Claire Hsu Accomando: Memoirs and Lessons from Armenian Nani and Her Sisters

Nani told you never to be afraid of having enemies. What more life lessons do did you receive from her?

My grandmother was a free spirit. She was very disciplined in certain ways, but was not awed by authority. Her piano time was sacred, and she took great care of her appearance. She came down for breakfast fully dressed, and wearing shoes. Her black hair formed neat waves around her face. All the buttons of her dress were properly matched with their button holes. At a time when color had been boiled out of our clothes due to lack of soap, she added a scarf to her black dress and looked like a grande dame. She taught me the importance of self-discipline.

On the other hand, she was whimsical and spontaneous and when at a loss for an answer was not afraid to invent one. At the time of the liberation when an American soldier gave me a stick of chewing gum, she told me to chew but not swallow. When my jaw started to ache, I asked her what I should do. Without hesitation she told me to wrap it in my hanky and save it for the next day.

Sometimes when my mother reprimanded me, Nani took my side and reminded her that I meant well. When it was evident, I didn’t mean well, she asked for clemency by mentioning that I probably had experienced a bad day at school. On walks she picked up pretty pebbles and we washed them when we came home. She took care of her pianist’s hands and her only domestic chore was washing tea cups. Mama placed two dish pans on the dining room table, one for scrubbing, the other for rinsing. Before doing the task, Nani read us our future from the pattern formed by the black tea leaves at the bottom of the white cup.

In catechism we learned that not telling the truth was a sin, so when I caught my mother lying to a Nazi soldier, I asked Nani if Mama had committed a sin. She answered that lying to the devil was not a sin, in fact it was the opposite. The answer was clear and satisfying.

Nani taught me to savor the moment and to care for things and people. She exemplified the importance of being passionate yet flexible, and indicated that rules were not absolute.

 It was a nice surprise to find among other interesting documents in the personal files of Marguerite Babaian at the Museum of Literature and Art of Armenia also a letter addressed to her by your father Fuyun Hsu (1905–2005). He worked for United Nations and was the founders of UNICEF, and also was a Tai Chi teacher. How did this gentleman feel as a part of your French-Armenian family?

My father came from China to France as a very young man. He had received a scholarship at the Sorbonne where he studied law. He arrived early for the lectures and sat in the front of the amphitheater so as to catch every French word. One day he noticed a young woman standing at the back of the room and offered her his seat. Although Nicolette Laloy never sat in front rows, to be polite she accepted. This is how my parents met. Because my grandfather was interested in Chinese music and had traveled to China, Fuyun Hsu was welcomed into the Laloy home. Papa was captivated by the Armenian side of the family and took voice lessons from Tante Margit.

Your extended family included various countries and ethnicities. In Paris and Yerevan, I met one of your cousins, actress and poet Marianne Auricoste Babaian and Helene Carbonelle and I was also in touch with one of your relatives, Jean-Sérène Laloy, who even used Armenian words. I felt that the Armenian identity is quite strong in them.

My son and his wife live in Los Angeles. They have a house in North Hollywood, but used to live in Glendale. Both places have a lively Armenian community. When he visits me, he brings wine and delicious baked goods from the Armenian stores and bakeries that thrive in his neighborhood.

I recently returned from a family reunion in France. My cousin Erik Laloy, son of my mother’s brother, Jean Laloy, generously invited over sixty family members to Normandy to celebrate his 80^th birthday. I had not seen him in sixty-three years. I met many of my accomplished cousins for the first time at this lively gathering. There were slide presentations, readings and musical performances. Marianne Auricoste-Babaian spoke emotionally of her memorable visit to Yerevan a few years ago with Helene Carbonelle, her cousin. As the oldest I shared my childhood memories. This epic reunion made me immensely proud of being a member of this amazing family, that issued from Avetik and Sophia Babaian.