Every time someone you are connected to in any sort of way, parent-child or uncle/aunt-niece/nephew or brother-sister or cousin-cousin relationships, there is this link of family ! A link that both people feel and which you lose when the other one dies first ! It can happen in several ways, one a slow one, where you get to say goodbye but you also have the added agony of watching them die bit by bit, then there's another sudden yet one where they don't suffer, where you didn't get to say goodbye and it hurts the last time you spoke to them was the last time you would ever get to speak to them ! The latter happened with my uncle tonight (early morning in India). He died of cardiac arrest and passed away shortly after being admitted at 4:30 am in Mumbai. He was a simple man, very disciplined, very loving man ! He was generous and kind and a father figure to me.
As I write this eulogy for my beloved 'valeecha' (Malayalam for elder father) I am in disbelief, that's it, my link with him has vanished ! Will never be able to dial his number to hear his voice in the morning on my way to work. where ever he is, I hope he rests happy.

The following is a small poem in his memory.

Valeecha I will miss your chuckle when you hear something funny,
I will miss asking you if you have had your evening tea ?
In heaven I hope there's no diabetes and no stress of money !
I hope where you are now, there is the peace of the sea !

Valeecha I will miss hearing from you "how are you boy?!"
Always worried about my health asking me to take care
As a kid I used to rub his round fat belly like it was some toy
The joy that my kids can never ever be aware

Valeecha I will miss your voice on the phone every day
Your memory in my brain is in a very special place
Space reserved for the individuals who have shaped my way
Needles to say it will never ever from my brain be erased

Valeecha I just can not say goodbye to you like this
This is happening too soon and too sudden and its totally unfair
Another loss for our family with you leaving behind an abyss
I wish Valeama gets the strength she needs to move on without despair

-Truly yours,
Your nephew Gokul

I will miss you Valeecha. RIP