Today I found out that Pappy past away 2 months ago. My heart sank when I heard the news, and tears began to flood my eyes. I knew this sweet, gentle, lonely man for less than a month, yet the news pierced my heart as if he was family. Flashbacks took me immediately to the day we parted – I brought over to him the last breakfast that I could before we were heading out. I asked if I could take a picture with him, it was then that he began to cry which then affected me that i also began to cry. He later came over to Abi and Lilly’s (our host family) house and wanted to say farewell to me one last time. I broke down as soon as i saw him, and we embraced, sobbing in tears. He told me I was like a daughter to him (through translation), i told him that i would not forget him. Farewell was indeed bittersweet, more bitter than sweet actually.
Since then I had often thought about Pappy and remembered to pray for him that he wouldn’t be lonely and would feel God’s love and comfort.
In the few weeks that I knew Pappy, this is what I remember him to be: a gentle, sweet, caring elderly man who lost his wife several years ago. She was the love of his life, you can tell by the way he talked about her. He teared up when he told me that she past away. He loved the neighbourhood children and would daily visit the store to buy candies for them to eat. He spent most of his days sitting on a wooden bench right outside his house watching the neighbours and cars walk by. I would bring meals over to him from Lilly’s cooking and we would have limited hand gestured conversations and the few Romanian words that i did know. The times we spent together, I would sit beside him every time I passed his house. We couldn’t say much to each other without my host family’s daughter, Alex who was my translator. I would ask him how to say “car”, “pants” and “hat” in Romanian – he often wore a chapeau. He would tell me how to say it in Romanian, I repeat and he would laugh at me. I purposely would say it wrong because I enjoyed watching him laugh. Maybe that was selfish of me but it made me smile when he smiled, without teeth and all. We had the privilege of repainting his house. He would bring us soda and cookies like we were children but we accepted his gracious offer.
Please keep me in prayer as I am getting to really know and love the family I am currently staying with in Kenya. I already said farewell to Emmy’s mother today which was also difficult fighting back tears. I am dreading the end of the month already when we leave the family. But for now, I remember Pappy and the great man that he was.
Pappy, I know you are not lonely anymore and that you are rejoicing with your wife now in Heaven. I remember you and I shall always remember you.
