Today is IS’s father Sulaiman’s 101st birth anniversary (April Fool’s Day!). Since I’d never met him I asked IS to write a piece for me, which is below.
Considering he passed on over 42 years ago (when I was 15), memories are few and far between … more so since I was in boarding school from 13 so we were not even together much of the last 2½ years. The last year he was in any case mostly in hospitals with cancer. Anyway, I’ll try and steer clear of biographic details and keep this tight, here goes.
My Baba. At least until Vietnam, where we heard of a gentleman named Mr. Hui! Both of us were so tickled by the sound of the name that we promptly re-named each other ‘Buibui’.
His love for the ‘hots’ in life was legendary … while much was whispered about the loves in his life (before he met my mother, I hope!), his penchant for taking on the hottest food / chilies were legion, I’d bet he could have set many World Records; Tabasco sauce on the dining table was more normal than a salt cellar.
Watching him tackle a fried egg on toast at the breakfast table was a life-changing experience … carefully arranged sunny side up (with soft yoke), topped with slices of the most fiery chili peppers available. First thing in the morning you’d be treated to the sight of his face getting redder and redder, his grin getting wider, tears streaming from his eyes, and sweat from his scalp! Priceless. Driving hard with knife and fork for his next mouthful. A final sweep with a piece of toast, mopping up the spillage, yolk/chili from the plate.
A really handsome man. Ambassador of India. Full of life and the good things. Work hard, play hard. Great values. His lovely circle of strongly loyal friends (who knew him as Suli). His wonderful sense of humour. His laugh. Amazingly contagious. At full throttle it would work up into a series of wheezes so hilarious that to hear him would be to start laughing yourself even if for no other reason. With him jokes sounded so much funnier …
His whistle. He had a couple of favourite tunes, the one I recall most being one I managed to put a name to just last week through an web search; Terry's Theme from Limelight, one of the top tunes of the 50s. Turned out to be titled ‘Eternally’, composed by Charlie Chaplin, with first line of the song: "I'll be loving you eternally ..." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk0mdW-j9VQ. As someone said, Music is a connection to people who’ve gone ....
He wrote a lot, mostly regular long-hand, but there are notebooks filled with lines of symbols looking like Greek! Seriously, like Ø, Ω. As soon as I get a chance I intend sitting down and going through them, and hopefully break his code!
His famous long-standing brush with babudom and the peculiar politicians in charge of External Affairs in Delhi who he was answerable to … and eventually forced to bow to, resulting not only in his own sad, funny (unfinished) musings titled “The Straight Saits in Dire Straits”, but I feel sure, also in his illness and untimely death at 58. Fought and laughed through all his pain, all the way till the end.
They truly don't make many like that anymore. He must be out there somewhere, I really hope I can meet him again and get to know him better in the next phase.
This was just wonderful. And what an adorable photograph.
ReplyDeleteWould love to hear regularly from IS too:)