Heartbeatgoa.memories -"KAMPALA" - Francis Rodrigues, Toronto

Fredo the couturier was late, and the nuns fussed. But his memorywas lost to the beautiful danseuse he'd met at the Kabaka's dancein Kampala, Uganda when his tiatrist troupe toured East Africa amonth earlier. Three Carmelite nuns sailed from Goa to ministerat the palace every six months, and had arranged for his group toperform at the palace. A lovely dahlia tattoed on her ankle, hername was Rita, she whispered, an orphan, the only mestizo captive. His heart shook as if struck by lightning as they danced, and whenthe girls fled the Kabaka's arrival, he sadly saved a dainty shoeleft behind in the scramble. When the "S.S. Kampala" docked back atMormugao, the sight of the four covered Carmelite nuns disembarkingtriggered a wrenching memory of her. Back at his 'sapataria', by dayhe smiled at Goa's cognoscenti, by night he dreamt of darkest Africa. Once a month he fitted the sisters at the Campala nunnery, stockingedfeet thrust out through a cat-flap, for they were cloistered and couldnot be seen. He swept aside a vague niggle, as he struggled to fit aslim foot. Unable, he remembered the forgotten dancing-shoe which tohis relief, fitted, and then...of course! Four nuns returned - insteadof three?? Stunned he ripped off the nun's stocking - a dahlia opened."My god, " he gulped, "Rita?". "No," came a soft whisper "Cinderella