Apuppa

My apuppa(grandfather) passed away this afternoon in Bombay. We all knew he was on his last legs but it was a thought I did not want to accept. He had a nasty fall and his frail body could not keep up with his active mind and recover. I know he suffered in hospital this last month, for a man who has never spent more than a few days of his life in hospital being on a ventilator with numerous tubes stuck to his arm must have been scary and difficult to cope with. He was mobile and active till his fall a month ago albeit a little frail. Finally this afternoon he stopped fighting and let go. He died peacefully at the same hospital where I was born.

I wept this morning when my parents passed on this news to me. I wept with relief that he was not suffering and he had gone to a better place peacefully. I wept because I will be in Bombay next Sunday and I wont get a bear hug from my short frail apuppa. I wept because I had lost my biggest supporter, in his eyes I was a superstar. I wept because my mother had to watch him suffer for a month and I was not there to help. I wept for two children who have lost a father and four grandchildren who have lost an apuppa. I wept for my grandmother who will be lost without him even though this may all take a little while to register. Old age can be cruel when you have an active mind but your body gives up. I don't think any of us can complain about his life, he led a good life, he achieved so much in his life to make us all proud and be an inspiration and at 89 years of age his life was long and fruitful.

I wept because I wanted to see him for one last time. I know he is looking out for all of us from a better place. In true apuppa style he has asked for his ashes to be spread at the Gateway of India in Bombay a city he loved.