In keeping with the truth and tales your parents have told you about the Carrasco Family, let me add my own version into the mix!
First off your grand father, Amaro, was NOT a pioneer! He came to Uganda, when the railway was all completed and the lions had eaten enough Indian workers! Instead I think he travelled first class by rail to Nairobi, whereupon Principe's father, for whatever reason decided he should settle in Uganda! And just think about it, if he had to say no, we would not have been kicked out of Uganda and scattered around the world. Instead you all would still be living in Nairobi - puffed hair style and a Goan/Indian/head shaking accent to suit, going to the Goan Institute and thinking life was heavenly - OMG.
Then there is this story that your ancestry home, in Kampala was "Hotel California" - well there is some truth to that. First of all we did not own a home - we rented all the way! All eight of us lived in two rooms, sort of like the Dubai construction workers. Many passed through its doors, ate, slept but few left any tips - some were and still are a bunch of cheapskates - but others are truly great family friends, worhty to be called friends of the Carrasco Family. (Hummmmm you guys are waiting for me to name names eh!!???.... lets keep it a mystery!). Mai served as supreme general from 1962 to 1972 - actually if you could have seen her at work, you all would be proud of her work ethic. No one save for yours truly works like she did - it is the one thing that makes me extremely, extremely proud of her. Her customers and her workers loved her. She also treated the African workers with a lot of respect and trust, at a time when most people used to do the opposite. Her open house was a testimony of her generosity, despite the fact that some of us, especially U. Malcolm brought home strays, unannounced, regularly for Saturday afternoon lunch. How she reconfigured her life knowing your grandfather was going to retire a pauper, is testiment to her business savvy and smarts! For these lessons in life, I am so very indebted to her.
I have some memories of Papa - he died when I was 11 yrs old, and was not in the best of health for about two years prior to that. The things I remember include: guiding me on maths (yes the english version of math!), his quiet and considerate personality, was a tough dude (more on this another time), his alcoholic poweress - loved his scotch - VAT 69 or Johnny Walker to be precise, that Mai would try to hide from him. One saturday we had a search party go looking for him because he was so pissed off with Mai hiding the booze. One of us found him a bar closeby. He suffered from diabetes and the alcohol simply complicated things. From the little time, I spent with him, I remember him being a kind and helpful person! I may have missed some more details, but will fill it in another time.
To be continued! Next Blog - the idiosyncrasies of the Carrasco Family! And let me tell you that there are many! - oh but the editor may censor this material!!
mc
