This letter has touched me so. The two things that impacted me the most was my
boarding in Mapusa and my ancestral village of Saligao.
Regards,
Lumen De Souza
Larsen & Toubro Limited
www.larsentoubro.com
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>>> Belinda de Mellow <[email protected]> 3/18/2010 5:53 AM >>>
Goodbye Sister Rita Lobo of Lourdes Convent High School and the boarding
mistress of the seventees...I will miss you.
God have mercy...I got such a shock to see the photo of Sr. Rita's in the
Herald newspaper on Mon morning. Sister Rita Lobo is the greatest women of the
entire village of Saligao who looked after over 100's of children each year in
the boarding of Lourdes Convent. She loved all children the poorest and the
richest and the smallest and the biggest. The smalled child was Little Peter
who was the only son and had six sisters. His mother died. He is my cousin.
The oldest was Clara Ben Po who was one of Sister Rita's favourite big child
and Clara helped Sister Rita with the children. Clara from Caranzalem was my
best friend and after one year she finished her school and left. The poorest
child was Susie. She was an orphan girl. The rich girls were all first class
boarders. Sister Rita was on her feet throughout the day 24 hours and she
never had a time to be on her own. All children go on knocking at sisters door
and call out Sister Sister I want this and that. And she echo's I am coming.
And she is out in a second to help children. A very loving mother of the
seventees.
All about Sister Rita and her lifetime with the children...you can find her
everywhere in the boarding looking after each child. At meals you see Sister
Rita with her apron on feeding children who are crying for their parents and
not eating and she is making ladus and balls from the food and putting in
childrens mouths because they are not eating with spoon. She takes their
plates and washes them up in the basin and takes the children to the study room
and opens their books. She teaches children how to learn and takes up
childrens lessons. She taught me how to read and write Hindi and Marathi. And
I am not loving Hindi and Marathi and Konkani till now. Rule is nobody must
speak in Konkani. She brings all the mail down and gives all out and read to
some children their letters and replies for them. She takes the sick children
to the doctor Avelino in Cotula and giving medicines timely and crushing pills
and putting in the spoon for children to swollow who refuse to take full pills
like one is me. She is a nurse dressing wounds and cutting hair and charcoal
ironing uniforms and clothes for children. On Sat's is Dhobi day and Sister
Rita sits on the chair and counts and checks on her log book all in and out
clothes for each boarder. She meets all our parents visiting us and speaks
good of each child to the parents and how proud parents feel. She never would
say your child gave me a hard time. She never would ask any child to bring for
her any gift. She was a simple tall nun in white sari with three lines on it
and always with a big smile on her face. She is my favourite nun and calls me
"Bulu".
She would take us on Sunday walks to the hills and fountain and visit the
semenary on the hill. We would sing songs loudly on the hills and when it
darkens we start on our way home to the school. She took some children like me
to Mapusa and Panjim for shopping and boarder would give her a list every month
for sweets they want and she would buy all the stuff and tick on the list and
return back with loads of bags and distribute them out to the boarders and make
the bills for their parents expenses. I used to go out with her a lot and
carry bags with her. She gives me my treats from my big list I give her.
Everyday she fills my pockets with grams and chocolates and cookies at 4-pm
tea-time from my tins. All boarders take their own tins of sweets and start to
eat with tea and then comes playtime. We eat and play together in the
compound. After the bell rings for rosary and the mosquitos start biting us.
On Sat's after dinner we had musical show with singing and dancing. Some
playing the door drum and I play on my small colour key toy organ. We would
not stop until Sr. Rita walks in and says time for bed. This is our boarding
with Sister Rita Lobo.
The worst time is when there is heavy rain and no lights in the boarding and we
use candles and torches. I walk at night in the dark locking up all doors with
bolts up and down and middle and close all windows with rain splashing in and
switching off all lights when power failure would go on for several hours and
overnight. I secured the boarding all alone in the dark as I never get scared
in the dark. I was the last boarder to sleep at 1am and first to wake up and
ring the bell under my bed after the mass. I had the first bed to the door and
a small one. We all had very beautiful counterpanes for our beds. Nancy and
Audrey known as Nans and Auds had the biggest double bed at the corner end of
the dormetary and Auds the last to wake up and even when I ring the bell at her
ears she is fast asleep. Sr. Rita comes and checks up if everyone has got up
for breakfast and school. Anyone sleeping jumps out. I was the only boarder
who went for mass daily when sick and when well, I am always in the chapel for
mass. Tue was konkani mass. But I am in the mass without understanding
konkani. You will find Alan and Zelio alter boys...my cousins. Sometimes
Uncle Fr. Casimiro the priest when he is on holidays from Bombay. I was at
all holy hours and prayer services in the chapel and on the terrace with Sr.
Jenny and her guitar. The sisters would say one girl will become a nun. I say
no-no-no. I want to be a pilot. I was flying free on BOAC. Sr. Rita used to
take all children going abroad for innoculation to Mapusa and arm swells and
pains for 2-3 days but I am there for all mass and prayer services and school.
Nans sent a message on saligaonet about Sister Rita. Sister Rita was fond of
Nans and Auds. The two sisters from the house next to the Church. Nans and my
birthday are on same day and we have double cake and sweets to give out.
Sister Rita shops special for our birthdays for cake/sweets. Nans aunt Lily
would come to visit us and if Nans is not out would say "Where is my Augusta?"
and go upstair to meet Sister Rita. Augusta is also Nans. My aunts and
cousins also visit us with a present and we love to open up our presents and
all the boarders want to see what we got.
I always visit Sister Rita wherever she went on my visits to Goa. I go to see
her in Bombay and Panjim Institute. She would open all the tins and give me
plenty of treats and tea/juice. Also she would force me to stay for lunch. I
say no-no-no. Mummy made lots of food. She knows my mummy well. She makes
lots of crochet stuff at the institute and gives me crochet gifts and anything
she gets she sends for me parcels. She sent me a parcel and letter and photos
of herself only one month ago and gave it to Uncle Fr. Casmiro and Jenny
brought it for me and she says "now I am back in Lourdes Convent and please
come to see me. I have become old. I want to see you". My turn to reply to
Sr. Rita but she is gone far away and I will never get her again. God Bless
Her and I know she is now in heaven because she was Mother Mary to 100's of
children when she was on the horizon and some children would make mischief and
not obey her and she had to show them a stick. But she never beat children.
She try's to frighten them showing a stick and smiles away. The golden heart
of a nun and she is Sister Rita Lobo.
My friends are Nans and Auds and you will hear about them here. I pause here
and wish Sister Rita a happy life in heaven with Jesus and Mary and Joseph.
Eternal Rest Grant Unto Her Oh Lord, And May Her Soul Rest In Peace...Amen.
This is my reply to Sister Rita's letter after a month to tell Saligaonet the
life of Sister Rita in our boarding school in Lourdes Convent. God Bless
Her...Thank You,
Belinda
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