April 27, 2018
On this date, my friend and my classmate for four years in high school, Zardy, perished after a fire burnt down his shop in the middle of the night. That night, he decided not to go home to his family and instead he stayed over at his shop and slept there. He, along with his two employees, died tragically from that fire.
I felt profound sadness upon hearing the tragic news. He was a very good and loyal friend not just to me, but also to my older brother (we were in high school together from first year to fourth year high school as he had one year off that's why we ended up in the same class together). My brother and I remained close with Zardy even after graduating from high school. We had a strong bond of friendship.
This sad news brought up so much pain again because my friend's death was the same as my father's. My father also died from a fire tragedy in a hotel where he was staying. My father's body didn't get burnt, though. He died from asphyxia by suffocation, whereas my good friend was severely burnt. Still, both deaths were equally horrific regardless of the manner of their passing. I can't bear the thought of anyone dying in such a tragic way. I could just imagine the suffering and the anguish that they felt when they knew that they would die from that fire, that there was no way out, that they were nearing the end of their life. I prayed that my friend called out to Jesus before he drew his last breath.
Today
It has been two years since my friend passed away. He was gone too soon, too young. He was only 37 when he died. I think about his wife and their two children right now. I pray that his family will be comforted as they remember their loved one today.
Truly, the grief and sorrow was quite overwhelming at the time. My loneliness brought me to write this poem for him (previously posted on Steemit).
I wish I could step back in time,
And return to this place where our peals of laughter were heard.
I wish I did not get angry at you when help was what you needed,
And I wish I could really say sorry
Given that I had already muddled up.I wish I was able to reach out to you
To take back all the things that I never meant to say.
But now it's too late, because your future is done.Now I can't disregard the silence and put it all behind me.
I want to scream, but all I can do is snivel for all the things I've ultimately lost.
There might have been some battles that I have won
But I guess they don't count anymore
Because now I am suffering defeat
Realising that you are finally gone.
Gone too soon; too young to reach your doom.
Now all I can say is "Goodbye, my friend,
We'll see each other again in Heaven."
