Ex-Milagres ‘Ghagro Teacher’ Louisa D’Silva a Proud Centenarian

Ex-Milagres School ‘Ghagro Teacher’ Louisa D’Silva a Proud Centenarian

Mangaluru: It is a rare and grand occasion to celebrate a centennial birthday. Living to 100 years old is rare, and it deserves to be celebrated in a special way. If your Mother or Grandma is the woman of honour who reached her 100 years of life on this Earth, it’s always nice to have a celebration which is appropriate for her, based on what she would be most comfortable with, concerning her health and what is feasible. Whether it’s a big celebration with family flying in from all over the country or a low-key dinner with a few family and friends, emphasise the importance of this milestone and how special your Mother/ Grandmother has been to everyone present. And for that matter, this celebration to mark the 100th Birthday of a Retired Teacher from Milagres School-Mangaluru was hosted by her family members, especially Canute and Grace D’Silva, in a grand scale on Wednesday, 5 July at Holy Cross Church, Cordel-Kulshekar-Mangaluru, followed by a fun-and-frolic at Frad Saib Hall nearby-attended by family members, relatives, and friends.

She was a cute little smiling ‘girl’ when she was one year old, and she is a cute little smiling ‘Woman’ on her 100 birthday (on 5 July 2017). While looking at her today one can say that she is a force of a woman. The sparkle in her eyes not dulled by age, but by the old age which is daily robbing her of the memories she has always held so dear. All those years that she has lived on this earth are one heck of a milestone and her spine straightening with pride each time her relatives and friends remind her that she is celebrating her 100th birthday. “Me? 100? Well, I’m pretty good, now aren’t I?” is her reply. And the proud “Young Lady” of the occasion was centenarian Louisa D’Silva, a resident of “Sacred Heart”-Kulshekar, living with her Sister Evelyn D’Silva’s son Canute and his wife, Grace.

While Louisa D’Silva was teaching at Milagres School, she was fondly known as “Ghagro (skirt) Teacher), ” Aunty Lou”; “Bobby Teacher”; and many other names. But let me continue this article by respecting her as Aunt Lou. It was indeed a proud moment for me to meet Aunt Lou, who had taught me when I did my schooling at Milagres School till 5th Std, and it was a proud moment also to meet her Sister Evelyn, (91 years), who taught me at St Aloysius School, Mangaluru, when I studied there from 6th std. Although both the sisters couldn’t remember. but I still remember my two dear teachers and have great respect to them.

It was hard to guess that Aunt Lou had just turned 100 years old. Sitting behind a large frosty well-decorated cake, she was all smiles as she looked around at her Sister Evelyn sitting beside her, other family members, relatives, caretakers, nuns and friends in the audience. “She loved living her life,” Canute chimed. “She still does.” As family and others rejoiced in singing her the birthday song, she looked around the room and had smiles on her face and tears in her eyes. When asked how she felt about turning 100 years old, she smiled and barely whispered saying that she felt tired and weak but happy to be with her family and friends.

Historically speaking, Aunt Lou’s 100 years have witnessed both the World wars, India’s Independence era as well as the metamorphosis from a British reign to an Indian one. Speaking of contemporary birthdays, Aunt Lou shares her birth year with popular figures like Indira Gandhi, M.G Ramachandran, as well as interestingly shares their personality traits. When all those well-known personalities have gone down in history, there is still Aunt Lou with her presence still beholding all those treasured historic moments. She could very well be compared to the Iron Lady of India, Indira Gandhi, considering her strong independent self, a person with an unwavering mind, tough demeanour and the way she dealt with things with an Iron will.

Well, I’m sure you must be wondering what got her going all these years, it could be the Jeera Kashayas (Herbal Concoctions) she took religiously. Just name a medicinal plant, and she knows its uses! And the garden at her residence is filled with medicinal plants, from which she picks her favourites. She is very reluctant to use English medicines, but relied only on Ayurvedic medicines. She also drank tea mixed a ‘Dudhwal’ powder mix, which is a cooling drink. About her personal style, a unique one indeed, everybody knew that Serge fabric black skirt and her stiffly ironed and starched Cotton/ Silk blouse, which could have very well started a trend back then.

About her warm and loving self, it is noted that Aunt Lou was a kid magnet, always entertaining them with her interactive games like ‘Buffaloes Fly’(I’m sure most of her students out there reading this will be able to relate) and her action songs. She has always had that loving streak towards animals and has always welcomed abandoned dogs into her home with a lot of warmth. Her eminence in the field of education can be credited to her penchant for imparting knowledge and discipline in her unique style. She loved her teaching career so much, that she taught for a whopping 48 years, starting at the age of 22 up until she was 70 years, relentlessly focusing on ethics and values she held in high regard.

Even though she retired at the age of 58 the first time, but knowing her ability and the way of teaching, they did not want to let go of her and just to retain her, Milagres school started the Kindergarten classes with which she was involved up to the age of 70. Hence, she spent almost 48 years of her life in teaching. She was well versed in French and was quite artistic as well. Her pupils, as she fondly called them, still remember her teaching techniques and whenever they come to visit, she still remembers them by name! She has taught great personalities during her career as a teacher.

Aunt Lou was appreciated most for the novel way of her teaching, her English and her wit which the students and her colleagues failed to match. She was good at dramatics and was very artistic so much so that she was the most wanted person to make decorations and flower arrangements for functions. Aunt Lou used to care for the sick and would take care of children in the absence of their parents. A religious person that she is, the Divine Retreat Center was her second home. She remained a spinster and dedicated her life in educating children. As a sister, cousin or aunt, the family found her very interesting. She always desired to live up to 100 years and today (5 July) her dream has come true. Her family members reminisce the taste and variety of pickles she used to prepare. She was very creative and good at craft work too. In those times, where decorators were not available, she would make a variety of flowers with paper and beautify the house.

Delving a bit into her lineage, Aunt Lou was born in Suralpady, Mangaluru and her parents are Late Dominic Rosario D’Silva and Late Clotilda D’Silva. She is the second among six children – three boys Ben D’Silva, William D’Silva, Valerian D’Silva-mall three expired- and two two Evelyn D’Silva (91) and Lynette Lobo (83). Interestingly all three sisters are teachers- but Lynette couldn’t make it for the celebration being in Canada. The Church ceremony had the mass celebrated by Fr Victor Machado- Parish Priest of Cordel Church-Kulshekar along with Fr Valerian D’Souza- Parish Priest, Milagres Church, Mangaluru, and Fr G W Vas- Former Headmaster and Principal at Milagres Institutions, Mangaluru. The celebration at the Hall began with prayers led by Fr Victor Machado- and gurkar of Kulshekar Ward Prescilla D’Souza. Grace D’Silva welcomed the gathering, and also thanked everyone for gracing the occasion, including Team Mangalorean.

Dr Christopher C Pais- Prof. in Medicine at KMC, and Hon. Medical Officer at Govt. Wenlock Hospital delivering the toast said, “It’s difficult to raise a toast for a hundred-year-old and I am overwhelmed, because this honour given to me, I am sure, is once in a lifetime. Let’s thank the Lord for all the help he has given Aunt Louisa, for keeping her safe, for helping her do her work all these years, for giving her the strength to conquer temptations and for giving her a caring family and friends. My mother who is 91 has pleasant memories of Aunt Louisa and the time spent at Suralpady along with Aunt Evelyn. The singing, skits, mimicry – you name it and she was at it! Skirt and blouse and her hair in two buns were her trademark.”

“I would never understand why she wore a skirt and blouse when all the other ladies wore a saree in those days. As a little boy, to my understanding, skirt and blouse were meant only for school going girls. For her attire and hairstyle, she was nicknamed “Bobby” by the young boys, after the heroin in the Bollywood film “Bobby”. One day when she was at the bus stop, a group of kids behind started calling her “Bobby” and singing some songs from the movie. Aunt Louisa, knowing that these comments were for her ears, turned round and gave them a fiery look. At this, the boys were stunned and one of them blurted out in Tulu– “Bobby atth marea, indh Bobby na Appe! ( She’s not Bobby, she is Bobby’s Mother!)”

“Yes, we are all privileged to attend a function like this. A great personality that Aunt Louisa is, we salute her as a teacher of teachers, a sister, a cousin, an aunt and a neighbour. She was a shrewd person with unparalleled wit whose faculties were perfect until the other day. When talking about wit, I am reminded of this elderly gentleman who was fishing in a puddle of water outside a pub. “Poor Old fool,” thought the well-dressed gentleman as he watched this old man fish in the puddle. So he invited the old man inside for a drink. As they sipped their whiskeys, the gentleman thought he’d humour the old man and asked, “So how many have you caught today?”The old man replied, “You’re the eighth.”

“All of us have only one life and only one chance to live it to the fullest. Aunt Louisa has lived her life with the strong conviction that serenity and bliss are found in the simple things in life. She is 100, but she has not grown old. Yes Aunty, as the song sung by Nat King Cole tells us, “you will never grow old while there is love in your heart. Time may silver your hair as you dream in an old rocking chair, but you will never grow old but stay like a rosebud in June”. Aunt Louisa, all of us wish you well in the years to come.” concluded Dr Pais.

During the occasion, Canute, Grace D’Silva and their two daughters sang Aunt Lou’s favourite song “Oh Susanna” by Henry Burr (1941), which kind of put a smile on her face and she was blushing with joy. There were a couple of games conducted by the Compere Anil Monteiro, which included a group of men tying “Shendo Knots” to the hair of their wives; and the women later helping their husbands put on the skirts and blouses- to mark the style of Aunt Lou she used to wear. Prizes were distributed to the winners.

Concluding, the life of this centenarian has been infused with discipline and sheer grit. For a woman of the early 1900’s, to brave the tide and choose career and spinsterhood (something that usually came hand in hand) at quite a young age of 26, over what was expected of most Women in the then Society. She remains very composed and has retained the aura of her youth to this very day. But I really do admire the life and characters of Aunt Lou and want to express some of my thoughtful words about her- 100 years of memories and 100 years of life, she has been a very special and surely all honour is due for all the great experiences that life has given her during the past 100 years. She has done more in a lifetime than others can only dream, and no doubt looking at her, one can say, she is the most amazing 100-year-old lady still bubbling with enthusiasm that must have ever known or seen around here.

To all those who came to congratulate her personally on her great and amazing milestone, her presence in their midst was filled with sunshine and smiles, laughter and love. Through her 100 beautiful years, Aunt Lou has brought immense happiness, love, and joy to her family members, dear and near ones, relatives and friends. No doubt that 100 years of life is an incredible milestone, but one should remember it’s not the years in your life that matters, it’s the life in your years. With 100 years of life, love, memories, and blessings with each passing year, she has inspired all her dearest and nearest ones. It isn’t every day somebody turns a century old.

And to those of you in your late 70s or 80s and want to live up to 100, start drinking “Kashaya” like Aunt Lou did or visit Aunt Lou’s house for the recipe. We are glad to note that Aunt Lou who is one of the lucky few- it’s a blessing to have her as our friend and in our lives. Long live Aunt Lou- a centenarian who is much active and energetic than a “College Girl”! Hap…hap…hap..Happy Birthday “Aunt Lou”, aka “Ghagro Teacher” and many happy returns of the day.

Church Ceremony pics by Sharon D’Souza, Mangaluru