Lulie has passed away

My great friend and mentor Princess Lulie (see entries April 21, 2007, Sept 4, 2009) has finally passed away peacefully in her sleep a few days ago. The picture above was taken at her flat in London in June this year. She was –probably- 96 years old, although her three passports, Jordanian, Egyptian and British- told three different stories. I worshipped Lulie. I smoked the same cigarettes as she, I wore the same perfume, I tried to be Lulie. I failed of course, and became Sophie instead, which is perhaps Ok, too... But I became who I am because of Lulie. Lulie was buried at Mortlake cemetery yesterday, in a simple Islamic ceremony. There will be a party in her memory at the Chelsea Arts Club towards the spring, and I will go back to London for it, even if it is the wrong time for me to go to London. There will be an obituary of Lulie in the Independent. I wrote it over many years, pretending to need to go to the loo whenever she said anything revealing about her life, and then jotting the nugget down. I will of course post it here too. I went for mass at Bamako cathedral last Sunday and lit a candle for Lulie. But somehow to pray that she would Rest In Peace seemed inappropriate. It sounds too boring for Lulie. I hope instead that she is even now meeting all the people that she wanted to meet: Aristotle, Hume and Mozart etc.. They will be pleased with her arrival, while we will miss her here, and she can never ever be replaced....