ninety nine

Last Saturday May Levy passed away.

May was born in Calcutta and lived here most of her life. I first met her in Perth when she was staying at Hazel Galbraith's home, the epicentre of Anglo-Indian gatherings in Western Australia since I can remember. Weekly card games, tennis (when they were all just a little younger) and vast amounts of delicious Indian food.

Each time I've come back here, I spend time with May. She had lots of stories and I was always keen to hear them. In 2005, she moved out of her apartment on Chowringhee Road where she had lived for more than 40 years and into the Loreto Convent on Middleton Row.

This was taken in 2007.

I called in to see May last Tuesday, the day after I arrived. When I sat down next to her bed, it was clear that the thread connecting her to this world was very fragile. She opened her eyes three times, squeezed my hand and said 'thank you for coming to see me'.

She celebrated her ninety-ninth birthday in September.