Uncle Frido was a cheerful and jovial man who loved to make fun of me, right from the time I was 15 years old. Like many of Bombay's Catholics, he was a huge hockey fan. If anyone had a typical Bandra accent, it was him. No afternoon was complete for Uncle Frido without his copy of the Mid-Day and an evening would not be the same without a particular type of bread from a nearby bakery.
He rode that bicycle of his on the crowded streets of JVPD, even the day before a massive heart-attack ended his life. That same old bicycle was parked in the corridor before the entry to his house. I froze when I saw it yesterday. Could I walk into that house and keep my emotions in check?
Memories from the glorious days of the early-to-mid 1990s rushed through my system. As hard as it is to believe for me now, I was once this annoying 15-year old kid, living in a city called Bombay after having been raised in New York. In 1993, it seemed like just about everybody in Bombay watched Santa Barbara and the Bold and the Beautiful on tv. The only cars on the roads were Ambassadors, Premier Padminis and Maruti 800s. The "big shots" had their Contessas.
There was actually a beautiful roundabout circle at the area still called Juhu Circle. It had a very nice fountain and a very posh look. People still referred to the area around Shopper's Stop in Andheri as "Amber-Oscar" as the department store came up where there once existed a cinema theatre by that name. There was something very different about all of Bombay in 1993. Yes, it was already crowded by then and polluted as well, but courtesy was an integral part of a Bombayite's character. This city was known for its large number of gentlemen. Uncle Frido was definitely one such gentleman and for me represented all that was good about the Bombay that I once knew.
As I stood at the cemetery by the St Joseph's Church in Juhu, I said goodbye to someone who loved me and wished me well like few other people in this city did. A bright and sparkling light has gone out of our lives.
Rest in Peace: Frido Martin Perreira. You were loved and will be terribly missed by a countless number of people.
He rode that bicycle of his on the crowded streets of JVPD, even the day before a massive heart-attack ended his life. That same old bicycle was parked in the corridor before the entry to his house. I froze when I saw it yesterday. Could I walk into that house and keep my emotions in check?
Memories from the glorious days of the early-to-mid 1990s rushed through my system. As hard as it is to believe for me now, I was once this annoying 15-year old kid, living in a city called Bombay after having been raised in New York. In 1993, it seemed like just about everybody in Bombay watched Santa Barbara and the Bold and the Beautiful on tv. The only cars on the roads were Ambassadors, Premier Padminis and Maruti 800s. The "big shots" had their Contessas.
There was actually a beautiful roundabout circle at the area still called Juhu Circle. It had a very nice fountain and a very posh look. People still referred to the area around Shopper's Stop in Andheri as "Amber-Oscar" as the department store came up where there once existed a cinema theatre by that name. There was something very different about all of Bombay in 1993. Yes, it was already crowded by then and polluted as well, but courtesy was an integral part of a Bombayite's character. This city was known for its large number of gentlemen. Uncle Frido was definitely one such gentleman and for me represented all that was good about the Bombay that I once knew.
As I stood at the cemetery by the St Joseph's Church in Juhu, I said goodbye to someone who loved me and wished me well like few other people in this city did. A bright and sparkling light has gone out of our lives.
Rest in Peace: Frido Martin Perreira. You were loved and will be terribly missed by a countless number of people.
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