A gentleman walked
on Jaffa Dr.
23 February will always be a hard day for me, because one week ago
on that day in the early hours of the morning my wonderful brother Eugene left
us for his celestial abode. Celebrate my brain says, for he has gone home to
his Heavenly Father where there is no more pain.... but without him around it's
hard to do so, and the tears aren't dry yet. Then I think of the memories he
left us with and a smile soon lights up my face. Besides being brothers, the
closeness of our ages cemented us together.....helping or defending the other
whenever/wherever was a natural reaction.
Early days/School days
This was played out growing up together in our humble dwelling in
the Railway Quarters in Nairobi, Kenya. We cheered the other in sports,
defending the other when we got into trouble and generally helping out with
school work. In Primary school, I recall being incensed when Eugene was
harshly punished by a certain Indian educated teacher....so upset I was, that I
marched to her office to challenge her! In secondary school, we got in
trouble for overstaying at the local agricultural show and covered for each
other so we wouldn't get into further trouble with mum, for being home
late. For extra curricular activities he persuaded me to join the
'Konkani Club'...what I did not know was, a number of other boys/girls were
also persuaded to sign up, to make it a fun class....Konkani learnt-zip, dance
moves learnt-plenty!
London
Eugene finished his schooling in 1963 and in early 1964 at age 17
he declared he was going off to the UK with his pal Cyril Rebello and they
would be working off their passage on a cargo ship sailing from Mombasa. The
rest of us at home all protested that he was too young to take on such an
arduous journey, but he insisted and mum taking into consideration the
political winds blowing over Kenya gave in. Approx 2 years later he came home
for a holiday and mum was chuffed to see her son smartly dressed in a 3 piece
suite looking very suave and gently spoken....a youngster went out and a
gentleman came back....where ever he went the admirers gathered and I fielded a
lot of their enquiries! I joined him in London in 1970, and there he was
at Heathrow to meet & greet me. He always watched over me and helped me
settle in. He Introduced me to Saville Row, London's bespoke tailoring street,
where he got all his clothing. He told me he was offered a position in Gieves
& Hawkes, a bespoke gentleman's clothing house, but turned it down as he
did not come to London to be a tailor! We lived in Muswell Hill in N London
an aspiring neighbourhood, and Eugene was Mr Muswell Hill....many knew and
loved this charming young man. Many moving on from E Africa stayed with him in
London and were made very welcome. Marriage soon beckoned and soon along
came Karl. And then he was moving on again with his young family to Toronto,
Canada.....I was not apprehensive this time around, after all he was an
experienced man now.
Toronto
I followed in Eugene's footsteps and moved on to Toronto in 1988
with my family and there was Eugene at Pearson to meet/greet me again...again
doing whatever he could to settle me in. He was more settled now, a family man
with another lovely son in tow and yet he found time to achieve an accounting
designation....full credit to you, Eugene!
Eugene was very much like Dad, hard working, always caring and
kind.....though he was steps ahead in his dress sense...and he wore it well!
Many adjectives aptly apply to Eugene...well-dressed, charming,
kind, caring, generous, fun-loving, humorous, readily come to mind.
I watched you struggle in the last few days Eugene and yet you
never complained, instead you took time to tell me you are at the end of life
in an effort to prepare me for the inevitable! Thank you Maureen, Karl,
Gavin and your respective families for doing your ALL for Eugene.
Thank you Lord for loaning Eugene to us, we loved him in life and
will continue to love him in death.
And now Eugene you have gone ahead again. When I make it home I'm
comforted in the fact that in usual fashion, you will be there to greet
me.
Yes indeed, a Gentleman, all suave and debonair walked on Jaffa
Drive.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Eugene for being you.
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