Friend, Philosopher and Guide

I miss appan. Each time I see his photo or think of him, I feel an emptiness that is deeper than anything I have ever known. I still cannot understand how he could just go off like that, away from us never to come back. Just stop living just like that leaving us all so bewildered and alone. When he was around we took him for granted but now that he is not, I don’t know whom to turn for each little thing.

In Libya once appan took us to the Grand Hotel on the marine drive, it was newly constructed and he did part of the designing. It was very expensive and he bought ice creams for us. The ice creams came in oversized silver bowls and there was so much that we struggled to finish it. In the end it brought on a fit of coughing that stopped only after we had downed glasses and glasses of warm water. Every Thursday we used to go out for drives, just long drives around the city and then eat out and come back home late ready to pop into bed. One of our favorite foods was Harees, we did not know what it was called then and we named it Pizza. We sometimes had grilled chicken, which we nicknamed rotating chicken. Often his company would take them on picnics on farms and orchards and he came back laden with the choicest nectarines or whatever other fruit was on offer there. Once he came back with a new idea, the Libyans ate bread dipped in olive oil and soon he made us eat that way and he did the same for some time after that. He was always ready to try on new ideas and ever open to new thoughts. He was a great man, the greatest father. We have been lucky to be born to him.