Mama as I sit down to write this my eyes fill with tears. I should have done this earlier, but as I was in shock after you left me so suddenly I was unable to do so. You were the one who brought me into the world and nurtured me and made me what I am. I miss you so much and always will. Memories I have of you are many and space does not permit me to write them all. Thank you for not only giving me a very happy childhood, but for all the sacrifices you made for me.  

 Life was not easy for you and you had your share of ups and downs but you laughed your cares away

When I was around 10 years old you gave up a very lucrative job at Hemas to look after me. However your boss- the late Mr. Moshin Esufally- did not accept your resignation and allowed you to go home daily with me after I finished school and take me for my extra-curricular activities etc. When I was doing my O/Ls and A/Ls you stayed at home from work and cooked all the food I love and took me for my examinations. After I left school and became a journalist and did my Journalism exams whilst working you never failed to read all the articles I wrote for various newspapers and magazines and listened to or watched the radio and Television programmes I worked for. You taught me to follow my dreams and do what I have a passion for.  

You maintained that I got the ‘travel bug’ from your mother- my Archa- and gave me every encouragement to travel overseas widely on my own.  

Did you have a premonition about your death? You latterly spoke a lot about your family and maybe even then you knew that when you are no longer there for me all of them would take care of me and be there for me – my uncles, aunts and cousins looked after my well-being and for this I can never thank them enough. The person you spoke most about was your favourite sibling Podi Mama. You said that as your wedding was the first in the family your parents gave you a wedding you would always remember. And Archa in particular looked into the minute details of the event. As for the other two siblings you said “Dayani and Ano were both sweet as children, but Ano was sweeter.”   

Many are the times you said “I must write to Aiya and ask him whether when I pass away if I could go into my parents’ grave.” You were never able to do this, but I am glad that I was able to fulfill your last wish.  
Life was not easy for you and you had your share of ups and downs but you laughed your cares away.   
What I am most proud of you was that you accepted the Lord as your personal friend and saviour after going to the Livingway Church when your faith in God improved tremendously and we prayed together several times a day. You said towards your latter stages in life that the only place you wanted to go to was Church and eagerly looked forward to it on Sundays.   

I am thankful that I was able to do my best for you and give you all the food you liked to eat and get you what you wanted and feed you, bathe etc. We were very close and you were not only my ‘Mumsy Girl’ ‘Good Girl Mama’ and ‘ Mother Dearest’ some of the nicknames I had for you but also my best friend and confidante.  

You let me go when you had to but pulled me back and was my shelter from the storm when I had to go through some difficult times. Thank you Mama for all the good times. You were the best mum one could have or ever hope to have.  

I try hard to move on without you in the knowledge and comfort that you are now at rest with your Heavenly Father and is watching over me and protecting me. Life without you is not easy, but I know that you would want me to be happy in the knowledge that I have a God who loves me and calls me one in his own family.  
Also someday I know I will be together with you in eternity and this is the comfort and solace that we as Christians have.  

You told me that I must get back to my writing as soon as possible and that I must do what I like. Yes, I have got back to my writing but I never thought that it would be in writing an eulogy for you  
May your soul rest in peace.   
Kshalini Nonis