BOB�S BANTER

When I am dead..!

She had been captain of the Indian women’s hockey team in the nineteen sixties. I had visited her in her home, and very often, she would open her photo album and show me pictures of her receiving the winner’s trophy from the then President V.V.Giri, or pictures of her prowess on the field, or in some foreign land. She had been a centre forward, and from what I had heard, a formidable one. “Bob,” she would say, “That’s me!” And I would look at those pictures and look at her from the corner of my eye; a housewife, broken and sad. A husband who did not love her, a marriage on the rocks! There was no comparison between those pictures and the present woman, and I used to feel sad.
I went to her funeral yesterday. She had been put in an old folk’s home. She had died lonely and dejected. I went, thinking I would be the only person there and had made the journey of nearly two hundred kilometers. My intention had been to walk with her to her grave and cry for an unsung hero.
But there were over two hundred people at her funeral!
Hockey players, teammates, relatives, friends!
I watched amazed as speaker after speaker spoke about her: Her deftness with the hockey stick! Her skills as captain! Her role as mentor to younger players!
I listened to the speakers, I remembered her photo album, her pride as she showed me those pics and as they spoke a tear slowly rolled down my cheek, “Where were you when she needed you?” I whispered silently. “Where was all this praise? Where, these words of appreciation?”
And as I stood silently at her grave and slowly watched the sad, frail body of one of India’s best hockey captain’s being lowered into her grave, the words of a poem forced tears down my cheek,
“ When I m Dead, Your Tears May Flow, But I Wont Know, Cry For Me Now, Instead..
When I am Dead, You Will Send Flowers, But I Wont See, Send them Now, Instead..
When I M Dead, You Will Say Words Of Praise, But I Wont Hear, Praise Me Now, Instead..
When I am Dead, You Will Forget My Faults, But I Wont Know, Forget them Now, INSTEAD…!
When I am Dead, You Will Say I Was Great, If You Tell it Now I Will Feel proud,
So Please Don't Wait, tell that Now, INSTEAD…!”
It was too late, wasn’t it?

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BOB�S BANTER

When I am dead..! She had been captain of the Indian womens hockey team in the nineteen sixties. I had visited her in her home, and very often, she would open her photo album and show me pictures of her receiving the winners trophy from the then President V.V.Giri, or pictures of her prowess on the field, or in some foreign land. She had been a centre forward, and from what I had heard, a formidable one. Bob, she would say, Thats me! And I would look at those pictures and look at her from the corner of my eye; a housewife, broken and sad. A husband who did not love her, a marriage on the rocks! There was no comparison between those pictures and the present woman, and I used to feel sad. I went to her funeral yesterday. She had been put in an old folks home. She had died lonely and dejected. I went, thinking I would be the only person there and had made the journey of nearly two hundred kilometers. My intention had been to walk with her to her grave and cry for an unsung hero. But there were over two hundred people at her funeral! Hockey players, teammates, relatives, friends! I watched amazed as speaker after speaker spoke about her: Her deftness with the hockey stick! Her skills as captain! Her role as mentor to younger players! I listened to the speakers, I remembered her photo album, her pride as she showed me those pics and as they spoke a tear slowly rolled down my cheek, Where were you when she needed you? I whispered silently. Where was all this praise? Where, these words of appreciation? And as I stood silently at her grave and slowly watched the sad, frail body of one of Indias best hockey captains being lowered into her grave, the words of a poem forced tears down my cheek, When I m Dead, Your Tears May Flow, But I Wont Know, Cry For Me Now, Instead.. When I am Dead, You Will Send Flowers, But I Wont See, Send them Now, Instead.. When I M Dead, You Will Say Words Of Praise, But I Wont Hear, Praise Me Now, Instead.. When I am Dead, You Will Forget My Faults, But I Wont Know, Forget them Now, INSTEAD! When I am Dead, You Will Say I Was Great, If You Tell it Now I Will Feel proud, So Please Dont Wait, tell that Now, INSTEAD! It was too late, wasnt it? [email protected]