Fragile
This morning started like any other morning. After the usual morning routine, I started up my computer, checked my emails and then started on some ‘housekeeping’ of my files. I generated an invoice for a job I had just completed last night and sent it off to my client.
Later around lunch time I casually opened my Facebook account just to see what was on. Boy was I shocked when I read an update by one of the pages I was following, saying (translated), “Indonesia Unite conveys its deepest condolences on the passing away of our brother, Alex Abimanyu, one of the initiators of Indonesia Unite movement. May the Lord grant him with a fitting place by His side, for his services, works, aspiration and dreams for this nation. Amen.” My reaction was, “What? That can’t be!”
Alex, who is only 33 years old, is an acquaintance I have first met in 2005 when I was still working at the Indonesian Red Cross. At that time he was working for the consortium of Indonesian consultants (Konsorsium Konsultan Indonesia) who was working closely with the Indonesian Red Cross on the reconstruction efforts of the tsunami operation. Later on, we befriended ourselves on Facebook and kept casual contacts.
Sometime in 2008, he and his lovely wife Dinda founded a makeup & photography creative house, Shimmer Inc. which sells photography services with unique concept and makeup. A friend of mine had already tried it and was satisfied, so I decided to try it myself. That’s when I had a more personal contact with Alex and of course Dinda.
During this brief time of contact with Alex and Dinda, I always got a warm and fuzzy feeling seeing them together. They are such a cute couple, very publicly but decently intimate. You could just feel the chemistry between them, and that they were honestly and deeply in love. They both have great personality which really complimented each other’s. You can see how their love has survived a lot, and indeed it has. You can read about Dinda’s struggle to survive breast cancer in several magazines, and how Alex was bravely and loyally standing by her side.
They are both on my Facebook and Twitter friends list, and I have always enjoyed reading their little bit of funny updates and tweets about their lives, maybe because I sort of knew (or was at least convinced) that they were real. Last night, I remember reading Dinda’s update saying that Alex had a mild symptom of typhoid fever. I didn’t think much of it – I had symptoms of typhoid fever twice, and as long as one has enough sleep and rest, they’d be fine.
Later at midnight, Dinda said she finally succumbed to her hunger and called McDonalds to her rescue. That’s the last update from herself, and at this moment, her Facebook wall is full of condolences wishes. I was very much shocked to read the updates… especially since the night before it seems that everything is just alright. Of course, a Facebook status doesn’t always tell the whole story… but still, it gives an impression. One of the radio stations reported that he had died of a heart attack at 6 a.m. this morning.
When I informed one of my friends (who had also done a photo session with them) he was also very shocked. We conversed over the phone for a while about how fragile one’s life is. Everything, anything can happen to anyone at any time. Age is no longer an issue, everyone is as fragile as the next person. My friend said, one should really live as if today was the last day of our lives. I can’t agree with him more… and on top of that, make sure your loved ones know that you love them. You may never get the chance to tell them again.
My heart goes out to Dinda and Alex’s family who have been left behind. I pray that the God of Avraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov blesses them with love, peace and consolation, and that their loss and wounds will be healed perfectly, in Yeshua HaMashiach’s name. Amen.