What happens when it stops?

February 6th, 2008

I caubt a cobd. I hope it goeb abay soon. I hate bbeing ibb.

On Sunday, we had the second round of presidental elections here in Serbia. Our president was re-elected, but the suspense of the day and the evening was rather annoying, as if it was a basketball game and not elections so, under that impression, I stayed up all night, fell asleep in the morning and woke up only once, when one of Lush’s head people called me from UK.

When I woke up at six in the evening, I got to the living room and my mom was sitting there.

Me: Mom, I’m sorry that I slept at such odd time.
Mom: You see, I’m still alive…
Me: Naturally?!
Mom: …but the man next door, unfortunately, isn’t. He died during the night. They couldn’t even take a coffin up here, so they had to carry him.

I asked her to spare me details, as it already sounded as a beginning (or more precisely, an ending) of a very sad story, but as I went to the widow to express my condolescences, I heard everything.

So, the neighbour was a smoker (ever since they moved in, my room was stinking of low-quality cigarettes and it took me ages to figure out why, as I am not a smoker) and he quit smoking after having had a stroke about a year ago. But each time I’d stay up all night, I’d hear him cough in the morning, and it was not a normal cough, it was painful to listen and rather worrying. But, as we were not close as we were with our previous neighbours, I never asked him if he was alright.

Then, on Sunday, he took his wife out for her birthday. They walked to the restaurant and back home, after having reserved the place for next week, as he was planning a retirement party for his friends and soon-to-be ex workmates. After they got home, he sat down to watch a football game on TV and his wife went to have a shower. At some point, he just collapsed and she came back to the living room only to find him on the floor. She was trying to wake him up, she spilled a bucket of water over him, but nothing helped. He was gone.

Not having managed to make friends with anyone in the building, the widow put the announcement of her husband’s death only on the apartment’s door and not also on the front door, the way it’s usually done here. So, basically, when my parents got out in the morning, they were facing a photo of him and the date of his sudden death, 03rd February 2008.

All of this has got me down, even though we were not close…

Filed under Life here |

12 Responses to “What happens when it stops?”

  1. Fatima on February 6, 2008 5:09 pm

    First of all, I want to tell you how much I appreciated your comment on my entry about my dad. You don’t know how much it means to me. We still don’t know if he’ll be able to recover but I pray for him every night..hoping for the best. Thank you so much for caring!

    Deaths are always so hard to take…even when you don’t really know the person. You’re confronted with mortality and it’s scary even though some people try to pretend that it’s not. It is man’s common fate. :(

    It’s so sad…your neighbor passed away on my mom’s birthday. We didn’t really have a fun time that day anyway..because my mom shared her birthday with my grandfather who passed away 2 years ago :(

  2. kandyce on February 6, 2008 5:33 pm

    thsi layout is too cute! great job!

  3. sara on February 6, 2008 7:16 pm

    sorry about your neighbor.but once someone has a stroke they have a greater risk for other dangerous health problems.i agree with the previous commenter your layout is so cool!

  4. Ivy on February 6, 2008 11:23 pm

    That’s really sad to hear. Human compassion (or what’s left of it) transcends friendship, so I’m sure everyone would be bogged down by such an affair.

  5. Michael on February 7, 2008 3:02 am

    Most people sense when it’s their time to pass on. Guess he didn’t.

  6. Fran on February 7, 2008 3:51 pm

    It’s always so sad when stuff like that happens… especially when you hear all the details and they were making plans for the other weekend. It’s just pretty sad. :(
    Even though you weren’t close to him, it’s like one minute they’re there and the next they’re not… and we’re only human, so like someone else said, we have a natural compassion. It’s just sad. :(

  7. Sigg3 on February 7, 2008 6:16 pm

    The end is important in all things.

    A schoolmate of mine died at the age of 18-19 when he was playing volleyball. Had a bad heart apparently.

    I never played volleyball since, instead I took up smoking.

  8. Justine on February 8, 2008 10:48 am

    Goodness gracious. That was sudden of your neighbour, I’m sorry to hear about it. It’s hard to hear things like that, even if you don’t know them that well. But if they’re somehow connected to you, like at school or in the neighbour hood, people you’ve seen and noticed it makes you queasy..

  9. Sarah on February 8, 2008 6:35 pm

    HI! I think knowing someone you know had passed away can make anyone feel down because it gets you to realize that you are mortal and life isn’t something to be taken for granted. But anyway, you said you love Lush (sidebar) so I checked them out and I’m so happy they have a store in Seattle where I can check out. =)I’m going downtown later and definitely will swing by. =)

  10. Chelsea on February 9, 2008 10:04 am

    Sorry you are feeling down. That is a sad story. Especially for the widow. Hope you feel better.

    Your website layout is just amazing. It really is. So clever and unique.

  11. Connie on February 9, 2008 1:37 pm

    I truly believe that everyone has a limited time on earth, and when that time is up, you have to pass on. If it doesnt happen in one form, than in another.

    Death is really only sad for the people who have to stay behind.

    I love the layout Iva!!!

  12. Mira Buva on February 11, 2008 2:45 pm

    Ja sam vec izrazila zaljenje putem maila.

    Zao mi je coveka, iako ga nisam upoznala. :( Ali, mozda je bolje tako, otici u trenutku. Ne znam.

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