angrboda

When we first met Ange, she was going out with an awesome guy, named Lourens. He has flown out from London for the funeral. One of her good mates, Grant, has also flown out, from Dublin. Both of them are crashing with us for a few nights. I have sent Lee (my "better" half), Lourens & Grant out to the pool hall round the corner from where we stay, for a few much-needed pints to "drown their sorrows". I think that it's the only way men know how when it comes to confronting such intense anger & grief. Us women generally deal with these kind of things quite openly, amidst lots of talking & tears, but men tend to bottle up their emotions. After all: "Boys Don't Cry", right? Shit, man, it's just sooo not healthy. So the way I see it is - if a bit of alcoholic medicine will help them open up & pull one another through the rough times, then so be it. I just hope they don't go overboard & drive home badly in the rain. We sure don't need another saga on our hands.

Angie's fiance, Richard, & her younger brother, Donovan, were also planning on joining them a little later on. Who would've thought that this "coming together" of all these young blokes (aged 26 - 30) would've happened over such an insane tragedy. They should've all been getting together for a bachelor party in 5 month's time, not preparing for a fucking funeral

I'm sorry, but it's just so bloody unfair. I'm off to bed now. Hope I can "keep it together" during my speech at the funeral tomorrow...

On Thursday morning, Lee, Lourens, Grant & I went to the funeral home at the memorial park to say our final goodbyes to Angie. I went into the viewing room alone. It was the first time I had studied a dead body in a coffin, up close & personal. It looked nothing like her. I found myself smoothing out her eyebrows; they were a bit disheveled. I have never felt anything so cold; her skin was like marble in the shade. After a few seconds of intense sadness, I felt this amazing sense of peace wash over me. And I knew I had shed my final tear.

The spot in the memorial gardens where Rich & the family have chosen to lay her ashes is lovely - alone, in the shade of a sapling, facing the new house that she & Rich were to be moving into on the day of her funeral.

The memorial service later that afternoon was also quite beautiful. The venue was exquisite (a Tuscan-styled country setting), the weather sublime, & the tributes very moving.

The one dark cloud that continues to hang over Rich & the family, however, is the fact that the autopsy did not manage to reveal the actual cause of death, & hence will hinder the sense of closure that they so desperately seek. Angie's death certificate merely reads: Unnatural Causes...

That will be great, with everyone being mostly overseas it is nice to meet someone local. Love that profile pic of you.

P.S. Thanks for the heads up on the site address, don't know what I was thinking.
You may also want to look at www.thebam.co.za it's a online mag that's into the body adornment scene, membership is free, so take a look.

[Edited on Nov 20, 2005 1:19PM]

Welcome....i really like your drawings!!!