Bon Voyage , Sailor man

As the old man lay there,

undisturbed by the wailing of his grievers,

my father rubbed ghee on him.

On his stomach , hands , legs and face as father rubbed ,

Pray for his peace , he told me wisely.

He continued the rituals meticulously,

having gained unfortunate proficiency in them,

for he had done so twice in the past for his own parents

and was now doing it for the man who loved him as his own son.

I stood there quietly looking at the old man,

True I did not know him long, for I was born, not long ago,

But our bond was forged with love that could withstand generations.

Dadu , I called him but he preferred sailor man,

And captain he would call me.

A veteran of the seas for forty five years,

he would enthral us with tales beyond our wildest imaginations.

His adventures would make us laugh , curious and amaze us to great extents.

The mysteries of the Amazon , the beauties of Europe , the exotic islands of the Caribbean

We had seen them all by his words , a fact he took great pride in.

Not only would he tell us stories , but also educate us about different cultures

The tea ceremonies of China or the pinatas of Mexico , the sailor man told us about them all.

As my examinations would end , I would be found only at his house,

Play acting as the captain and him as my sailor man ,

Together we had so many adventures the world would never know about.

We can take on the world captain , he would often say,

Not anymore sailor man , for you have abandoned the ship,

Unable to mask it any further , I finally let my tears free.

As I sat crying in a corner , my father comforted me,

He will meet his relatives now , His parents , he told me.

As my tears ran abundant , I wondered

What if they did not recognise him , for they hadn’t seen him old

Would the sailor man be alone in his new quest,

My heart pondered in sorrow .

As the old man was lifted in the plane of the incinerator,

I noticed the same had been done in the one adjacent to us.

A smaller one , a younger one , lay peacefully with his eyes closed

As his relatives wailed him farewell in despair.

 I quietly slipped into there with no one noticing my presence

And whispered so that only he could hear.

Friend , I said , please look after my dadu , be his captain in his new adventure.

As both of them moved towards their final journeys , their final sails ,

I could only think of a phrase ,

The old man had learnt it when he was in France,

Bon Voyage,

Bon Voyage, sailor man.