Losing A Loved One

FZ knocked and entered my room. Her smile was a bit stiff.

I had taught her French in 2007. During the first lessons, she spoke a little bit Mandarin and Cantonese to me. Later, she told me that she enjoyed watching Hong Kong drama very much and that she was still learning the language on her own after her two semesters of Mandarin course. She used to come to my office to talk about her campus life which included her boyfriend. After she had gone for her practical training in Kuala Lumpur and later come back to Melaka to further her diploma studies, she visited me less.

Several weeks ago, she popped in with a Chinese exercise book to ask me if I could help her with the characters. As I was very free this semester, I granted her the service. Since then, I met her once or twice a week to teach her the pronunciation of words, the order of writing the strokes and the origin of a few Chinese characters. We also discussed other interesting topics. I liked her serious learning attitude and cheerful character.

Last Wednesday, she was more quiet than usual. At first I thought she was lack of sleep. I found out the reason when she asked me if I was aware of the fatal accident which had killed four students of our campus the previous week and revealed to me that her former boyfriend was one of the victims! I had been told about the sad news when I was having breakfast with SS near the traffic light where the violent collision had taken place. We even drove further up that junction and were shocked by the state of the completely damaged car which had not been removed. Never had I expected that FZ's once beloved was involved in that terrible crash.

They were no longer in the relationship one year earlier. Lately he had been keen to contact her again by telephone, hoping to patch up. But FZ's hardened heart was not moved by the kind boy's loving words, until she lost him forever. She started to miss him again but it was too late.

"He was such a nice boy. All my family liked him very much and even considered him my future husband. But my feelings for him simply faded one year after we were together though I didn't fall in love with any other guy. I didn't want to pretend that I was still loving him, so I asked for the separation. Maybe God had been preparing my heart to let him go."

"I think so. If you were still together, you'd feel worse."

"I'm keeping his last short message in my cell phone. He said that if I still refused to accept him, he would not pester me anymore. I also didn't convey any greetings to him on his birthday last October. I must have hurt him."

"Now that he's gone, you should focus on your loved ones who are still around. I also lost my father three years ago who was the dearest person to me. I thought I would never get that kind of fatherly love from anyone else. But because of his passing, I've grown closer to my Father God, who gives me His abundant love and also teaches me to love others like myself. I never blame God for not letting him live longer because I believe that my workaholic father needed a long rest, and that God wants me to put Him first in my heart. I still miss my father while I pay more attention to my mother whom I used to neglect a bit."

"Thanks for your sharing, Miss. I'll try to think positively."

Losing my beloved father was a sorrow to me, but my loving Father God has wiped away my tears and gives me the assurance to see him again in heaven. So I am eager to bring this Bible hope to my living loved ones, so that one day we will all gather together in His New Kingdom.