Sarah
on Um Zayd wa Atheer (Uganda), 26/Jul/2010 16:22, 34 days ago
This email was sent to Atheer recently. Atheer came out to Uganda last October and came with me to visit this wonderful family. I first met Sarah as a patient in the hospital. She was paraplegic and had horrendous pressures sores. Eventaully we managed to heal them and she could go home.Dear AtheerSarah, Justine's wife died at midday today. I was travelling with John Kirungi and Moses, the taxi driver, to a village meeting as we received the news. We struggled on with the meeting and then drove on to Apodwera. When we arrived the men were already digging the grave and the women huddled in bunches, some wailing while others were in Sarah's hut praying over her body. She was already preserved in paraffin and as the light faded 2 bowls of paraffin with floating flowers were lit inside the hut beside Sarah's face.Justine greeted us in his usual humble and graceful way. We sat silent for a while, too bereft to speak and then John asked why they were digging the grave so early. The burial was to be on Sunday. You know how poor Justine is so it will come as no surprise to hear that because there was no money for a coffin they needed to dig down to 10 feet. Our final gift to Sarah has been her coffin. As we rose to leave Justine asked me if I wanted to see Sarah's face. I could feel Moses' and John's eyes waiting for my answer. Of course, I said 'Yes', I wanted to say 'Goodbye'. The women shuffled sideways as Justine and I walked side by side into the hut. The wailing ceased and unified with Sarah we said the Lord's Prayer.Two days later, as I send you this message, I feel great saddness but I am not sure why. Sarah was loved by everyone who knew her and especially Justine. Her needs and expectations were few and she will be buried yards from her home and her family. She always smiled and when I saw her 3 weeks ago she was happy.How blessed we are to have family life!Sarah's funeralSarah was buried at her home on Sunday the 18th July. It was raining as we arrived but we were also greeted by the singing of hymns that clung beautifully to the wet gloom. Justine is a spiritual person and he had invited a priest from the Church of Uganda and one also from the Catholic Church. He wanted his wife to have an ecumenical funeral. The grave had been prepared and the mounds of red soil clung to the edge, just. Justine had helped prepared the grave and he stood barefooted in his garden clothes stained from years of toil. He looked old and sad and vulnerable and there was nothing I, or anyone else, could do to help him.The drizzle became a downpour and then a crackling storm. Internments always take place at 4pm but this one could not wait. The pit was fast filling up with water. The men carried Sarah in her purple coffin, high above her family, friends and neighbours. As quickly as possible Sarah was lowered and in turn we were asked to throw her a handful of her precious soil which she had worked for many years and from where she became ill.Always they say here that death is God's will. I struggle with that sometimes....