Final Journey was a letter I wrote to my KVIIT group following the demise of a dear friend Flying Officer Ronald Kevin Serrao. This was one experience that is a reminder as how important a soldier's life is, as a husband, brother and a son.
22 January 2007
Hi All,
Our dear friend Ronald Kevin Serrao has been laid to rest. May his soul Rest In Peace
I have not known Kevin as well as many of you guys but it does not take much to understand that Kevin loved whatever was optimistic and loved to live a dream and he lived and would continue to live.
The day I heard of the news, I was shocked as all of you and the restlessness within me made me make the trip to Mangalore to seek some sense behind the insanity. Being a single guy with no strings attached and with some element of luck I could make it. Thanks to Vaishu I was able to get the contact number of Gregory Serao (Uncle of Ronnie) and he was gracious to let me know that I could contact him any time no matter how ungodly the time was.
I picked the KSRTC Bus tickets in the evening of 19th and shot of to the Bus station at 2300 hrs to head for Mangalore. I reached Managlore in the Morning at 0700 hrs and got in touch with Gregory and Shelton (Kevin's Cousin). They took me to Kevin's Home (The Nest) where I met John Serao who greeted with a true Army Man handshake. Strong as he wanted to let me know, he broke down immediately when I told him what Kevin ment to all you guys and described him as an "Ace". Inconsolable and at a loss of words he stared away at the Times India Front Page with the story of Kevin's crash, looked at the photograph of Kevin being decorated with a medal . He clutched the paper to his heart as if to replace the ireplacable, a part of himself - Ronald Kevin Serao, a loving son and a gallant soldier.
I sat there sorry at myself for making his dad cry. I was seated next to his dad. He stared at the photograph of Kevin on the Bike in front of his aircraft. He said, "There is the plane that took him along with itself". I was moved and almost had tears well up but I distracted myself thinking of the days at school, the class skit, the debate, and the last time I met him- at Tezpur, Assam where he was posted then. Kevin's Mom was unwell and she had come to the living room (where we were all seated). She had exhausted her tears an was clearly not herself. Other family memebers coaxed them to have some breakfast and thanks to the good lord, they did.
It was around 0830 hrs in the morning (20 January) that I took leave of the Seraos and headed for the room guest house that Gregory had arranged for and I slept.
I woke up freshened and got the call from Vinod that I was waiting for to head to the Seraos once again. It was 1230 hrs in the morning and people started gathering at the Serao's residence (The Nest). The body had not arrived by then and we were all waiting. From this time on I had lost the notion of time.
The body had arrived in a coffin draped in Air Force flag with deepika in front (in uniform) and his squandron members carrying the coffin on their shoulders. They made the slow march into the Serrao's residence with the crowd behind them. The body was placed and people kept coming in to pay their respects- young, old almost any Manglorean who could come their and bid Ronnie- the proud son of Mangalore, farewell.
The members of the family sang prayers in English and Konkani reciting psalms from the Bible with the band members playing songs of lament. The air was solemn. Kevin's parent were stroking the coffin with their hands as parents put their little babies go to sleep.
I took a breather outside for a while as I was feeling uncomfortable taking out my camera and start snapping pictures. But then I had to, its for all you guys who were close to Kevin and wanted to be with him at the place where I was. I started to take pictures at the time when the coffin was being brought out of the "The Nest". Sadness in Kevin's Parents was palpable they were never to see their son's face for the last time through the sealed coffin. I was a little pissed off with the Air Force for that.
The body was placed in a van and the crowd processioned in two file towards the church. There was a lady (neighbour of the Seraos) who walked beside who guessed whether I was a friend of Kevin. I spoke to her about Kevin and all of the friends he had who couldn't make it. I think she already knew that.
We headed for the the Church and the whole of the assembly was packed with people. The body was placed at the altar with the nearest members of the family seated in front followed by the representative Kevin's squandron members and the 3 wings of the armed forces, followed by the multitude of people-friends, well wishers and even strangers. The service started with the priests trying to make sense of it all quoting the Bible, singing psalms and narrating parables. Frankly it did help. The formal education that we all have had tells us to be sceptical about everything and try use logic to answer all our problems. Death is an Exception. As the priest said - Death is a leveler.
One parable that was narrated stayed in my mind.
Once there lived a Gardner who loved his flowers, he was particularly fond of a plant and he would go about giving special attention to - day in and day out. One day the plant had vanished from the garden and he was very upset, he searched and searched and it was never to be found. Then he realised that the plant had been taken by the owner of the garden and the owner placed it close to himself in his home.
The purport is that the Gardner never owned the garden and he had no right over the flowers that blossomed in it. Similarly we have no right over anything in this world, its God's World and it his choice that governs whatever happens.
The service ended and the coffin was taken for burial. The whole congregation followed towards the graveyard. At pessimistic estimates there were about 2500 people gathered at the graveyard to witness the rites.
21 gun salute was given by the Police
I could somehow manage to pour soil over Ronnie's final resting place.
I extended my condolences to all the family members who were outside the graveyard and most moved by Ronnie's mother (Jessica Serao). Though she saw in the morning I did not realise that she could register who I was. When I was about to extended telling her that I was classmate of Ronnie at school my condolence she hugged me, She was a Mother in pain.
I was empty, beat, I met Gregory Serao and he extended an invitation to diner at "The Nest".
More prayer meetings happened at the place and the dinner served. I had not met Deepika to extend my condolences to Deepika (Wife of Kevin) throughout the day and I wished I could before I left. She was very strong and an epitome of dignity and strength throughout the whole day. Just I was about to leave I requested Gregory, if its not too much, to speak to Deepika. He was very kind to let me speak to Deepika at the very difficult moment with all the tire and stress taking its toll on the family memebers. I finally spoke to her and I was glad that I could extend my condolences and on behalf of all you guys.
With that I left for the Bus Station to head back to Bangalore.
To all of you guys who were very close to Kevin....who wanted to be there but could not, as I was speaking to Vaishu yesterday ....it is important that all of you guys make a trip to Mangalore an extend your support to Kevin's family. They need a lot of support from their well wishers to negotiate this tough phase in life and I know it would make Ronnie Happy indeed. Do not feel bad that you could not meet Ronnie in his final journey, you guys would do a greater good in helping his family come out from the loss and help them be happy again.
For me it has been a very moving experience. I feel that I should have made an effort to know Ronnie more than what I knew about him. And I guess may be that is why I was in Manglore, for the last opportunity to know him, and I guess I did
All the very best to all you guys, live a good life
Kaustav
P.S: Give me sometime, on a worse case, I would get upload the photgraph from my side by this weekend.
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