My India family are actually Scottish. We met in Calcutta where we were all living at the time, but had not at that point become 'my India' family.
I was a dreadful teenager spending a lot of time at the swimming club or over at their house, when I wasn't working.
It was the '60s and we had all left school. The music we had was any album anyone had managed to bring out from the UK, and not having access to a lot of money - let alone internet and iPods - they were not many. I remember the Beach Boys, Sgt Pepper and Their Satanic Majesties were played a lot.
Eventually, and I suppose inevitably, the boys were sent to the UK to start careers. I had taken up with the middle boy by then, and missed him a lot after he had gone.
My parents went on various trips to Kashmir and Darjeeling and I was sent to stay with my future 'India family'. Mum was very much an extra mum to me, and I enjoyed living there.
My India mum was 99 this January. She did not make 100. Her funeral was last week, a moving service with 2 brothers in law each doing their own eulogy. A long wake afterwards with many relatives and champagne and Indian food. She would have been pleased I think.
I was a dreadful teenager spending a lot of time at the swimming club or over at their house, when I wasn't working.
It was the '60s and we had all left school. The music we had was any album anyone had managed to bring out from the UK, and not having access to a lot of money - let alone internet and iPods - they were not many. I remember the Beach Boys, Sgt Pepper and Their Satanic Majesties were played a lot.
Eventually, and I suppose inevitably, the boys were sent to the UK to start careers. I had taken up with the middle boy by then, and missed him a lot after he had gone.
My parents went on various trips to Kashmir and Darjeeling and I was sent to stay with my future 'India family'. Mum was very much an extra mum to me, and I enjoyed living there.
My India mum was 99 this January. She did not make 100. Her funeral was last week, a moving service with 2 brothers in law each doing their own eulogy. A long wake afterwards with many relatives and champagne and Indian food. She would have been pleased I think.
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