A searing pain has engulfed me since afternoon after reading her daughter's epitaph for her mom, that had reached me by post today, almost a month late. Laila Samson had passed into the mist of time, in her sleep at about 0700 h on 23 Dec '12 as I gathered much to my dismay, when I spoke to Leela to offer my condolences. My communications have been pathetic and I hang my head in shame on that count!
The first thing that came to my mind was our last meeting on 17 Aug....... I used to look forward to my official trips to Madras because one of the evenings was only meant for her and we used to discuss a variety of subjects during those meetings. And she'd a fund of anecdotes that I never tired to hear. I used to feel thrilled to hear her peels of laughter on my PJs. And it was during that last visit that she had insisted on my having a drink from the stock that her son had left on his previous visit! Was that her way of bidding farewell to me in the true service traditions?
It was during an earlier visit, last year, when she'd asked me as to whether I could write a letter to her. In these days of e-mail and twitter, my letter writing habit had long got rusted but I didn't want to disappoint her. On my return to Kochi, I did manage to write one and it's my hope that she did realise - after reading my scribble - that I could never let her down.
My trysts with Admiral and Mrs.Samson began in the mid '80s while I was posted at Coimbatore and they're staying at Coonoor. For me it was education every moment that I'd spent with them. My companion, during their trips to Bombay, was their lovable dachshund, 'Chhotu'! Subsequently, we've had numerous evenings at their house in Bandra where Mrs. Samson used to rustle up exquisite meals and I used to insist on taking them out to dessert - both of them had a weakness for natural ice creams and we discovered, much to our surprise, that all the three of us had a fondness for the 'sitaphal' flavour!
I could go on and on. But the thought that comes back again and again, is that our bond had transcended over the ages. One's in this world on a pre-ordained script and a goner is one who believes that one's in control of one's life in this world! The soul sheds its identity and moves on to acquire different forms, till it attains the 'universal soul' or god. And the analogy that comes from this belief is that one does come across everyone that one has done business(?) with in one's previous birth(s) in this birth!!
I'm sure that we've had trysts in the past! But in what way, I do not know but how I wish I did!!
RIP Laila Samson. I'm sure you'd be happy wherever you are, in the Admiral's company. Your kindness shall always remain deep within. My salute to the beautiful, dignified and caring person that you were and I shall miss you, every moment, till my end.
Tailpiece.
(a) Wonder what I'll do on my next visit to Madras? Probably, place a bunch of flowers at 'Srinidhi' where I'd met her last. She was simply fond of flowers!
(b) 2012 has been bad. Ten days into the year, my dad had left us and eight days short of the year's end, Laila Samson had left us. When people, dear to you, leave this world your enthusiasm to live diminishes. Is this, then, the beginning of my end?
The first thing that came to my mind was our last meeting on 17 Aug....... I used to look forward to my official trips to Madras because one of the evenings was only meant for her and we used to discuss a variety of subjects during those meetings. And she'd a fund of anecdotes that I never tired to hear. I used to feel thrilled to hear her peels of laughter on my PJs. And it was during that last visit that she had insisted on my having a drink from the stock that her son had left on his previous visit! Was that her way of bidding farewell to me in the true service traditions?
It was during an earlier visit, last year, when she'd asked me as to whether I could write a letter to her. In these days of e-mail and twitter, my letter writing habit had long got rusted but I didn't want to disappoint her. On my return to Kochi, I did manage to write one and it's my hope that she did realise - after reading my scribble - that I could never let her down.
My trysts with Admiral and Mrs.Samson began in the mid '80s while I was posted at Coimbatore and they're staying at Coonoor. For me it was education every moment that I'd spent with them. My companion, during their trips to Bombay, was their lovable dachshund, 'Chhotu'! Subsequently, we've had numerous evenings at their house in Bandra where Mrs. Samson used to rustle up exquisite meals and I used to insist on taking them out to dessert - both of them had a weakness for natural ice creams and we discovered, much to our surprise, that all the three of us had a fondness for the 'sitaphal' flavour!
I could go on and on. But the thought that comes back again and again, is that our bond had transcended over the ages. One's in this world on a pre-ordained script and a goner is one who believes that one's in control of one's life in this world! The soul sheds its identity and moves on to acquire different forms, till it attains the 'universal soul' or god. And the analogy that comes from this belief is that one does come across everyone that one has done business(?) with in one's previous birth(s) in this birth!!
I'm sure that we've had trysts in the past! But in what way, I do not know but how I wish I did!!
RIP Laila Samson. I'm sure you'd be happy wherever you are, in the Admiral's company. Your kindness shall always remain deep within. My salute to the beautiful, dignified and caring person that you were and I shall miss you, every moment, till my end.
Tailpiece.
(a) Wonder what I'll do on my next visit to Madras? Probably, place a bunch of flowers at 'Srinidhi' where I'd met her last. She was simply fond of flowers!
(b) 2012 has been bad. Ten days into the year, my dad had left us and eight days short of the year's end, Laila Samson had left us. When people, dear to you, leave this world your enthusiasm to live diminishes. Is this, then, the beginning of my end?
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