The 'Antony' Legend...

A little part of me died today. A little part of me…but large part of my childhood memories. Antony - my much celebrated ‘Butler’ passed away this morning. It’s hard to articulate what I am feeling right now - sad, distant and a constant rush of memories - precious ones!

Why all this fuss? For your domestic help? (A “Butler" isn’t a commonplace term I have come to realize and has a certain level of unfortunate snob attached to it) Well, for one - he was family or maybe even closer. When someone has watched you from the time you were a little girl or waited eagerly to get a first glimpse of the guy you want to get married to and celebrate and mourn all the joys and sorrows in between - aren’t they family? 

One last call will never be good enough! He used to call me every Sunday after I got married- to check on me, find out if I was eating, had slept enough and was taking care of my health. He didn’t call me this Sunday and a fleeting thought passed through my head, and I made a mental note to call him and find out - but never did. And I will regret that all my life. 

I know he’s gone up there to make heaven a more delightful, organized and tastier place! Coz that’s just the sort of thing Antony would do. I feel blessed that our family had the chance to have such a long association with him. He was quite an extra-ordinary personality -from making the world’s best Apple Pie to the only person I have ever known to have made homemade ‘cookies’ for our very priviledged dogs - he always made sure our fussy tummies found their delight (be it for the two-legged creatures or the four-legged ones). He was truly our Mr. Jeeves - he would know how to fix a tough stain, know why certain bugs came at a certain time, predict the weather, know the best spot for the gebras and chrysanthemums, tuck in the most perfect bed or even discuss politics! 

He’s helped us pack our boarding school ‘tuck’ (I bet some courier companies would have benefited from learning his ways), shown us the true meaning and magic of a warm chicken soup, taught us to train a dog (read dragon) and helped draw our attention to the smaller, more joyful things in life - a lady bug, a carefully nurtured baby apple/peach in the garden, the squirrel's nest, a perfectly baked cake, the true ‘aroma’ of freshly baked cookies et all. 

He saw through it all - the crankiness, the wailing me, the fussy eater, the times I used to secretly feed Tuffy half my food, the times I have acted brave about going to boarding school but cried inside the bathroom, hated some company and so used the oven warmth as an excuse to avoid going to the sitting room. He saw it all, knew it all - but never intruded. He played the silent, strong rock! 

I will miss you Antony. The last image I have of you waving Goodbye while we left Munnar is a physically frail you, but a strong-willed personality inside. You have been an experience  - one that no one else will understand. You have and will always be a critical part of our lives.  The Antony Legend will live on... through the stories you left behind, the fond memories and the learnings! 

I know you will meet Tuffy up there (yay)- and that 2 of my fav people will be watching over! 

RIP