Dedications

My Dad was amongst 8 siblings and the youngest. 4 siblings migrated to Malaysia which was the getaway to a better life and prosperity like how it was the Middle East till recently and now the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand

With no technology besides snail mail that too which would be a Christmas Card, was the only connect. Fortunately my Dad worked for an Airline which gave him an opportunity to take my Mum and me to Malaysia. Meeting my cousins who were in their mid 20s and early 30s was a beautiful feeling, and thanks to technology today that helped with a bonding build up. What was surprising to note was genetic characteristics, one of them being exposing Church corruption and poor outreach of the clergy with the laity, which I shared with a cousin of mine. Following is a story he shared of 2 funerals he attended in Malaysia

One was the mother of a friend of his. The loss of a life, even more empty with no relatives or any of the Church groups that came to give the deceased a decent farewell and a dignified burial. My cousin Eric Fernandez a charity activist, went on fund raising spree, and to his surprise was the charity of the Malays and the Chinese. Ashamed at the levels of charity of Indians, he was lucky to have a Chinese NGO provide free hearse transport to the crematorium 

The same day he attended a Sikh friend's Mother in law cremation service. The whole Sikh community of that locality turned up for the final rites. All expenses paid by the community and the Gurudwara. Post the cremation, all those who attended the funeral were served a sumptuous vegetarian meal at the Gurudwara langar (a food surviving ritual to any community that visit the Gurudwara) A service that gave the departed soul a dignified departure and food that satisfied the living souls

My cousin who at the end of the day reminisced the events of the day and felt sad in a life with a  Christian identity and a joy being a Sikh for 2 hours which felt like a lifetime