A lonely man in a grave yard
I saw him there .....
a lonely man in a graveyard......
at the grave of his dear wife...
He stood there in silence, bowing his head, communing with her...
what he said I do not know,
I stood afar in respectful silence....
He looked around and identified other graves,
wherein rested the bodies of many of his kins people,
his friends and his little son who died in childhood......
His eyes swept over the grave yard
acknowledging them and breathing a silent prayer....
When I came to his house as the bride of his eldest son,
he was a dynamic, healthy and active lawyer, 61 years old...
never was there a moment of inactivity,
he set the house going with morning prayers in the early hours of the morning (a ritual I never dared to miss!).
His life was like clockwork ( he could give the newfangled Management schools a good lecture on Time Management and Finance Management) , and at the end of the day he drew the curtains on the days activities by bringing the family together for evening prayers.
I was in awe of him, not because I was his daughter-in-law, but because I respected him.
His integrity, honesty, and impartiality earned him a lot of respect, (but wasnt good for his profession!).
He was a perfect gentleman... one who kept his word and one who spoke his mind fearlessly and without favour.
He was brought up in the traditions of the Orthodox Church and he upheld his faith throughout his life, worked tirelessly for the Church, and brought up his children in the same religious, traditions and culture.
I used to love his company, because he was a person who was rich in experience and knowledge, and his anecdotes involved eminent people from the secular world and from the Church,
making his conversation all the more interesting.
I was very fond of him, not as a father-in-law, but as a father.....
He was a perfect family man...
No household chore was beneath him, he would willingly lend a helping hand....
He was encouraging and appreciative of an inexperienced (but sincere) cook like me whenever I fumbled with my culinary efforts!
Down to earth and practical, he was never a person who cribbed or found fault, but would bravely move forward in the business of life.
He was generous and sympathetic,
He had a good word for all and a concern for the children.
Whatever charity he did in silence.
He died as he lived, very practically, without wasting any time...
But he did find time to say goodbye to all his friends, to pray and to make the sign of the cross.
In the graveyard.....
I see him for the last time, laid to rest beside his wife......
in the company of all his kins people and his little son who died early in life.
As I travel back, and zoom past all the familiar landmarks, the grief that I had bottled up in me breached the flood gates...the tears I shed was because I knew that he would never be there at the homestead to welcome us, that this patriarchal figure around whom the family used to rally was now only a memory in the snapshot of time......
My heart has treasured all the moments I shared with him, yet I do not know why, the only picture that comes to mind and stays there is the one of
A lonely man in the graveyard......
Note: This is a tribute to my dear Father-in-law who passed away on 15th September 2007
