commotion but silence prevails when the Principal begins to speak. "Mr.Thomas Dias passed away last evening after....". A lot was said after that but I really don't remember much of it.She didn't know him like we did.