The first day of this month, My cousin brother's status on Facebook about the death of his friend startled me. The name he wrote is the name I am familiar with. It's some one I know, a relative from my husband's side in Waai village. She was 20 years old... 1 April is her 20th birthday and the day she returned to her maker. This is my tribute to Little Nona, Loura Gloria Matakupan. Beautiful Soul gone too soon.
We don't really know each other very well.
Our talks were around hello, good bye, see you, how are you, what are you doing now etc...
I never share chat time, discussion time etc like good friends do
but more than words, I remember your smiles and your whole being in those moments I met you.
I met you on Matakupan Family Monthly Prayer Gathering or any Matakupan's Family gathering or Christmas. You are always look different in my eyes. Maybe it is because you are taller than any other girl... May be it was your slight boyish demeanor in you simple sweet attire. You always manage look sweet and polite. I once saw you on the street when you are walking with your friends... You were teasing each other and you laugh out loud... no, we never get to laugh out loud together.
Between us there were always polite, friendly and kind smiles and nods.
We last met on the public transport on the way back to Waai. It was late afternoon and we both were running to catch the same public transport. We sat towards the back of the car, the place where you can open the window and have a bit more space to yourself because on your left/right there's only the rear glass window of the car. We both opened the window and laughed a little laugh commenting on the hot weather and out dusty shoes. The car waited for more people to fill the empty seats. I asked about her study and whether she liked it. She said she liked Medical study and will try to do her best. She asked about my husband, Simon and my daughter, Tania. I asked her about her Taekwondo / Karate that she's doing.
Then more people board the bus. Our chat stopped.
The car began running and we fell to our own world.
She slipped on her earphones and flicked through her phones to find the suitable theme song for the ride. I did the same. My mind was already thinking about the list of things I need to prepare for my departure to England. I worry about my daughter fussy eating and whether she made my mom-in-law tired today.
She wore a pale pink skirt, a white slightly fit to her body Shirt, a dark flat shoes and a sling bag. with her boyish demeanor, she reminded me of the younger boyish me. I wore a Jeans, a blue paisley pattern shirt, a mountain sandals and a black backpack. It was a very dry and dusty day. We both sweat and our skins were matted with sweat, oil and dust. It was not a special day. In fact it was a tiring day. But who would have thought that that sweltering hot day in the public bus was my last memory of you.
Your death got me thinking about life. Your Facebook page was flooded by a mix of Happy Birthday and Condolences. Several of your friends wonder 'aloud' on your page whether it was only an April Fools Prank. I did wish that It was just an awful prank just because you were born on the day everyone pull pranks on each other. But it wasn't. It was true. No fools. No pranks. You were gone.
I scrolled down your page reading each and every comments to the thread.
People are saying how sad and how deeply you are missed. They tell me and the world about who you are: A good Friend, A listener, A kind hearted person but also a cheeky and funny friend. Those comments sum up your 20 years of life.
Your last post on your facebook was...
"Thanks God... for the year past... and thanks god for this new year... bless me god... warn me if I want to make mistake... amien.. Yeahhhhhhh... I'm 20th now" dated 1st of April few hours before you return to your Maker.
I read it with goosebumps running all over my spine.
How very fragile the life of mortals. The bible says "Yet as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death." (1 Sam 20:3). For the next 2 weeks, I found myself kept clicking you facebook profile. I know, it's silly. But I wanted to see all those comments left on your FB page. They knew you;re gone but you are Greatly missed. Picture tribute, messages, statuses tagged to you etc... We may never yet know what happen on the other side... but here on earth life goes on and you are not forgotten.
Today, I saw the draft post about you that was store in my blog archive. I know I must put this on my blog. Because for someone I didn't really close relationship with, you death brought impact to my life and many life around you. God has a purpose for everyone's life, for mine too, and all I know, God has a strange way of letting me know and reminding of what's important in life. All this made me think hard about life, about legacy that you left behind. I am no perfect person. but I can start today to do things differently with my life.
Farewell Little Nona Loura. Rest in the arms of your Maker. God give strength and comfort to family and friends you left behind. --
