د . إAEDSRر . س

GUEST POST: ‘Coronavirus Took My Aunt Away And I Didn’t Even Get To Say Goodbye’

Article Featured Image

My cousin called me out of the blue last week. “Aunt Mina died; she lost her battle to COVID-19.”

I couldn’t reply. I felt a great pain in my chest. Like something tightened up inside me. It hurt so much. What could I do? I can’t replace Aunt Mina.

What torments me the most is that I couldn’t say goodbye.

I heard on the news that people cried because they didn’t get to wish farewell to loved ones who succumbed to COVID-19. I felt for these people but I never thought that it would happen to me. I feel it now. Excruciating pain and heart break.

It’s true what they say. Make the most of every single minute. Enjoy the company of those you love because you never know what’s round the corner.

I lost someone before. My sister. I guess I was too young then to understand what that kind of separation meant. But now I can’t shake this feeling. I find myself thinking of Aunt Mina. I know she’s in God’s hands now, or at least that’s what I tell myself in order to feel better. She was such a good person. I can’t even describe how much she meant to me. She was always there.

We lived far away; she lived in Italy and I live in Malta yet every time I went to visit, time stopped. “Bella mia” she used to salute me and hug me tight. I felt like years stood still.

She was a seamstress and loved dresses, even at home she always wore one.

On her dress you couldn’t help noticing cotton thread and a sewing needle stuck on the waist line of the dress she was wearing. She often forgot that she carried a sewing needle and when she hugged me she always poked me with it. “Ouch” I would say sometimes say, but really, who cares when you see such an outpouring of love?

COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate. With its sharpened scythe, the virus has mowed down so many lovely people. It eclipsed the beauty of life ,stealing joy from so many families. I was going to visit her this year as I promised I would. I will still go visit her but she won’t be able to hug me this time and I won’t have that sewing needle poking me. I will bring her flowers.

Tulips were her favourite flowers and I’ll bring them to say “So long, Auntie Mina. You meant so much to me.”

RIP Aunt Mina

Lovin Malta is open to external contributions that are well written and thought provoking. If you would like your commentary to be featured as a guest post, please write to [email protected], add Guest Post in the subject line and attach a profile photo for us to use near your byline. Contributions are subject to editing and do not necessarily represent Lovin Malta’s views.

READ NEXT: With 3 Traffic Fatalities In A Week, Why Isn't Malta Tackling The Tarmac Virus?

Sam is a journalist, artist and writer based in Malta. Send her pictures of hands or need-to-know stories on politics or art on [email protected].

You may also love

View All