KARSTEN MIRANDA
karsten@herald-goa.com
LOUTOLIM: The Tinto and the Church in Loutolim has been witness to centuries of change and the passing of so many. But seldom has this sleepy village of musicians and artists been struck with the news of four deaths across three families in a single accident, literally wiping out the joy in multiple lives. A dazed son who lost his mother, a shell-shocked mother who lost two sons, a fiancée who went to sleep perhaps thinking of her wedding dress who lost her to-be husband, a brother in Sweden – the eldest of the three – who lost two siblings in one shot, one of them on his birthday and then the father of the only woman among the victims- who earlier lost his son and wife and now his daughter, and now grieves with his other daughter and his beloved grandson.
Officially, there were four deaths. But in reality, many lives and relationships were buried.
Some of them had met Priscilla Tavares Cruz, fondly known as Pupul on Wednesday evening itself and can recall how she would always be the first to help anyone in the village in their time of need.
The 54-year-old Pupul was also famous for her role in the hit Konkani movie Nachom-iaKumpasar and was active in the political arena as well.
Her body reached her residence at Rovolem, Loutolim, on Thursday night and her funeral will take place at the Saviour of the World Church in Loutolim on Friday afternoon. She is survived by her young 12-year-old son Azaan, her elderly father Jose and her sister Maylyn.
The previous night,Pupul and her partner Henry Araujo had gone to Henry’s older brother Harley’s house to ring in his birthday midnight.
“Today (July 28) is Harley’s birthday and it was meant to be a special day for him. He was the kindest person and we remember him from his younger days. He successfully fought cancer and always had the nicest things to say,” added another person known to the Araujos.
Harley used to look after his aged mother Ernestina and his aunt Umbelina.
According to a friend of the group, who had attended this birthday party, firecrackers were lit outside Harley’s house in Devote, Loutolim, at midnight, which is a custom tradition and then they proceeded to celebrate his birthday.
Harley’s neighbour, Austin Fernandes, a seafarer who was down in Goa on a holiday, was also part of the celebrations at Harley’s house. It was here that they made the impromptu plan to continue the celebrations up north, but only four of them travelled and this fifth friend, who had wanted to join them initially, stayed back. The group had even tried calling another friend to come along with them but he could not make it either as he was caught up with a personal matter.
“The biggest problem was the way the news was trickling from the morning. First, there were calls with people questioning if the car could really have been Priscilla’s and everyone hoped that it wasn’t the case. Later in the day, when it was more or less confirmed, the blow-by-blow account of how the bodies were being retrieved was just too unbearable to watch,” added another resident of Loutolim.
However, the most common thread amongst the people of Loutolim, especially the neighbours of the deceased, was about how the four of them had so much more to live for.
“Poor Austin had just got engaged and his civil marriage was supposed to take place next month. He was young, in his thirties, a friendly guy and would have returned to work in a few months,” said a shocked friend of the family.
There was a queue outside Austin’s house with people coming to offercondolences to Austin’s father Agostinho and mother Marianinha. His funeral will take place once his sister Maureen returns to Goa.
In the Araujo family, their mother Ernestina hails from Curtorim and is reportedly not in good health. Their other three siblings, Helga, Hubert and Herman were well known in the community, as were the two deceased and condolences have been pouring in.
Many others remember Henry’s heroics on the football field, having played with various football teams and they always enjoyed his company at social gatherings. While Harley was in his fifties, Henry was in his 40s and it is likely that their funeral will take place when their brother Hubert returns to Goa.
