Of mothers I admire
I didn’t get a chance to get to know my mother-in-law. From all the stories I have heard about her, I know she was a force to be reckoned with. Sifting through drawers and hundreds of scribbled notes and diaries after her passing gave me a glimpse into the woman she was—a way of spending some additional time with her, perhaps. The second eldest of all her siblings, Fatima Rodricks was fondly thought of as “small mama” in her Mazgaon neighbourhood. She is survived by her elder sister, a younger brother and twin sisters. If you ask them, they always turned to her for advice, gossip and general commentary on how to live their lives, which shouldn’t be surprising considering what she did for a living. A secretary at first, she was promoted to office administrator soon enough. And although she never really liked her boss—a truth she told me on multiple occasions—she didn’t let it affect her work ethic. I remember the first time my husband—then boyfriend—brought me home to meet his mom. She ...