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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 May 2000 Issue No. 481 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 May 2000 Issue No. 481
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Books Features Interview Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Time and the reaper
I have been plunged in grief recently, due to the death of my older brother's son. He was a retired major-general, over seventy, but I still remember how I used to carry him on my shoulder when he was a small child.
What increases my pain is the fact that I find myself unable to attend the funeral or even pay my respects to his family in person. My health does not allow me to go out as much as I would have liked to, and there are also security considerations. Nor can I take part in any public gatherings.
I have had to apologise more times than I care to remember because I could not attend an event organised in my honour, and other occasions, whether joyous or sad, involving people who are close to me.
The strange thing is the deceased's father and mother, as well as his grandparents on both sides, enjoyed very long lives -- some of them lived to see their 100th birthday. Two of his brothers died before him, however, and they had not yet reached retirement age.
At any rate, such is God's will. Death comes when it comes. All we can do is think of this world, and of humanity, which lives and dies in the space of a breath. I sit here, pondering these matters, and my sadness seems about to overwhelm me at times.
My older brother's sons were very close to me. I played with them when they were children. The last time I saw the one who died recently was when he came to visit me in hospital, at the time of that unfortunate incident.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
