Vickey's last journey.

     By 1330h, the prayer led by the Bishop had begun and there was a huge crowd in attendance.

Vickey, all decked up in her finery, was at peace and lying in state in the idyllic forecourt of Ike's 

house. On behalf of all of us, classmates, a clutch of flowers was placed on Vickey with the words, 

"SSKZM's class of '72"(as none of the wreaths on order matched my expectations). Ike looked 

calm and composed but he too broke down as he placed his last kiss on her brow. I could just stand 

there, watching helplessly, trying to share his grief. Their children, Elizabeth and Joseph Ike showed 

remarkable restraint all through the afternoon. However, the most poignant moment was when the mothers - Ike's and Vickey's - bade their farewells. I don't think there were any eyes that weren't moist then(I remembered a piece of conversation that I'd with her, sometime back, when I told her that she'd attain heaven for looking after her mother and mother-in-law to which, her answer was a high octane laughter).

 The church and the cemetery had an idyllic setting. After a short mass, the coffin was lowered into the 

family crypt and I'd joined the family in the customary sprinkling of incense/mud over the coffin. 


Victoria D'Souza Isenhower had passed into the mist of time, leaving us with a host of fond memories, sometime between 1430h and 1500h. 

Tailpiece. 


On return and on reaching my place, I'd hugged Lekha, which was quite uncharacteristic of me and elicited
an immediate retort from her, "cut the crap".