tan tan

Marie Teresa Caraway nee Wilson was 95 when we nattered the summer of 2012 she died in November 2014 and this week April 2017 I learned for the first time she had passed. My aunt died 4+ years ago and I had no idea. After that 2012 visit thrice my friend returned to the convalescent home to be told she was not there. Attempts to get word to her that my father, her brother had passed in September 2015 were unsuccessful; unbeknownst to me she had herself died the year before from natural causes.  

There is an ineffable emotion that compels me to write about this as if closure can be achieved, sort of making up for not being present at the occasion to celebrate her life. I loved my aunt and she loved me and did more for me than any other. My father had one brother and one sister. The brother, my uncle John had migrated to the UK when I was a toddler; I have no knowledge of him as he never returned after he left Anguilla. My aunt Marie Teresa migrated to the US but made infrequent trips back to Anguilla.  We grew to dote on each other she saw herself in me and I kept in regular contact. Time permitting; we visited when my travels took me to the US state where she resided. She had 2 sons one predeceased her; she later resided with the other. As her circumstances, independence and self reliance, changed I experienced difficulty ascertaining her whereabouts. Her son, my cousin is not one to return calls or make contact though we know each other well. In 2012 I enlisted the assistance of my colleague in Houston and we located her in an assisted living community. I was in town for two days we chatted and joked she was not ill, just old she told me. Her memory was sharp and her wit quick but her knees was weak. At the time I did not even think that at 95 it was likely our last visit; perhaps because it was so joyous an occasion. Two years later she would have been 97. I am not sad or weepy just perplexed that my cousin didn’t let me know. He had my contact information all this time. Out of the clearest blue sky my cousin's son whatsapp message me this pass week, a first and I asked about her then he told me. R.I.P Tantan.