Last Will and Testament

I was born in Bangalore (Bengaluru) on 3rd April 1943. I was born at the Vani Vilas Hospital near City Market. I understand that the gynaecologist was Dr. Mrs. George Chandy, the wife of Engineer George Chandy, who was my father's boss in the Mysore Electricity Board. I was told by my mother that I was quite ill when I was born and suffered from very bad colic.  I do not know to which house I returned or in which church I was christened. I was given the name Jacob, which was as  a memoriam to my mother's elder brother, K. M. Jacob (Chackochayan) who had died in 1941 at the Chickmagalur Estate. I was told that he had dies of a rat bite, but no one ever confirmed that to me.  The Matthan's of my father's generation had started a tradition of also giving the children an Indian name besides the Biblical ones. I was given the name Sushil. My elder sister had been named as Nalini. My elder brother was called Ranjit. They both took their Indian names into the school registrat...

My father returned to India from studying at the Imperial College of London in 1934. My mother finished her degree in English from the Women’s Christian College the same year.  Our parents were married on May 11th 1936. Picture at wedding of my parents -  Bangalore 1936   Appachen and Ammachi after their wedding -  Bangalore 1937 Nalini was the first born. She was born on 16th September 1937 in Bangalore. She was called Mariam Matthan but her pet name, an Indian name, was Nalini.   Picture of Nalini as a baby -  Bangalore 1938   She was cherubic baby girl. By character she was very docile   Appachen and Ammachi with Nalini -  Bangalore 1940   Nalini called my father’s elder sister, Mrs. P. G. Abraham, as 123 Ammachi as it was this aunt who taught Nalini how to count.   Matthan family when I was 9 months old - Bangalore 1944 January    I was born in 1943 April. This picture taken in January 194...