BY JOVIE HRIEHWAZI
I WAS SAD TO SEE HIM GO; it was shocking, heartbreaking and terrifying for someone I had known so much about and learned so much from, even to the extreme of sharing tears. He just left without saying goodbye or even letting me say a word of thanks.
The sudden passing of my great uncle, Bill at Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) on 8 January 2012 at 1.30 pm was a remorseful and mournful event in my life.
Most people knew him as a man full of laughter and happiness with no grudges against someone. He always forgave and forgot. With a smile cheering up depressed people or even greeting an old ladies who looked lost in their own world.
He complained of chest pain on the night of 7 January taking in pills, milk and fruit, but it did him no good. The pain he was going through seemed fine to his family because he wasn’t showing signs of exhaustion or fear of death.
On that night he locked himself in his room without his wife’s knowledge of what he was going through. Three hours passed and at about 9pm he came out of the room dashing to the shower with sweat gripping off him as rain, even forgetting his towel which seemed quite odd because he never forgot a requirement.
Coming out of the shower he spoke his last words to his wife and younger brother “I’m ready, let’s go the hospital”.
On the way to PMGH he looked calm and relaxed, with mixed emotions the wife asked, “Are you feeling any pain around the chest area?” With a firm reply he said, “Not really,” acting all innocent for the true phenomenon in him was just waiting for the right moment to spill.
At PMGH it was very busy with cries of patients in need of help. Uncle Bill, the wife and brother waited till they were attended to at around 12 pm. At that instant when he was told to lie on the bed he began to produce large amounts of sweat, his body was shaking like a trembling child with cold, and his blood pressure began to drop.
All types of revival techniques were used but nothing could be done, and at about 1.30 am he was pronounced dead.
As I write this story I dearly miss my great uncle, all the good times and bad times.
The time for saying goodbye has come but not goodbyes forever. I know we will still meet up in the clouds of heaven. May your soul rest in peace, Uncle Bill.
Jovie Hriehwazi (17) was born in Lae and is a student at Port Moresby International School. He loves to play soccer, read books and listen to music
Jovie - One can only express comiserations at your loss. You sound like a very decent person who clearly loved your Uncle Bill.
At 17, to express such love for your Uncle, you are an inspiration to me.
Posted by: Jim Wilson | 08 March 2012 at 08:29 PM