Dinner time

The Great Mansion's parlour was resplendent in its time. Its original owner loved to entertain his guests over lavish dinners and conversations that went into midnight and beyond. 

The parlour always fascinated me; it's beautifully carved furniture, the alfresco on the wall, the almirah now filled with modern books. I was admiring the scene when I heard my mobile ring by the poolside. I got back quickly to continue my admiration. To my surprise, the lights were switched on, the dinner table was set, candlesticks were lit in the centre and two chairs were pulled out...Seemed as if someone wanted to thank me for appreciating their home.

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Photo Stories: Frangipani Blossoms

You have to see it to believe it. The frangipani tree in the courtyard which lies in the heart of @siolimhouse is a sight for sore eyes. I loved watching its lightly fragrant blossoms sway in the summer breeze while sipping afternoon tea. The beautifully restored glass window is like a book that opens up to a story waiting to be read and told.

At the Crack of Glass

I called out to Mr. Benny from the window of the large reading room- it had become my favorite place in the Mansion. He was the handyman everybody relied on for odd jobs. Water had been dripping from my ceiling making the nights rather unpleasant, and I was excited to see a glimmer of hope in Mr. Benny. "Mr Benny Sir! Here, here!" He looked up at me, and said, "Coming right away Mam!" and while he uttered these words, he began moving in the opposite direction vanishing in seconds. 

I lost all hope of getting the roof fixed when Mr. Benny entered the Great Mansion's kitchen. He wouldn't leave until Debu had made him a cup of tea and informed him of the day's travails which explored the lives of practically every resident of Babolim village. Letting out a sigh of great disappointment, I turned around to leave the reading room when I heard the shattering of glass. Strange things had happened in the reading room ever since I first came to Babolim Mansion. I turned around and fixed my gaze on the glass shards on the wooden floor, some gleaming in the sunlight. 

I squatted to examine the damage and wondered what may have caused it. There were no troublemakers in the quiet yet busy mansion, Mr. Albert saw to that. I went downstairs to report the incident to him but noticed he wasn't at his desk. Some new guests must've kept him busy I thought. I decided to approach his second in command, Serafim Lobo. 

Serafim had served the former owner of the mansion and could be found lurking around in its corners, checking on Debu and ensuring he didn't pocket the food meant for the guests. I called out to him while walking from the reception area into the courtyard. "Mr Serafim! Mr Serafim! Some glass pieces are on the floor in the reading room!". He popped out of a room he had been cleaning and closed the wooden door behind him. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he asked, "Glass broke? How?" he asked me cringing his nose and eyeing me suspiciously. 

"No clue! Now could you please go and get it cleaned up? It just...broke." Mumbling under his breath, Serafim went up the stairs and I followed. As we entered the reading room, I pointed to the window. Serafim, broom in hand, went up to the spot and looked back at me angrily. "Where is the glass? Fooling me are you, Madam, today?" 

Irritable, I hurried to him and found that not a single glass piece was on the floor and the window was intact. "The ghost is real Madam, leave while you can", said Serafim with a pallid look on his face. With that, he walked to the door, turned around, and beckoned to me to exit with him. As I took a final step to leave the room, the glass cracked once more.

Rain & Thunder

The radio crackled like someone rolling up letters they were not happy with. Disappointed, I decided to go upstairs to the great mansion's library. A heavy wooden door with an iron knob greeted me. It took me some effort to move it to get inside. It was quiet. I made my way to the bookshelf. The thick wooden floor creaked slightly. As I touched the corner of a book on British gardens, the sound of thunder startled me. I almost dropped the book. Rain crashed in like an uninvited guest. 

It was all very sudden. I closed the glass windows quickly and rushed downstairs to find Mr. Albert, the mansion's caretaker. He wasn't at this desk. I stepped out and saw him walking his dog...in the bright, hot sun. "Nice sunshine eh Madam?", said Mr. Albert. Obviously, someone in the library didn't like being disturbed and made that very clear to me.

The Village Church

St. Anthony Church, also known as Siolim Church, is located in the village square. Standing tall with beautiful white facades, the church carries an understated magnificence. A baptism of a tiny infant was in progress when I took this picture. Its family didn't care about the annoying humidity as they came dressed in their church best. Although I tried to attend service in the mornings, I never made it! Blame it on holiday mood. Forgive me Lord!

Photo Stories: One day I'll bloom red!

 

One day I'll bloom red: A tiny tomato finds its way into the world.

I found this tiny unripe tomato gallivanting around my parents' weekend home garden. 

 

A homely lunch

The friendly folks at @siolimhouse were nice to recommend lunch at Mr. Lawrence's (name changed) whose house wasn't very far from the church in the village square.

It was tucked away in a corner that we soon found. We immediately fell in love with his simple and cheerful family, his large yet modest house, and two white cats with blue eyes gleaming like sapphires. Mamma, Shlo, and I relished our meal which Mr. Lawrence's wife had just cooked for her family. We were grateful to be part of it even for a few moments that hot afternoon.