After
sailing on the Atlantic Universal for about Nine months, I signed off the ship
in Sheerness, England and went back home.
I did not
have happy feelings on arrival at home because of the news I’ve already had
about my father’s ill health. He went through a major operation but did not
seem to recover, well. This made us very sad.
In the
meantime, I applied to the Maritime College in Sydney, Australia and within a few
weeks after having received my acceptance, I had to make necessary preparations
to proceed to Australia latest by end January in the coming year. Whatever the
work I had, I always found time to take my father to the doctors for
consultations and treatment.
Christmas
that year was not a good one for my family and I.
New year
was dawn, and I left for Australia with my wife on January 28 that year. Upon arrival in Sydney, we were met and taken
to his house by one time the superintendent of the shipping company I worked
for. He helped us to find an apartment
and when we found a suitable one we shifted to live there.
I joined
the college, and started attending classes the first week of February. I called
my father regularly, and it appeared his condition was deteriorating. I was engrossed in my studies preparing for
the forthcoming exams and without my knowledge I had let a few weeks pass
without checking on my father’s health condition.
I
immediately called home when I realised this, but unfortunately the telephone
was out of order. Then I contacted one of my father’s brothers who told me that
his condition was not very good. I felt that he avoided giving me details.
On the 7th
of April 1989, I returned home after completing one paper. Well, I had no
problems answering that and I thought that being a Friday I must have a good
evening.
Around 4.15
p.m. the telephone rang, when I picked it up for a moment I thought it was my
father’s voice but what that person said was not clear. I immediately called
home and was happy to have found the phone working.
My mother’s
cousin answered the phone and he asked me to hold on while my mother came on
line. She could not talk and was breaking down; with great difficulty she said
“Son, your father passed away. On hearing this the receiver in my hand fell on
the floor and, with that the line was disconnected.
I called
again and my mother’s cousin came on line and told me that my father passed
away at home at about 12.00 noon on that day.
It was very
bad news. With all I knew of my father’s sickness I always thought that he
would live for another few years.
I was all
alone and wept uncontrollably with thoughts of my father tearing my heart, soul
and my very being.
I had
nothing much to do; I called home and spoke with my mother once again. I confirmed
that it is impossible for me to attend the funeral and therefore they ought not
to delay it but have it on Sunday when it’s convenient for people to attend.
She agreed and said she will convey the message to my brother.
Thereafter,
I began to pray and I refer to the following verse from the Holy bible:
John 11 : 25 –26
Then I
imagined that, ‘my father had served the purpose of God and has returned back
to Him.’
