Gracinda Braganza ( written Ce' Cidilla Ah' for za)
Was my class teacher in St. Xavier's High School, Moira, pre so called
liberation of Goa circa 1959-60 when I was in the Eight Standard..
Needless to say that we all loved her friendly and motherly attitude.
I was answering the 8th. standard exams in 1960 and the paper was Science &
Hygiene. And there was this question: "write a note on 'the stomach' . This
stomach was parroted to the nth extent and it was a joke to put it down. So
this guy takes time to draw a beautiful stomach, one that anyone with a lack
of digestion will envy, and started writing: The stomach is an....... full
stop. Mrs. Braganza was strolling the examination hall peeping into the
papers. On her second round, she couldn't see no addition to the 'The
stomach is an.... on the class monitor's answer paper and sweating . The
next round, she nudges her pet boy and asks "what is wrong? why aren't you
writing?.. others are way ahead. A pitiful look at the class teacher's face
and...'Teacher! I have forgotten what it is.. She quickly moves around,
peeping into the papers of others, comes back and says "you idiot.. it is an
oval shaped bag... and she moves off. On her next round, she peeks into
this boys paper and sees the page turned over. She turns the page back to
see that the STOMACH was not only fully functioning, but beautifully
digesting the food with the boy well onto the the next question.
I stood 2nd. in the class that year but having failed in the PRIMEIRO GRAU
( I don't really know why) I had to repeat the class. Being very assertive
and adamant, I had refused to sit back in the class and instead enrolled
myself into the Aula Portuguesa to complete the Premeiro Grau. June came
and I was not found in the school. My mother was called. She was told that I
could attend 9th. standard. Maybe they knew that the Portuguese had not much
time left to be in Goa. But I refused. 1962 June saw me in the 9th.
standard, the Portuguese having flown back to Lisboa, taking their Premeiro
Grau with them.
A few years ago, I did make it a point to visit her along with my wife ( who
was also her student) while she was bed-ridden. I did not have the heart to
visit her again to see her suffering. Praise be to her children who took
care of her until the end.
I always scan the HERALD's obituary page first. Today was no exception. But
somehow I missed Grancinda Braganza. I was in Mapusa doing my usual chores,
when I got a call from my Party's Youth Wing leader asking me why I was not
there for the funeral. My question to him was " whose funeral?" He said
Adv. Zito Braganza's mother. It was already past 5.20 p.m. Thank you, I said
and a rocket flew to Moira, to reach back to Mapusa Church to see the worst
traffic jam. Half-hazardly parked my aviator ( which I found fallen on it's
side when I came back) Bastora end of the Mapusa Bridge, practically ran to
the cemetery, dozzing the cars and two wheelers, put a handful of mud on my
favourite class teacher's grave and shook hands with her family, with a
dear hug to my friend Miguel. BTW Miguel was a two or three year old toddler
that we in the SSC were playing with.
Good Bye, dear Teacher. You will alway live in this boy's memory. Thank you
so very much for giving me sound basics that perhaps GOA is going to benefit
from.
Hasta la vista.
Until we meet again.
Cheers
floriano
goasuraj
9890470896
www.goasu-raj.org
