IN MEMORY OF JULIUS

The first time Julius called me was back in 2016, I curtly ended the call with a “not interested.” He was a wine advisor, calling to get me to join the Wine and Spirits Society of India. I didn’t have the time or patience to hear him out. But he was politely patient yet persistent. He called again a couple of weeks later. This time, the began his call a little different. “Hi Ma’am, I hope you’re well. This is Julius again, from the Wine & spirits society of India. I know you told me you weren’t interested last time I called you, but I was hoping you would at least listen to me before you decide. I won’t call back again, if you are really not interested.” 

I was amused with his sales approach.

“Alright, Julius, tell me, what’s this wine & spirits society of India upto?”

That’s how we became friends. I say friends, because I wouldn’t feel right using any other word. Every few months, he’d help me pick the 6 wines that went into my case. After it was over, he’d call to have a chat about how I liked them. Pretty standard, but for the fact that Julius, really took an interest at his job. He’d craft a small story about each wine; little bits of trivia. Now, I wasn’t particularly gaga about wine. Ofcourse, I’ve always enjoyed it, but I was a more whiskey or beer person. But after years of living alone, I had learned something about myself : I don’t turn down a good conversation. No matter where it came from. Also, I’m a sucker for trivia. 

The first thing I told him was, no reds. I cannot stand red wine. Too dry. But like I mentioned earlier, he’s patient. And he’s persistent. So soon we figured out, It’s not that I don’t enjoy dry wines, I don’t enjoy the tannic ones. And reds are more tannic than whites. Before Julius, the answer to why I don’t enjoy red wine would be, “it’s dry and tastes weird in my mouth” I love the sweet ones but I really enjoy a hint of pepper or spice. I told him full of amusement that it tasted a little like capsicum. He laughed and told me about pyrazines. He knew I preferred ordering 2 or 3 different wines in one go rather than 6 different ones because I always shared with my friends. Once he called me excitedly and said, “Maa’m I’ve got something which I’m sure you’re going to have fun with. A Prosecco Rose. It’s light, it’s floral and it’s bubbly.” He was right, and from then on, we knew we needed to pick just 2 more options for every case. Sometimes, when I wanted a case in shorter notice, he would personally get their closest wine store partners to keep a case ready for me to pick up immediately. When I was getting married, he apologised profusely for not being able to provide a delivery option in Kerala. But he made sure for 6 months, before I went home for wedding prep, I would have a few bottles to carry back each month. 

After the wedding, everything became a blur, and I left Bombay soon after. I never told him I was leaving. I still remember when he called me a year later, wondering where I had disappeared. I apologised and told him it’s been a maddening year, and I’ve left Bombay. 

“I’m in Goa now.”, I told him.

“Ahh well, at least you’ll keep drinking wine”, he said. “Stay in touch, and let me know if you move back to Bombay.” I didn’t. On both accounts. 

He called me again once after COVID struck, we spoke briefly. 

“How are you doing, Maa’m? Hope you and the family are safe in the middle of all this.”, he enquired

We spoke for a bit, I told him I was still in Goa. I joked about how it might be a good time for his commissions, now that everyone is at home and drinking a lot. He didn’t really respond, he just laughed. I asked him if I can order a case for him & his family to enjoy, just, you know. Ofcourse, I knew what his answer would be. I told him I’d be in Bombay at some point, I’ll call him and we could pick some new wines again, one more time before we hung up. 

Today, I woke up after my nap in the afternoon, reached out for my phone and saw a message from his colleague, informing me of the “unfortunate and untimely death of Mr. Julius D.” Call me naive, but it broke my heart. How can I explain to anyone why? Who can I share this with who will understand my pain? He was a friend. That’s all I can say.  

Life is richer when we share our joys and struggles with others. Even strangers can become friends.

You will be missed and remembered fondly, Julius. Thank you for the conversations.