Cheers Dears
By Augusto Pinto
The Old Goans
Dears,
A couple of days ago I decided to visit Uncle. Uncle's actual name is
Tiberiano Ceasar Austinho Nero Souza Nazareth, scion of one of the oldest
and most noble families in Moira. Although his name has a Portuguese twang
to it, Uncle is an out - and - out Anglophile [that means lover of the
British, dears]. That's because he had worked in the British army where he
learnt to love their ways.
He preferred to be called Major Nazareth, but Uncle became his sobriquet and
I was involved in bestowing it upon him. Along with some other kids, [this
is a story of some 4 decades ago] I had been to his house to collect money
for some charitable cause, what I can now no longer remember. Tiberiano was
inside the house. Being old enough to be our father, we stood at his door
and, in the Goan fashion, respectfully called out to him, "Uncle! Uncle!!"
The ex-British armed forces man came out and imperiously looked us up and
down before barking out in a very British accent, "Am I your 'Uncle' on your
father's or your mother's side, you little b."
To understand this behavior, you must know that in Britain if one wishes to
address a fellow being with respect, one either calls him by his first name,
or one uses his surname with a Mister, as in Mr.Nazareth or in Tiberiano's
case - Major Nazareth.
However we kids had no idea about all this, and terrified, we scampered off.
But like little children will do, after that, whenever we spotted him, from
a safe enough distance we would scream, to his fury, "Uncle!! Uncle!!"
That was a story of 4 decades ago. But now I heard Uncle had lost his
fearsome mien, [which I was told was all put on in the first place] for he
was now afflicted by a disease for which there is no cure - old age.
Sometimes old age is not so terrible - and in fact can be very pleasant, for
the patient is both physically and mentally alert, and his maturity is an
asset to the people around him. But there are times, when it comes along
with other sorrows, of which Shakespeare said, "come not in single spies but
in battalions"
Sometimes it is diabetes; sometimes it is cancer; sometimes it is
Alzheimer's; more often than not it is the fact that the ones whom one loves
have gone before you. But any of these can make life miserable, both for the
patient as well as for the care-giver. Except that for Uncle there were not
that many care givers, except a woman from Jharkhand named Marina.
When I went to his house, Marina led me to his bedroom. I said," Hello
Uncle. Oops!!.". With a twinkle in his eye he said," So your rascally ways
have not gone away, have they?" I laughed, "How's life treating you these
days, Major Nazareth?" He replied, "Well as you can see I'm a wreck
physically. But thanks to Marina in whose hands I am, I can say I'm lucky
enough. I know of some others who sleep in urine and feces."
I must have looked shocked, for he continued," I know you find it difficult
to stomach this subject, but it is a fact of life which many of us elders in
Goa have to live with."
I said,"But sir, you have three children to look after you, don't you?"
He laughed. "Three children - yes, but they have their lives to lead. One is
in Canada; another is in the Gulf; and one works on a cruise liner. They are
ready to send me money, but that's not what I need."
"So it is this woman from Jharkhand who looks after you?" "Yes, and I'm very
fortunate to have Marina here. I just pray that she does not have to leave
me and go away. Nowadays getting domestic help is very difficult"
I said." Major Nazareth, don't you find it strange that we live in a country
where people starve because there is no work yet there are no people to help
you, even though you are ready to pay, and pay quite well?"
It was not a question which he had any control over, so he just shrugged his
shoulders with a wry grin.
After my visit, as I went home, I thought to myself that we must begin
thinking about the problems which will arise for our citizens as they
continually grey, even as the younger generation goes abroad, often to do
the same work for foreigners which their parents require to be done for
them.
Till next time then...
Cheers (ENDS)
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The above article appeared in the July 16, 2008 edition of the Herald, Goa
