Victory of Life over Death…

Dear All,

As I told some of you, Eve’s nephew and his fiancée took Godda and I to spend my birthday on Ilot Mangenie.

Of course it brought back fond memories spanning decades. Some of them I was glad to share with some of you recently. I look forward to share more with more of you sooner than later. Was the sun sad that some of you were not there? Had it donned its halo just to say ‘Hello’ or was it to also express its sorrow?




Before taking the boat to go there, we went to clean and pray over his grand father’s tomb.



Then Didier and I snorkeled slowly (because of my heart) along the coast line in front of aunt Laurence bungalow.

Yesterday, was the anniversary of my grand father Louis Leclezio (born on January 4, 1873 – Died October 10, 1949)



Didier took Godda and I to visit his mother’s grave!



I find him to be a kid with a lot of depth. When I questioned his wisdom at such a young age, he humbly replied that he had inherited it from his mother. He explained that she was a Catechism teacher in Africa. Marie Rose taught him to value his faith above all else. It must be a common family trait. She loved the Beatitudes. Didier told me that his faith and his mother’s teachings had helped him overcome major trials in his life. Heretofore unknown to me, Marie Rose led many Africans to the baptismal font and was godmother to a number of them!

While he was cleaning his mother’s grave his comment stunned me. He said that he hoped that our descendants would carry on the tradition and would also come to pray over our graves!!! I could not believe hearing that from him! I immediately told him how you kids in the States honor your mother’s grave and how Lou and I do so even if through photos and Google Earth! Indeed, I told him how I had often remarked that although Francois Leclezio (the first to land in Mauritius) was born in 1773, to this day, I pray for him almost daily. I also hope that God willing, over 200 years from now my descendants will likewise pray for me!

I found this marble plaque as we walked out of the cemetery. “The dignity of a nation is defined by the respect it shows towards the dead.”

On the way back from the cemetery, Didier commented on my book out of the blue. He volunteered that the lines he liked best were the following:

“I remembered a good friend, Jim Mc Creedy, telling me once that the dagger of despair is the devil’s most effective tool to poison our minds and drag us down into his abyss. I recognized that Carl Hagens had tried to stab me and inflict the final wound with that dagger when he had asked me if I felt like jumping from a bridge.

I considered the light bidding me from above and walking away from the law. I, in turn like a robot repeated: “In God I trust” over and over again to myself.

We had refused to yield to the devils of despair so hard at work at the anvils of evil.”

I was in utter awe to realize that he knew those lines by heart! Considering that in a weak moment of despair, his mother did jump, from a window, I had tears in my eyes and a huge lump in my throat.

I understood how God can continuously bring a bright ray of light into utter darkness. How he can use evil to bring forth goodness. I felt that if I had written my book just for Didier, for the joy of hearing his remark and for him to say how often the words: “In God I trust” resonate in his mind since he has read my book, the book would have been well worth writing.

I had never before considered that aspect of my book. I pray that it can continue to give hope to many others and save them from deathly despair.

Indeed I am now thankful to First American, to the likes of Dufficy, Hagens Berman to have complied to God’s Divine Providence in setting the scene just right and making it possible for me to write this book. It has a greater purpose far beyond their restricted parochial outlook on it. James J. Dufficy can criticize my love and respect of the Bible all he wants in his latest e-mail.

Once again God has shown me His Power over the worldly!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

AMEN!