I used to hear this a lot, that, until you lose someone very close to you then you will never know how painful death is. I experienced this a few months back and up to now I am still not ready to talk about it, all I can do is confirm that it is exactly how people described it. It is a real nightmare. There is no easy way to say this, but some people can be so cold, insensitive and plain dumb at times. I am not a traditionalist; I can’t claim to have ever worn makgabe or danced in any traditional dance troupe. Well, I once tried but didn’t make the cut. Too light, clumsy and too tall and skinny are just some of the excuses I was given at the time. Primary school teachers then had no tact and hey, I grew up in an era where children were to be seen and not heard. I could not argue.
For the benefit of a few lucky people who have never experienced death of a close family member, the one thing you never forget about death, even after many years is how the news reached you; where you were at and what you were doing at the time. You just never forget that and just like any other traumatic experience, often times you find yourself replaying the moment repeatedly in your head like you could undo it. It sticks to your mind.
