Random Memories: Dorval airport, coming out late at night after an exhausting journey. Wondering who I’ll see or whether I’ll have to get to Sauvé house on my own. Lots of faces I don’t know, but one head above all the others – our very own BFG (Big Friendly Giant) Jim… Jim and Nancy’s house by the lake, energetic scholars of the first batch having a relaxing weekend, playing drinking games, doing ridiculous stuff in the house and garden and beyond (“I support President Bush and the War on Iraq!!”), beginning to get to know each other and our hosts. One person decides to go out in a kayak on the lake, others feel she may be slightly intoxicated and worry for her safety. Jim goes after her in the motorboat. “Its not fair,” she exclaims. “I want my human rights!!” Jim calmly replies: “This is a communism, you have no human rights.” The kayak is pulled back to shore, along with the indignant kayaker… Jim to us one evening, several weeks into the programme: “You guys need to organise taking the garbage and recycling out every week. I can’t keep coming over at 6am to do that!” We didn’t even know he had been doing it… Language lessons among scholars, yes we learnt a lot from one another!: “How do you say bitch in your language?” “In Arabic its kahba.” Enters Jim. “Ah, here’s Jim, how are you? So good to see you. You are like our father now. Saman, how do you say father in Urdu? “Abu.” “So he is our Abu Jim.” “Hi, Abu Jim!” Abu Jim looks on with a mixture of amusement and confusion. “Are you sure that’s what it means?” “Yes of course, Abu means father.” Jim does not look so sure, but the name sticks… A winter weekend at Abu Jim’s house. Toboganning, sledding, sleigh-riding, skiing, snow-shoeing – in short all imaginable winter activities made available for us to enjoy. Add to that a warm house – no, make that a warm home – with a gorgeous fire in the fireplace, pretty rooms with princess beds, delicious food shared at every meal (remember your napkin-holder!), ghost stories by the fire, playing with bear-dog, snow-woman, filming the scream and Abu Jim’s crucial role in it… The skiing trip – yes, that too is a memory. The billion and one times I fell in 3 days, all the muscles I never knew I had but discovered when they started to ache, the purple bruises, the trauma of losing Sherry and the relief of finding her, the tyranny of Bill (and his food too!), Malcolm prostrating before Abu Jim, the mouse in the lodge (or was it a rat?), most of all Abu Jim’s sincere concern and sympathy which made me want to cry even more than the pain. It was truly an experience that bonded all of us. And Abu Jim led us through that with his gentle care and strong support. Solid as the mountains, deep as the lake, gentle as a deer… Washington trip. Our driver is Pakistani. Abu Jim asks him to identify which scholar is from Pakistan. He can’t really tell, and to confuse him even more, Sandra has learnt and practised: “Mera naam Sandra hai. Maaf karein, sharam aatee hai!” (My name is Sandra. Please excuse me, I'm shy!) Abu Jim sits in the front of the minivan and has a quiet conversation with the driver. When we get off, he gives me a look, tilting his head, a bit disturbed. “I asked our driver what Abu means, I told him that you guys call me Abu, and he started laughing. Be honest, what DOES Abu mean?” in other words: You guys are making a fool of me! “Honestly Abu Jim, it means father. Cross my heart!” Abu Jim has his doubts! And he continued to have doubts for some time… I’m not sure when exactly he was satisfied that it does mean father. Perhaps it was when he saw my film in which a girl child recites the poem “Abu mujh say pyaar naheen kartay.” (My father does not love me.) But it did not matter to us as we had adopted him as our Abu. The name resounded so well and suited him to a tee. And he and Nancy took us crazy young people under their wings as if we were their own children. I have never seen another such example of unconditional, unending, unselfish love – a love that is happy to be able to give and views the ability to give of itself as a wonderful return, not asking for anything more.