The Sound of Music

Josephine DaCunha goes down memory lane at Regal Circle where the Majestic hotel now houses legislative assembly members, the Waterloo mansion is now the Indian Mercantile building, and Regal Cinema, one of Mumbai's most famous Art Déco buildings, is still Regal Cinema.

Rufus and Josephine DaCunha had stepped off the footpath to cross the road when Rufus sat down. The smells wafting across took him down memory lane to the time he had first seen a cat corner a rat down in a street gutter. His memory of the excitement he had felt was still palpable even though he had not been able to join in the chase that day because of the collar around his neck and the chain to which it had been attached. Today, he was older and wiser, less inclined to jump headlong into such shenanigans, the leash still attached to the collar around his neck.

Josephine DaCunha came to a halt as well and looked up to see a larger than life image of Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music skipping on the marquee of Regal Cinema just as she had done the first time oh so many years ago. Magical memories of that first time engulfed Josephine as she stood still re-living them, watching them unfold in front of her mind’s eyes.

That was the year Josephine Pereira from Ponda, Goa, became Mrs. Josephine DaCunha, wife of Desmond DaCunha, seaman first class, posted at Mumbai. They had walked hand-in-hand from their tiny quarters near the Afghan Church into the magical world of Regal Cinema, complete with its heavy deep red velvet curtains and elegant chandeliers. It was the first time either one of them had dared to spend so much money for balcony tickets. Each thrilling minute had been worth every paisa of it.

That was also the year they went to Lonavala for their honeymoon. The train weaved its way past the hundreds of waterfall that had suddenly come alive in the ghats with the monsoon rains. Lush green hills lined their path from Karjat all the way to the magical, mist laden hill station town of Lonavala. Her red pinafore dress, just like the one Maria wore, was soaking wet when they finally found their hotel after wandering up and down the grassy hills of Lonavala, laughing and squealing in delight as they exulted in the start of their new life and their new-found freedom to do as they pleased.

Life had continued to be wonderful after their twins, Amelia and Eric, were born. One year Dezi had borrowed his Commanding Officer’s Standard 10 and all four of them had gone for an all-day picnic to Aarey Milk Colony. Dezi in his starched white shirt, as handsome as ever, Amelia and Eric dressed up as Kurt and Lisel, Josephine in a pale blue printed cotton sun dress. They had spent the entire afternoon laughing and playing around the trees, boating in the lake, sitting on a bright yellow bedsheet dotted with tiny green leaves and little red flowers eating chicken sandwiches and drinking lemonade. Her memories of that day were now fuzzy but still happy, just like the black and white photos Dezi had taken with his prized Rolliflex camera.

Amelia was now teaching at the IIT. So close to where they had spent that magical day. It was all different now. Still beautiful, not that far out of the city, but not the same. Even life was not the same. It had stopped being the same the day Dezi passed away suddenly in the prime of his life before the doctors could find out what was wrong. Mercifully, he did not suffer long. He just lay there with a smile on his face, joking and telling tall tales right to the very end, still young, so full of life.

When she got a job to work as a secretary at Wockhardt Ltd., she never thought it was something she could do, leave alone so well. Everyone at work thought she had studied in a foreign secretarial training school. Her job changed her life. That and the kindness of neighbors, friends, and strangers. Especially Amar and Shanti Pai, who had taken care of the twins when she had to work late. Now even the Pais were gone. First they retired and moved to Poona to live with their son, then she heard they were both no more.

Both Amelia and Eric kept in touch with the Pai children. Nitin Pai’s son always talked of going to Montreal to live with uncle Eric and aunt Gita. He was just one year older than Eric’s son, Hari. Eric and Gita had been so careful picking a name that pleased both sides of the family. Hari or Harry, it didn’t matter to Josephine. She was his avo no matter what and she would love him forever and always.

Just like she loved Amelia even though she did not understand her much. What would be the harm if she was a little less outspoken and a little more private? She and her partner, Mary, had gone off to a conference at the University of Basel where Amelia was presenting a paper. After the conference, she and Mary were going to go the Salzburg music festival. When Amelia had come to drop off Rufus, she had promised she would hike up the hills of Werfen, go on the Sound of Music trail, take lots of pictures, maybe even pick an Edelweiss to bring back home.

Josephine gradually became aware of the sounds swirling around her. Rufus was whining and pulling at his leash. People were everywhere. Walking, talking loudly, eating, standing in line for tickets, rushing off somewhere, anywhere. Traffic flooded out from all the streets to join the flow of buses, taxis, and other vehicles making its way around the circle, horns blaring.

“Madam,” said a soft but insistent voice beside her. It was a singwallah in his lungi with one hand holding the basket on his head and the other clutching the stool, gingerly shepherding Rufus, “madam, please go back, stand on footpath only.”

“Heavens!”Josephine exclaimed as she stepped out of the way, back on to the footpath.

“It’s almost noon,” she said in amazement. “Where did the time go?”