Consider this: she is 102 years and two months, is a mother of four and grandmother of six and has witnessed events we learned about in history books. The ‘oldest living resident’ in the tiny Goan village of Camurlim, Lourdes Conceicao Lobo is affectionately referred to as Mummy, Mae, Tia Lourdes or Man Lourdes. To me, she is just Mae, my grandmother.

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My earliest association with Mae began when I was a baby. Although I do not remember it, I am told that I never left her side, bawling away if anyone tried to carry me.

Religious to a fault, Mae was the one who taught us our Konkani prayers. I remember gathering at 12 in the afternoon and at 7 in the evening in our balcony to say the Angelus. The family rosary too was made a daily practice. Mae had her special chair, in one corner of our oratory. And she was and still is the first person we take blessings from. Everyone who comes over, (some come just for that) has to take her blessings before leaving the house. She has the utmost regards for all priests, reverently kissing their hands when she meets them.

Mae is very active and although she is losing her hearing and eyesight, she still stuns us with her sharp comments. For example: telling a neighbour that her daughter will not find a husband as she is too tall; firing my father for allowing me to roam around in spaghetti straps; discussing her new ‘hairstyle’, shouting at my aunt for becoming too fat, and of course telling all visitors how she is an antique piece. For the record, all the clothes that I wear for mass (especially celebrations like Christmas, Easter and feasts) have to be approved by her.

Unfortunately diagnosed with diabetes from a young age, that doesn’t stop Mae from gorging on sweets. Ice-cream is her weakness and we love indulging her with it. She is always ready for a second helping - even going to the extent of saying ‘I have not been served yet’!

I love Mae for many reasons, primary being the way she never fails to ask me on the phone, ‘When are you coming down’? Be good, is her common request to me and my brothers. I also love her for her fascination with pure gold ornaments, the way she sings hymns in Portuguese and Latin when alone, how she tends to eat more when there’s company, the way she removes her glasses for photos, the way she plays with our very stubborn cat and so on.

At the risk of spouting a cliché, I love Mae for just being herself- no pretences attached.

On a recent visit home, it was a shock to see her moving about on a wheelchair. But her spirit remains the same, to the point of asking me if I was happy with my work and telling me not to keep too many friends.

Mae, I hope you get better soon.