Celebrating a Diamond Jubilee with my High School Principal

Sunday, January 27, 2019
Bombay

Celebrating a Diamond Jubilee with my High School Principal

     Namaste from Bombay!
     I love Sundays in Bombay!
     I managed to catch the broon man (his bicycle bell is a giveaway) and purchased two loaves from him--they made a good brekkie with spreads: salmon cream cheese, orange ginger marmalade, Nutella and peanut butter--all enjoyed with coffee! Didn't finish all of it as I had to leave for the 9.15 Mass this morning, where I was a Lector and did the First Reading. Fr. Colman (not Fr. Lancy D'Souza) said the Mass. There is comforting routine in the fact that I pick up a vada pau for Russel, then spend about half an hour visiting with him and Dad before I return home.
     Somehow I was not feeling quite fit or energetic today and after spending a little while cleaning my studio, I proceeded to take a much-needed nap. Not too long after, I ordered Chicken Pullao from the Bandra Gym and went off to pick it up when Samir called to tell me it was ready. Lunch with Dad and Russel followed--I took along the delicious Gujarati Undhiya that I had frozen--a take-home gift from my friend Ramita whom I had visited in Alibagh. We had a good time visiting together until I left as Dad switched on the TV to watch the Australian Tennis Men's Final with his hero Rafa Nadal playing Djokovic.
     Back home, I had a swift nap (yes, again!) and then got myself ready for my evening's appointments: I had two things to do--first, a trip to the high school from which I had graduated (St. Agnes' High School) to participate in annual Ex-Students Day and then a visit to my friends Leslie and Sunil Mahtani from Westport, Connecticut, who are visiting India briefly for a wedding in Jaipur. I would be meeting them at Sunil's mother's place in Napean Sea Road just before they left for the airport to board their flight back to the US.
      I was lucky that my friend Beena (who was making her way by bus from Poona to Bombay for the high school reunion) managed to put me in contact with a few of her batch mates from Bandra who were taking a cab to Byculla Bridge and who were happy to offer me a ride. I was supposed to meet them at the gates of Mount Carmel Church from where they would pick me up.
     One shower later, I got myself organized for the big evening ahead and found a rick to get me to the appointed spot. On cue, they arrived by cab and off we went--chatting, needless to say, nineteen to the dozen, as I reconnected with Rita whom I clearly remember as the sweet gal whom my Mum had requested to look after me when I had entered my school bus on my first day in Std. I when I was five years old! Rita had done a good job for that whole year--she was extremely kind to me. But then, with the passing of years, she went on to the senior school while I remained in the primary and she forgot all about me! I did not need any looking after anyway, by that point. In the cab, as I was wearing my dark glasses, she asked if I had light eyes! It is amazing how everyone seems to remember my light eyes! We talked about all sorts of things and then, before we knew it, we had reached our school. I would love to meet Rita again and catch up with her.

A Reunion at my High School:
     My school has an active alumni association (of which I am a life member) that maintains a good emailing list--with so many of us scattered world-wide, it is a fine document by which to connect with each other across the years and the miles. Each year, at this time, to coincide with the Feast of St. Agnes, the Committee members organize a get-together. I have attended a few of these over the years as I almost invariably happen to be in Bombay at this time. This year, I was particularly keen to attend it as we would have the opportunity to meet with our former Principal, Sr. Mary Esperanza, who is usually based in Baroda in Gujarat. Ten years ago, a group of our 'girls' had gone off to Baroda to meet her--that was when the enthusiasm for reunions had begun. This year happened to be the 60th (Diamond) Jubilee anniversary of her taking of Holy Orders and the alumni association wanted to celebrate with her. It was to be a small celebration, but I was happy to attend it for the chance to meet her. A few years ago, I had received a lovely letter from her (which I continue to treasure). I looked forward to this opportunity to renew contact with her. It is still amazing to me how this year in Bombay is providing me with opportunities to connect with my former and past life in the most moving, most meaningful, of ways.
           Sr. Esperanza (we used to call her Espy, for short) was very much present when we arrived upstairs in the school building in which I had also been a teacher (Singing and Music) for 2 years during my undergraduate years at Elphinstone College. I went upstairs and opened the door to the Hall where I used to conduct my Singing classes. But first Espy...There she was, hugging and kissing all the 'girls' who had arrived from far and near. Initially, we were mainly Catholic girls as the evening was supposed to begin with Mass at 4.30 in the School Chapel.
     I went up to her and said, "Hello Sister, I wonder if you remember me..I am Rochelle". And said said, "Of course, I do! How is your Daddy???" Well, My Dad will be most flattered by this as he had said to me, before I left, I wonder if Sister will remember me. I told her he had said so, and she replied, "Well, he was such a smart man! How could I ever forget him?" My Dad had recalled emceeing so many functions for our school, including huge fund-raisers at such prestigious locations as the Shanmukananda Hall, etc. Sister remembered all of that, much to Beena's astonishment, as she happened to be standing near and also knows my Dad well as we had both grown up together in the Reserve Bank Colony where my Dad was a fixture on the social entertainment scene for over a decade. So, I have to tell Dad, that in the few minutes that I managed to get Sr Esperanza's undivided attention, we talked about him! He will be thrilled!
      Mass followed soon after. The chapel was well prepared for the special Mass.  Having heard Mass in the morning, I could not receive Communion again, but I was asked to read out the petitions. That done, we greeted and congratulated our former Principal again. I was pleased to see my friend Marianel had arrived with an old friend (now in Scarborough, Ontario), Genevieve who we all knew as Juju. There were a few of my batch mates too--Iris and her sister Blossom--and some from other batches: Odette, Mini, Vinita and my friend Marian from Reston, Virginia, who happened to also be in Bombay at this time and is flying off to the States tomorrow.
     The lot of us then proceeded to our former school hall where the rest of the evening's goings-on were to be held. The felicitation of Sr. Esperaniza began with Beena being asked to say a few words and they were lovely! This was followed by the presentation of a shawl and flowers. Sister then said a few words to thank us all and told us that when she had requested that a marking of her 60th anniversary should be held at St. Agnes' High School, she never thought that it would turn into this lovely function for which she was very grateful indeed. Her speech ended with a singing of the song 'May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You' which she sang for all of us--her beloved past pupils who continue to shower on her so much admiration, love and respect. I have to say that she looks fabulous for her age and for the knocks that life has meted out--she is a recent cancer patient having had breast cancer and a mastectomy. At 80 plus, she simply rocks! Well done, Sister!
     It seems that a past student of our school has produced and directed a film entitled The Little Violet Blossom and a trailer of that was screened right after. I had to leave by this point as I had to see Leslie and Sunil. So I hopped into a cab (which took a while to get) outside my school gates--it is amazing to me how much Clare Road has changed in the past forty years and now techni-colored the entire street seemed from the vast number of brightly-lit bakeries, confectionary shops, ice-cream shops, etc. that have taken over the street. I was happy to catch a quick passing glimpse of American Express bakery (with its clever slogan, 'We knead your needs' still very prominent). Driving through Nagpada, I was amazed to find St. Anthony's School (where my Dad used to teach Sunday School and I used to attend with him) still standing--the last bastion of Catholicism in an area that has been completely taken over by Islam. My cab tore through bits of traffic on streets dense with humanity and I realized how accustomed I have become to crowds and how easily I can now take it all in my stride. Truly, the transition I have made to this Bombay way of life seems to have been almost seamless.

Dinner with the Mahtanis:
     A little later, I was calling to get exact directions to Purnima, the building on Napean Sea Road in which I'd had dinner with Leslie and her sister Beverley when they were visiting from the States, two months ago.  It was great to see Leslie again and this time with Sunil, her husband, in tow.  They were carrying some items (including my medication) with them and I would be picking it up from them plus getting to see them just before their departure. They invited me to dinner and it was a great joy to meet Sunil's mother again--a lovely graceful Sindhi lady who never fails to invite me to stay for dinner.
     Dinner was simple: dal, rice, roti, paneer, chicken mince with peas with barfi to follow (a typical daily Indian meal). I was happy to sit and eat with Sunil and Leslie and catch up with them. They suggested that I go with them in the Uber they would hail to  the airport. It seemed like a very good idea. A little later, we were joined by Rahul, Sunil's nephew (his bother Narain's son), who is also visiting from the States (Detroit). We had a lovely evening together until it was time to load their suitcases in the Uber--a bit of a production, but load them we did. They dropped me off right after the Bandra Sea Link where I found a rick into which I jumped.
     I got home at about 9.30 and called Dad to tell him I had reached safely.  I was dying for an early night and after a very long time, I decided to switch the light off before 10.00 pm.
     Until tomorrow....