Annie's father passed away last week, September 10 to be precise. For someone I had known to an extent, I felt sad that he had to go so soon, so unexpectedly. When I spoke to her some days back,she said it was out of complications from diabetes. He was hospitalised for a couple of days - he had a stroke, hemorrhage and a cardiac arrest, if I remember right.
He was a familiar figure in college, teaching as he was in the Lab Technology dept of the MCC's Continuing Education stream. He had a smile and a mirthful way about him especially when he greeted us, Annie's classmates.
One of my everlasting memories of him is sitting with him on the steps of Loyola college and chatting as we waited for my brother who was taking a BBA entrance examination there. It was Robin's first trip to Chennai, and Annie's parents had heeded my request to accommodate him with them for 2 days. Uncle offered to accompany us to the college as we were not familiar with the city areas of Madras. He regaled me with a lot of stories from his life as we waited outside the exam hall for 2 hours, I think.
I also travelled with him and Annie in my only trip in an unreserved train compartment to Kerala. It was during the MCC unrest/strike days when college was closed and he came to my hostel to find out if I wanted to join them on that train journey to Chengannur. It was an uncomfortable journey, but Uncle's presence made it easier for us.
I was an occasional visitor to their house in Tambaram where I loved to play with his dogs Ruby and Sophie. The dogs had a free run of the house, and the fat labrador Ruby would go to Uncle's room as he took his afternoon siesta. Sophie the black mongrel would sit like a human on the cane chair and yawn loudly.
I remember him telling me that he had met his wife for the first time on his wedding day at church! Aunty was a quiet and loving person, who seemed like the rock behind him. Marriages of our parents' generation were like that - silent and solid where the wife quietly saw to it that her husband's needs and likings were humoured. May God give her strength to cope with his absence. May Annie and her brother also be comforted in the thought that her dad is in heaven with the angels.
