Light Within

It is April 17, 2011; the thirty sixth anniversary of commissioning of 55 PMA Long Course. On this bright sunny spring day, officers of 55 PMA are getting together at Mangla Lake. Everyone  is welcomed at the Water Sports Club from where ferried to the rafts rocking in the middle of the  Mangla Lack. It is in this milieu annual get together of 55 PMA Long Course was held. Over 80 officers, most of them accompanied, attended the great and colorful gathering.

Over time, 55 PMA Long course has become a closely knit  and linked community. In addition to local chapters' get together at each station (Karachi Chapter is on April 20, 2011) , annual get together is held at different stations where one can see ever increasing spirit, growing relationship and mutually supporting connections at their best.

This time get together was planned at Mangla –  off the beaten track very nicely laid out cantonment. Mangla is at its best at this time of the year. Even Acacia, Kikar and Phulai are lush green at this time e of the year. Visitors get the feeler of a hill station commuting or walking on those undulating paved roads up and down. Driving over Mangla Lake‚ my first sight of the boat (huge raft) anchored in a the middle of the Lake far below (there is a little water in the Lake so the depth looks more) quite took my breath. Pointing hull of the boat lay in pale blue shallows‚ riding on the swell. Even a hardened seaman would have melted at the sight of a creature as beautiful as the beautifully laid out raft. I looked forward to the promise of meeting my old buddies while sailing (call it floating) around the lake.

But I forgot all about the beauty and the environs as soon as a sleek and small boat puttered us on the raft. Among associates of 37 years you become same old self. You start reliving those old moments. You even like those old nicks and jokes which in those days you never liked. And yes, sanity look on from the side.

No one knew how our days ebbed away, an evening anchored beside the quintessential Mangla lake and we (Nadir Mir, Maqsood and I) started back. Hamid (Toni) was singing and it seemed as water and wind‚ hull and rig were singing a perfect note.

Update: The gathering of course mates started at Mangla garrison a day prior to the mega event as some 20 officers and their families from Lahore and Islamabad reached Mangla on April 16, 2011. In the evening they all got together at the garrison Officers' Mess for dinner.