| Southern Hummingbird....... That's what they called her. And that's what she was to those of us who knew and loved her. Bright, funny and full of life. She'd come to Chicago on an education scholarship, but she was never interested in her studies. She was smitten with the sounds and sites of the big Amercian city and what it had to offer. The freedom it symbolized. The life it promised. To say she was beautiful is, perhaps, understated. Heaven on earth is much closer to the truth. I think she may have been an angel. The effect she had on men was comical in the sense that it had nothing to do with sex, really. They worshipped her. All this had no effect on Lakshmi whatsoever. In fact, she hated the attention. When I think back, I think what she wanted was someone she could worship. We were roommates freshman year. And, no -I wasn't jealous or anything like that. You can never be jealous of that kind of beauty. That kind of beauty comes with too high a price. But none of us knew that then. All she ever wanted was to fall in love. And one day, she did..... His name was Chris Tani. She was glowing. She'd met him online and was head over heels in love. They'd been talking for months, she said,. But this was the first I'd heard of him. He was rich and charming and treated her with just the slightest bit of disdain. See, he had no use for beautiful girls. That's the way she put it. I think that convinced her more than anything that she was in love. She said she was packing an overnight bag for a weekend trip to see him. Maybe even seduce him. That was the last time I saw her alive... |
| In Memorium Lakshmi Mekundun 1982-2004 |