In March of the year of the Lord 2000, a lady moved next door to my house. One day I saw her leaving home wearing a very brightly coloured red jacket and, as she walked by me, said “good morning”.

Later that evening I spotted her in a blue jacket. In typical Bermudian pokiness, I decided to say, “Wow, you have a nice selection of jackets, first red and now blue”.

Her: “Excuse me, do I know you?”

Me: “Um yeah, you spoke to me this morning on your way out.”

Her: “No, young man, you and I have never spoken before.”

So either this was a senior moment or I had not had enough coffee for the day, because either way I was extremely confused. I decided it best to just mind my business and hush my mouth.

The next day two ladies approached me. There and then I had my answer. They were sisters who everyone had mistaken as twins for their entire lives. Triplets when they were with their brother.

They made it clear that the best way to tell them apart was to know that one sister had a saucy mouth, while the second sister was the one with a saintly mouth.

In typical Bermudian custom, from that day forward, the second lady always spoke to me or came by our house every time she came into the neighbourhood.

If she saw me on the street she always had the broadest of smiles and the warmest of embraces.

Over the years she began to patronise my wife’s salon every so often to have a manicure.

We often got a chance to chat during those visits, with her giving me history lessons about her days growing up in Pembroke and spending countless hours inside the walls of St Monica’s mission, where her father was lay reader.

At times she would ask questions about different subject matters I may have written about. This often led to long discussions about Bermudian values and how we need to support each other in every shape and form.

At other times I would see her at her place of employment, diligently doing her job and interacting with clients in a highly professional and personable way. She epitomised what customer service was all about.

As fate would have it, on Saturday I was standing on top of Till’s Hill and saw a blue car approaching.

As I looked closer I saw the driver waving at me. This would be our last Earthly interaction as she passed on to glory the next day.

Key West Rangers, now PHC, will have one less fan cheering them on. St George’s Boys Forever will have one less diehard supporter when they need it the most.

People’s Pharmacy has gained another Guardian Angel.

Her co-workers will find it impossible to replace her. Her friends, too numerous to mention, will wish she never left them.

Her family will mourn her loss. Three children, six grandchildren, five great-grands and one great-great-grand all raised under her guiding hands and loving heart.

Without a doubt, it may be hardest on her “twin” aka “Wittie” aka “Saucy Mouth”, who shared a combined 180-plus years of life with her.

Ms Joan Richardson née Wade aka St Joan of Arc aka Saintly Mouth. We love you.

P.S. Please ask St Peter to reserve a spot for “Wittie”, she means well.