Sadness

This afternoon my friend Dominique asked me if I could help her pick up a small refrigerator that she had lent to her tennis instructor Katina, and her car wasn't big enough to fit it inside. Tragically, Katina's 17 year-old son died suddenly a few weeks ago, of a heart attack. I had heard about this in the expat community, but I did not know her personally. I believe I had met her once at an event and knew she was divorced and lived with her son who was a talented tennis player. Apparently he had an enlarged heart, or it had thickened because of his extensive training, and he died in her arms in his bedroom after coming back from tennis practice. Just awful.

We got to Katina's apartment and I did not know what to say to her. Dominique introduced me but not really knowing her at all, was I supposed to offer my condolences? Was it rude not to? I just did not know what to do or say. Katina brought us into her son's bedroom to see if we needed any of his clothes since she was giving everything away as she was moving back to the US.  We took everything she offered us, but were looking at each other not knowing if we really should have. When I got home, I just sat and stared at the pile of clothes and thought about how unfair life was sometimes. About how that poor boy was never going to be able to wear his Nike sweatshirt or that Columbia rain jacket ever again. And about his poor mother who had to watch him die like that. Don't ever take life for granted. When my kids get home from school I am going to hug them even harder than usual.