Georgie more than 80 years in age, is the youngest (in spirit) and most energetic person I have ever met. She is the caretaker of the Holy Trinity Church and a permanent at the Church Basti gathrings. I have always found her wearing colorful saris, smiling, almost always busy with something or the other but still taking out time to chat with me, whenever I have visited the Church at different points of time. (I always start with Holy Trinity Church near the Dargah of Hazrat Shah Turkman Bayabani at Turkman Gate, whenever I take my students or friends' around Shahjahanabad).
Over the years, we have become good friends. She has spent her entire life at Shahjahanabad and is most comfortable here, and never wants to go anywhere from her Basti. She studied in Urdu medium school, and is now one of the few people left from the generation who still read their Bible in Urdu. Her Urdu Bible is kept separately from the rest of (mostly Hindi) Bibles.
Georgie's husband died many years ago, and children are all settled. She lives with her two sons at the Basti. Daughters are married. Younger son is going to be a priest soon, she informs me and invites me for the future feast when it would happen, as she usually does whenever there is a feast at the Basti.
She is the one who keeps the keys of the church. She told me when she prays mid night, she also prays for me. I thanked her and joked that she is the malik of the place, she can open/close/visit God whenever she wants late night or early morning, with her shy smile she nodded in the affirmative. While others from the Basti have often tried to proselytize and have given me lectures on how Christianity is better than Islam, Georgie mostly just chit chats, general inquires about work, food, etc.
Once when I was speaking with other people of the basti, a young man whom she told me was of unsound mind started singing loudly. She came, sat protectively around me, shouted at him to 'buzz off', and then told me that it was getting late I should leave and walked me out of the Basti, also telling me to be careful, 'zamana kharab hai' for women.
Recently, I attended the Lent prayer services. During one of the sermons, the Priest asked, "How many people here have enemies?" Everybody in the audience very proudly just moved their heads to indicate 'no'. Padri Sahab was disappointed. His logic was, "if you have enemies then it means you are doing something good. Jesus had enemies. If you do not have anybody opposing you, means you are not living your life correctly!" This comment sent everybody on a thought spin (including me) on "how to win enemies and live correctly!"
Georgie, being 'the keeper of the house of God' is an exception and an epitome of those who could never make any enemy and also lived a correct life. Restoring my hope in humanity, may she live a healthy life for hundred more years! Amen.
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