-Brian Mendonca
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| Dad's grave, now someone else's, St. Andrew's church, Vasco |
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| Temptation restaurant, Vasco city |
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| Mutton kheema, paratha, Vasco city |
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| Vada pav cart near Tilak maidan, Vasco |
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| Darshan at Sai Baba temple, Vasco |
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| Amul kiosk, Vasco |
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| Vasco station |
Since we were on vacation owing to the National Games in Goa, going over to Vasco for the cemetery Mass was something we looked forward to on All Souls Day, i.e. November 2nd. It was more poignant this time as dad no longer had a grave to his name. The skull and a few bones were all that remained of him (and mum) in the family niche. As we looked on in disbelief at the grave we once prayed over - and which was now occupied by someone else - I was wondering how much more ignominy dad's body would have to endure. The strains of Jesus Benditus - the Portuguese hymn for the dead - filled the air.
Thankfully, the city welcomed us. After Mass we had mutton kheema at a place once owned by confectioner Peter Pereira. Dwayne was keen on the chicken rolls at Temptation and so we headed there. As I parked the Santro (dad's car) I heard the strains of devotional music being played at the Sai Baba shrine opposite. Being a Thursday a number of devotees had gathered for darshan. People also lined up for the free food that was being served. One tipsy gent wobbled on his feet and down he went - plate and all.
A short distance away was the railway station. In the half light - it was around 9 p.m. I noticed hordes of people waiting for the 17310 Vasco-Yeshwantpur Express due to depart at 10.55 p.m. These were the poorer class of people, their brows creased with worry of what the next day would bring. One of them had both of his legs amputated as he stretched out on a grimy chaddar (bedsheet) on the road. Another family shared their dinner of boiled potatoes on the road. This was the real India.
As the blood-red moon moved in ascendance we turned our wheels homeward. A vada pav was a must at the vada pav cart near Tilak maidan. The gent did not recognize me but he used to when we were living in Vasco. He survived a heart surgery and he and his wife still stand at the side of the road selling vadas. While I was there, a Kadamba bus stopped and the driver asked for his ros omlette.
In our final lap we raided the Amul kiosk after Goa Shipyard and each of us licked our favourite ice creams. Mine was the Rasberry duet which I loved ever since I was a school boy in Don Bosco, Matunga.
I am reminded of Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol's novel titled Dead Souls (1842). Sometimes we live in the dream state between the living and the dead trying to make sense of the present.
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Pix taken by Brian Mendonca at Vasco, Goa on All Souls day, 2 November 2023. Updated 3/11/23.
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