India, Jan. 25 -- I've taken to long-distance road trips. That's why I chose to drive from Mumbai to Kochi, where my mother lives. On my return, I asked Uncle Toney, my father's younger brother, if he would like to drive back with me. Uncle Toney is not a man who does things because someone wants him to. He does them because he decides to. At 77, he is also the last of my father's siblings still standing; a living link to a time that shaped me without ever quite explaining itself. So when he called to say he would ride with me, as far as a friend's home in Bengaluru, I understood the weight of the moment immediately. We agreed to leave early. He is a stickler for time. When I reached his door on the dot, he was ready, and pleased. It felt l...