Dr. Pascal Mendez got in his Mercedes and sat motionlessly as if frozen a long time ago by an avalanche in the foothills of Himalayan Peak he had come to conquer. In real sense, he had a problem at hand that looked from the base camp like the Mount Everest.  All day at the clinic, he did not get a moment to think about his personal difficulties but then, there was that promise to Rosita hanging on his head. I have to have an answer for her, which would make her less anxious about his family's two most undesirable members making a permanent home. He was aware of semi-European culture she grew up in and the pressure her mother Aggie put on her to rise up in the social circles.
 
The deep thinking posture similar to, ' Le Penseur  d'Auguste Rodin at  the Musée Rodin in Paris', Dr. Mendez appeared to be sitting at the Gates of Hell. 
"What should I say to the old man that won't duplicate Rosie's performance on seeing him face to face?"
 
Pascu was struggling with  matching of the image he had in his memory with the face he would be encountering.
 
"I wonder what scars  life's hardships leave on a once handsome face that no one loved, nor wanted." His conscience was questioning him.
 
"I owe him the legitimacy of my existence. After all, he has lent me his family name when I now know that he is not my biological father. The least I could do for him is to make him one, and let Rosie decide what she wishes to do to keep her own identity as a daughter of someone who was related to some Portuguese royalty, intact.
" For the first time, he felt that Francis had something precious that he did not have-freedom to be human-Not a Doctor, nor a member of an elite society.
 
With that conclusion, he came around, started his car and went to see that man who claims to be Frank Mendez of Goa.
 
He parked the vehicle in a garage bit away from the address he was supposed to go. He took a Cab and arrived at the Calangute Beach Cafe.  Reading the name of that street side-eating place had same effect Francis had. It flooded his mind with the nostalgia. Memories often remind us that the places, people and episodes of forgotten life are lot more important than our alter ego makes us believe otherwise. Somewhere in the limbic system of our cerebrum, they remain dormant until a trigger or a trip wire lets them loose. The nostalgic feelings for a place we often dismiss as, 'silly', then become the must have thing from the past.  Revisiting it may be just one last time, or go back in time, do those things and be with people we once were close to, and relive the moments of the ultimate pleasures then enjoyed.
 
As if in a trance, he stood there in front of that signboard until Tirnath, one of his stepbrothers came up to him and asked,
 
"Are you looking for Brother Francis?" 
 
"Oh; yes, indeed I am looking for him. Is he in here?" Pascu replied.
 
"Come this way; he is in the back." Young man took him through the narrow passage that linked to the living quarters behind the kitchen. He pointed a closed door and said,
"Push it; is not locked; they are there."  Tirnath left him there, as if he did not wish to be a part of that drama.
 
Pascal pushed the door open and found Francis and Frank engross in a Chess game. Francis was sitting with his back to the door and the Old man opposite to him, was in a reclining position with head resting on the wall behind and eyes closed. Not expecting anyone special, neither paid attention to the opening of door. Pascu stood there examining the facial features of the man he came to meet and to confirm or deny his bonafide.
 
As an expert in human mind and its memory retention process, he had prepared himself to expect an age related distortion of the human face he was going to examine in that encounter. In his youth, Frank had a reputation for imitating handsome actor of a Hollywood movie. With his delicate face, square jaw, well- trimmed Clark Gable mustache, dark hair groomed in the Montgomery Cliff style, and five ten height, Frank was a heartthrob of many young women. That was the picture of him, about thirty-five years ago. Today, with a toothless mouth, soften septum, and balding head, the man in front him did not match the image of Frank Mendez, the former husband of Miriam Mendez of Goa, India at all.
  
Dr. Pascal kept his trained eyes on that face to see if he could remember something of it that would tie that weather beaten face with the last memory of him leaving for Mumbai when he was a teen and Francis was only conceived. Finding nothing comforting in that quarter, he decided to use the past, personal and intimate events between him and his family to verify the authenticity of his claim to paternity. Knowing the secret of own and his siblings' births, paternity testing through the gene matching was out of question.  Finally, he tapped on Francis' shoulder and he turned around. Seeing Pascu standing there surprised him.
 
"My God! How long have you been standing here? I was going to return to your home this evening to collect my gear. You did't have to take the troubles." Francis informed him.
 
With that commotion, Frank got out of his diabetes induced stupor and adjusting his glasses on the nose asked Francis in Konkani, "Kon aailo re? Aun hyaka olkat nay!" ("Who is he? I don't know him").
 
"I am Doctor Pascal Mendez. "Pascu introduced himself in his habitual, official tone.
 
"Doctor kityak? Maka zope aaili re." ("Why Doctor? I just felt sleepy").
 
 Frank still was addressing Francis. Apparently, he did not recognize Pascu and was uncomfortable with his presence.
 
"He is not here for a medical checkup; this is Pascu, your oldest son. You met his wife yesterday." Realizing Pascu's difficulty speaking the mother tongue, Francis spoke to the senior Mendez in English. 
 
The introduction part of their conversation was not going anywhere and the urgency of settling the issue once for all was of utmost important to Doctor. He pulled up a chair, sat down next to Frank, and took charge of the event.
 
"I am not going to beat around the bush and wish to get to the point." He announced, as if he wanted both the other participant to realize the gravity of their situation.  Hearing the sharp tone, Francis dropped the grin from his face and sat erect from the slouched posture. Frank showed no emotions at all.
 
"Do you claim to be the father of the three children- Pascal Vincent Mendez; that's me.  Alice Marguerite, Mendez; our Sister, Emmanuel, Nathan, Mendez- the third child and Francis Christa Mendez the last one you already know?"
 
" Yes, I remember having children with Miriam but don't remember their names." The Old man spoke haltingly with a weary feeling on his face.
"They were small when I left for Mumbai and don't know what happened to them. This Portuguese man says he is a priest and my son. I am not sure of anything." 
 
"Do you recall your life in Panjim village in Goa, way back in 1955?" Pascu tried to stimulate his memory.
 
" Yes, I remember my home, the Mendez Mansion. I also remember our Priest, Father De Mello. I sometimes think about the Wadi(farm), the Coconut and Alfonso Mango trees.  I don't know what Miriam did with all that. I just don't know my children. No one wanted me there in the Wadi and they made me go away."
 
"Who made you go away? You went on your own; I was ten year old and I know you went away with a smile."
 
Frank's accusing tone sucked Pascu into that emotional vortex unnecessarily. His instincts of a son, protecting the mother, came alive.
 
"Don't blame anyone; you had no interest in any of us. We were strangers then and we are strangers now." He vented his anger towards Frank, which he had carried in his bosom for most part of his life.
 
Old man did not say anything and that uneasy silence became unbearable to Francis and , uncharacteristically he exploded:
 
"Stop it at once! No need to humiliate him and if you have come here to take me with you, then I think you return as you came. We don't need anything from you or anyone else. I will be here with him from now on; just send my bag and we shall part company."
 
Dr. Pascal realized that he had handled the affair very badly. 'What got into me' he silently questioned his lack of empathy towards those two men became obvious. Was it the knowledge of his and sibling's births deprived him of the affinity one feels towards one's biological parents? The thought crossed his mind.
 
"I am sorry; I did not mean to approach you like this Papa," he spoke to Frank with humility and addressing him as a son would to a father.
 
Frank looked up to his face with tears rolling down on cheeks and extended his shaking hand. In a slow voice he spoke in Konkani,
 
" Inge, javal Buss, maka tuze tond dakhav." ("Sit close to me, show me your face.")
 
Pascu got up from his chair and sat next to him after giving him a gentle hug. He understood the efforts Old Man was making to feel some affection towards him. He forgot the mission he came to accomplish that evening and a strange sense of compassion came over him. He picked up the shaking hand of that man he once knew as his father and impulsively said,
 
"I have come to take you home Papa. Your daughter in law and grandchildren are waiting for you. Let us try to find a way to make up for the lost years of our lives away from each other."
 
Then he turned towards Francis, with a smiling face and said,


"We have lot to accomplish Francis; I'll need all the help you can give. Why don't you get him ready and I will pick both of you in half hour." Then he left the room without waiting for any response.
 
When Pascu got in his car at the garage, he called Rosita.
 
"Honey, we will be home in an hour; can you put something together for supper or just get delivered?"
 
"Dinner for all of you is ready" she replied calmly.

 That unexpected response from her caught him unprepared for any reaction except incredible admiration of her and he retorted.
 
"How did you know I am going to bring them with me?"
 
'A wise and experienced woman, who accurately knows the idiosyncrasies of her husband, is a true Psychologist without having a formal degree; success of the marriage depends on it.'
 
"Is this not a passage in your book?" She laughed heartily.

 "Now I know why I love you so much."

He hung up the phone and headed for the restaurant to pick his relatives.