Teachers, Preachers, Saints and Kings...

As a preview to Camp in May we celebrated Fr.Robins 45th Anniversary as a Jesuit  with a select bunch of people who love him & his camps.  An early morning drive from Mumbai into the chilly mountain air brought us sleepy headed early birds to the gates of at St. Stanislaus Villa. to In all we were 3 families & a couple of Helpers thrown in amounting to 15 people including Fr. Robin. who made our way up on Saturday at different times of the day depending on the modes of transport we chose.Giles, the caretaker & man in charge of the property, mildly apologetic that the chief Chef was on leave,  made us feel at home as we settled in.What better place for the celebration of this event other than Khandala, where his vocation blossomed as he pioneered the Family Camps that encompassed a myriad of people?

Soon after our arrival we unpacked and occupied the rooms allotted to us before milling about the premises or indulging in a  conversations with fr. Robin..Ginger the camp dog, starved of human interaction was at her playful best and kept us entertained as we waited for the rest of our gang to show up. A school of teachers also arrived, and one of them even set her eye on a couple of spirits (we'd) hidden in the fridge.Defensive action was taken and not one was lost, showing you cant put a price on mans most cherished possessions.No sooner had I returned from the market place with supplies, we had mass at the Gazebo. After a sumptuous lunch I escaped from the dining hall just as a couple of spirited teachers attempted to do a jig on the table. We rested and lazed about the rest of the afternoon as the last of our group joined in. At tea time we had Fr. Robin cut a refreshingly delicious cake from Monginis that disappeared almost immediately.

Later that evening we played throw-ball and strolled about the forested grounds, exploring the now defunct swimming pool, & stacking up bits of wood in case the night got nippy and called for a campfire before attending mass in the chapel (for Sunday).After an evening of merriment a small band of us took a Night-walk alongside the Canal, to the accompaniment of dogs howling as we crossed foreign territory conjured up human monsters in my mind especially after a ordeal a girl I knew faced rather recently and I made the group do a quick about face and herded them back to the safety of camp. The teachers seemed like a classroom of children left unattended, wining, dining & dancing -having a good time and it amused me to see them indulge in the sort of behaviour they're stereotyped to chastise! That night as the teachers talked the night away we did a few Teachers too! (Relax... They came in a Can!) I had earlier envisioned a long drawn weekend unwind from the bustle and stress of city life but one among my kin had a prolonged bout of purges that progressively worsened through the night and we had to rush back to Mumbai early next morning for medical assistance.

The fall of St. Marys

I made a trip to St. Marys Villa, Khandala last week. After much planning we finally made it- a strictly family affair. I took off after work from Bandra, hitched a ride at Dadar and walked into St. Marys at around 23:00 Hours on a Saturday Night to a room full of sleeping people. My sister alone lay awake reading a book and keeping watch on the plate of food she had salvaged for me from the unusually early 8 O'Clock dinner. Letting myself into camp after hours has now become a regular routine and I slipped inside the gates without awakening the curiosity of the pack of  stray hounds that guarded the place. I then walked through the deserted camp, scouting the empty corridors toward the south before finding our room in what used to be known as "The Chapel Wing".

Fr. Robin ruled the roost at St. Marys for over 25 years with his famous Family Camps, a masterpiece of human relationships nestled in the hills of Khandala creating the green house effect bringing to bloom good intentions, friendship, love and the spirit of generosity. For many of us, St. Marys became a reality that could pitch its tent in your thoughts and come to life. As I walked the deserted hallways of a time gone by, I recalled pictures embossed in my memory of people dancing in the quadrangle, the helpers without a room sleeping on beds in the corridors, cross dressed mascots in crazy costumes parading with flags and banners displaying assorted underwear in a bid to earn maximum points for their teams in the Mini-Olympics, Phantom, Archies, Commando comics and magazines strewn about the Lookout, families down by the well washing clothes on a sunny afternoon and kids catching fireflies by the bushes at night time to use as pocket lanterns.. The villa today has gone commercial lending itself out to large corporate outings and conferences but Fr. Robin had long since escaped the straitjacketed nature of the new establishment in search of new pastures moving like a gypsy to Kune Mission, Bombay House and now St. Stanislaus Villa.

When I was about 6 or 8 years old I'd first been to the camp with my entire family. We were housed in what was known as The Cozy Cottage along with a dozen other families but my sister was assigned to the Hens Coop meant for young women who came without their families under the matronly eye of a Mama Hen appointed to ensure the safety of her chicks. Colonized in a far corner away from the rest of the camp the gang at cozy cottage became a close group that met up in Bombay to picnic or party occasionally. The dilapidated structure now lay in ruin, in stark contrast to the beautified landscape of St Marys Villa. Gone were the line of bathrooms at the far end we flocked to and lined up outside after the games. In its place were self-contained rooms with bath rooms attached- a practical move. The lush green lawn in the center beckons but unfortunately is off limits to use for play. This old Jesuit Villa affords clean spacious rooms, good food and its proximity to the Khandala Market and Railway Station make it an ideal place to stay. The chapel  was locked so I couldn't visit and in any case its been transformed into a conference room with plastic moulded desk chairs replacing the pews and a curtain drawn to hide the Crucifix and Altar. This commercialization of the premises has made the place lose some of its charm and each piece of furniture (benches, tables, beds) bolted to its place showcased the managements fixation on policy and rules. Seemingly secure in its grill-work and barbed wire fencing this picture perfect setting had let something important escape.

It was a tight weekend but we relaxed at St Marys, enjoying the food and lazing around, except for a trip to Gupshup to pick up some essential fluids and stopping to chat up with some children angling by the lake. 

Fr. Robin Selwyn 2012

For those of you who'll look this up:

Fr. Robins alive and kicking as of this date.
There will be another camp (if life permits..!!)

I'met Fr. Robin this lent, when he gave a crisp lesson on books to read and study to a flock of believers who came to church one fine Wednesday to get their daily dose of the Bible post mass. However, little did they know they they'd have to do their homework instead!

 Fr. Robin nicely sliced the Bible in half with a few books to be studied (actually studied) and a few books to be read (casual reading) leaving all the attendees with a song on their lips & question in their minds "what went wrong?", "where is that blinking sermon?" But well Fr. RObin doesnt worrk that way! He makes you work for it. Which is what I like, He wont lay out for you (on a platter) parts of the Bible he likes but he'll urge and cajole you to seek & find hidden meaning in the Bible that actually appeals to you.

I' guess knowing him longer than most helps, as I was one of the few unruffled participants to that prayer service last Wednesday.after which we retired to an austere Vegetarian Dinner and conversation on things to come. We discussed, the near uncertain future, then things we've planned and things to be done. Quite long since we (that is Fr. Robin and me) didn't make a trip outside the city so we're planning that among other things.

see you around compadres...