Wednesday 4 March 2009

Shock

It's funny how effervescent your life seems to be at the moment (not that mine was, it's just that I need to make an example) when suddenly something happens that just knocks the wind out of you.

The house phone rings incessantly during my afternoon slumber. I want to block it out, oh it would be wonderful if I could, but the heat radiating through my window and the noise the phone was making just forces me to give up right away. As I wake up and wipe the sweat that has formed on my face the call out to see if anyone is going to bother answering the phone.

I arrive at the top of the stairs and see the phone being reached for. The phone is on the landing between the two flights of stairs, so I just manage to get a peek at the phone being picked up. I decide to go back to sleep.

But as I lie back down, all sweaty and hot, I hear an exclaimation. It's not very loud, but just very prominent. You don't expect to hear someone go "HUH" during a conversation. Naturally I assume there's trouble.

Oh but I'm sure it has nothing to do with me. Then I hear it again. Damn, will I never get peace? Fine, I wake up, and go downstairs, only to find a worried face staring back at me from the phone. No it's not a worried look. It's the look you get when you find out something that's hard to comprehend, and you're curious to know about it, but feeling bad about it at the same time? Picture it yet? I thought not.

"Uncle FS passed away"

Okay firstly let me just say Uncle FS is a very very very very very very good friend of my father's. They're like super close. When I say close I mean like...like... Well, that's actually none of your business, now is it? Okay let's look at the figures. Imagine your bestest friend in the whole wide world. Okay now times that with like a bazillion. Then picture your friend taking you in when you didn't have shelter, and when your parents passed away, and taking you to your very first scholarship interview. Yes, that kind of friends. So naturally my reply is:

"WHAT!"

And it wouldn't have had such an impact on me, had we not met his family just a mere two to three weeks ago, when they suddenly dropped in on us. For the first time, the two families met. Yes, first time. Everyone was so happy and all. Yes. Two weeks ago. So naturally the next thing I say is:

"WHAT!!!"

It's just so sad. Like I said: You can be strolling happily like an elf on the street one day, and WHAM a boulder comes and takes you out just like that. Or the Grim Reaper just appears and grabs you. It's a very subjective metaphor.

Life is short people. Make the best of it while it still counts. Take your parents for regular check-ups. :D No pun intended. My condolences to Uncle FS's family.

This is the blogger's one hundreth post. He expects to be congratulated after reaching lucky number one hundred after two years of blogging.

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