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Dr.Froilano de Mello anecdotes - Fernando do Rego
Dr. Froilano de Mello was always the toastmaster at weddings among the goan elite, where it was the custom to sing the praises of the glories of the families, even when these did not exist! For example, references were made to the uncle priest as "distinguished orator of our sacred pulpit", even though it was generally known that when he ascended the pulpit, the congregation began to doze! At one such toast, he sang the praises of the father and then of the mother of the bridegroom. The latter immediately opened her purse, took out a handkerchief and shed a few tears.
Thereafter F.M. spoke of the record of the bride and her mother, not to be outdone, opened her purse, pulled out her perfumed handkerchief and howled loud enough for all to hear!
At the end, after the clicking of the glasses of champagne, the mother of the groom went to thank F.M.: "we are very grateful to you, Doctor. Your words moved me, as you must have noted. However, I was only sorry that you missed out on my Mano Henrique." F.M. retorted "Mano Henrique? Who is he? This name did not figure in the list and bio-data which your husband gave me when he came to request me to raise the toast." She replied "he was an illegitimate son of an African woman when he was in Moçambique." To which Froilano, with a serious countenance and stroking his beard, as was his custom, commented "Madam, I was asked to come and sing the praises of the two families, not to reveal the sins of your father, whom the Lord preserve in his glory!"
Another anecdote, but this one not related to a toast. He returned alone from a from a long stay in Europe, although he was already married to a Swiss lady, and went to visit his uncle in his ancestral home in Benaulim, which still exists, and informed him about his marriage. The uncle was somewhat upset as he had already scanned a list of possible candidates "who knew to sing the Mando and play the piano" - virtues most sought after in bridal candidates, even if they were thirty-plus in age!
He asked him " But tell me, Froilano, is she at least from a good family?" To which he replied "Tio Pascoalinho, I was not going to marry just any girl! She is a daughter of the Swiss Confederation!"
Convinced by this argument, for he did not know what the Swiss Confederation was, the uncle commented "Is that so? Then it is all right."