I was planning on blogging about the K's Choice concert, but one short text message from one of my uncles in Indonesia late last night turned my world upside down. My Indonesian is a bit rusty, but that one sentence hit home loud and clear: opa had passed away yesterday at 3pm local time. I texted back asking him when the burial was. Today. I was devastated: there was just no way Mom, Arnold and I were able to attend.
I canceled my plans for the remainder of the week and drove home like a bat out of hell. (Cross your fingers I won't have any speeding tickets!) I picked up my brother, whose boss was kind enough to send him home, and then I was left with the task to tell mom her father had passed away yesterday.
Even though she seems to take it surprisingly well, I don't want to leave her alone right now. Arnold and I are the only family she has here.
- Opa on the left, and an army buddy.
I feel bad for not visiting opa more often - especially as his health was visibly deteriorating, and it broke my heart to see him like that. I wasn't as close to him as I wished I was, and part of it really is to blame on distance: being literally half a world away doesn't work in anyone's favors.
From what I've heard, he was a truly wonderful man. He didn't discriminate, and was kind to everybody. He was a doctor before he retired, and I've heard stories of people traveling many miles just to see him for whatever ailed them.
Even though he didn't fully understand why I was still single and childless at my age (different culture, different generation), I knew he was very proud of me and all my accomplishments, and my adventurous spirit. (He was also very proud of my brother.) Speaking of which: ever since I started traveling I've made it a habit of sending opa a postcard from wherever in the world I was. The last time I visited he showed me he had saved each and everyone of them.
His passing away will be a great loss to the family.
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