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| Dwayne steps out into the world. |
-Brian Mendonca
When I took Dwayne's pic before he rushed off to school I marvelled at how he had grown. It seemed not a long while ago that I had penned a poem for him with the somewhat banal title, 'To my son of 14 days.' Was that really 14 years ago?
God blessed Queenie and myself with the gift of Dwayne at that time. It was Makar Sankranti. We were in Delhi struggling to make ends meet. I was out of a job and everything seemed a dead end. A few friends stood by our side.
Dad called us home to stay with him in the Fall years and we did just that. Carrying baba (months old) on the Spice Jet flight riled some of our family members protesting he was too young to travel. As it was, the baby slept soundly oblivious to all the chaos he has caused. The whole family was there to welcome us on our homecoming. They lovingly held Dwayne and I decided home was the best place to be.
Dwayne grew up in Vasco playing with the kids in the building. He was a quiet child and apt to be a push over for some of the brats. School was not very pleasant as his teacher was repeatedly hitting him. We had a word with the management citing the RTE act (I had taken along a copy), but pulled him out when they refused to accept their folly.
I stood in the line at 4.30 a.m. for an admission form for him to Class 1 at Don Bosco High School, Panjim. He got in and we made the move from dad's place to our own at Porvorim.
Dwayne made new friends in the society in which we live. He revelled in his new found freedom and the amenities. He swam, played badminton and football. We bought him a cycle.
Showing promise, Dwayne was picked up as an altar server for the Holy Family church and participated in the group's activities like deanery level football tournaments.
He loves watching the smart phone and has his own Instagram account (which I haven't). He plonks himself real comfy on the bean bag and watches videos of football games on our widescreen TV. He likes listening to Avicii (same here) but is lately into Brazilian phonk.
His voice is changing and I wonder if someone has come visiting. When I drop him to school he is usually quiet and not communicative. He has opted for Portuguese (he is in class 8) and loves the language.
He is good at thinking a problem through and can be relied on for advice. A few days ago my car refused to start. He gave me a tip on turning the ignition in a particular manner. It worked. The car roared to life. When we sat for our family tea he even explained why this was possible.
Dwayne went early to hear the 7.15 a.m. Mass which was offered for him at Don Bosco, Panjim. To celebrate the day we went to Copperleaf for lunch and Amavi for dinner. With mid-term exams round the corner he stayed focused on his studies.
Dwayne will find his path in the world. A world different from the one I grew up in, with its own choices and challenges. May God continue to be with this sweet child of mine.
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Updated 19/1/25.
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