Farewell and goodbye

The weather on the day was partially dark with thick cloud cover, dampness, chilly, windy and rainy conditions. I was with other participants that day. RN Abby called me as I walked past her ( in the nurse station) and said, Are you going to Mark’s funeral? The funeral was arranged one week after he passed away or has anybody come to you and said if you want to go? You were working with him most of the shift, I mean you worked most of the shift with him. I said nobody told me about it until and she was like well it’s not that you have to but if you’re interested you should. Mrs Craigen would be happy to see you and would appreciate your support and presence, she said. I thought they would live stream it for the fellow participants to watch or some other might go to the funeral service; however they were not. 

During lunchtime I went to the dining room to get some food for the client I was supporting. Suddenly, Tamara, one of the colleagues asked me, Navin, are you coming to the funeral? I would love to but I’m with Peter today. She said well I thought you might be coming over. If you are interested in going, go and talk to Maria—team leader and tell her that you want to go. 

I went to see her in her office and she was kind of busy talking to someone and I just sneaked in knocking on the door. As they were into conversation I waited for them to finish talking and then asked her if anyone from Eskleigh was going to the funeral. Yeah some of them were, she replied. I told her if I could go as well. Okay I’m just going to get someone else to take care or take over from you. She went to the activity TL Kendra and asked her if she could help with allocating the participants after 1330 hours and then she asked me to fill in the timesheet for the partial leave. 

I got into Tamara’s car as she was willing to take her car and then drop me back to Eskleigh once the funeral service was done. 

Friday 30th of June 2023 was the day we went to Longford Catholic Church for the funeral of Mark Alexander Craigen. Mass of Christian Burial for the repose of the soul of Mr Mark Alexander Craigen at St Augustine's Catholic Church, Goderich Street, Longford on Friday, 30th June 2023 commencing at 2pm. The interment will follow in the Longford Catholic cemetery.

Tamara and I just arrived at the Catholic Church and saw the T.M. Foley Funeral service car parked just at the entrance to the church where the coffin was placed. As we felt that we were the first to arrive at the church and then we decided to take another step back. The service was supposed to start at 1400 hours. A lady from the funeral service standing just at the entrance advised us to come in and enquired if we were from Eskleigh. She said it is quite warm inside rather than standing in the freezing cold outside. We made our way to the front door and entered the building with a small group of people who were standing in front of us. The priest and the people from funeral services were all busy with the church ceremony so they were seen walking down the hall getting things together for the funeral. 

We took our seats in the back of the room with a few people standing around waiting for them to come. After some time Mrs Craigen, Daniel and Jenifer and other members of the family arrived. They were greeted by their family members at the church where they had gathered to celebrate the life of their beloved son. As she walked through the church she saw me and said hello, how are you? To which I said good. She said to the other lady who I suppose was her sister. He looked after Mark in MGH and in Eskleigh. Thanks for coming, suddenly she said Is she your wife? to Tamara who was sitting next to me. Before I could even answer her question she ( Tamara) laughed and said that she was her “work wife”. Later she told everyone she knew about it that Navin is my new work wife. 

After some time saw Lisa Harris and Cameron Martin join the service followed by Kevin Martin Sanchit, Harry and Daniel. 

The funeral service started at 1400 hours and the priest performed the ceremony with rituals and other things to celebrate his life and death. It was followed by eulogy by his sister and brother similar to the poem I wrote for him As I see you drifting ever closer. They shared their happy lives, stories of their brother and their memories of growing up together in a family home. His favourite songs ( ABBA) and favourite food( sardine, pickled cucumber, smoked fish). The verse and hymns from the bible were also sung by the people attending the ceremony. With all Christian traditions and rituals Mark was bid farewell by his mother, brother,sister and everyone else at the funeral. The priest said that anyone who wanted to come to the burial would have to walk away from the church road or drive to the cemetery. We made way for the coffin to be escorted first and his mother walked out with mixed emotions as she was kind of dancing with the ABBA music played at the background that’s my son— he loved this song, as she was singing I saw tears in her eyes when she was trying to hide her feelings and trying to find out what was happening with her heart.

We all walked together to the cemetery where Mark would be laid to rest ( Buried) according to the Christian traditional way 

Daniel: Hi Kevin (Kev) how are you! You good. Good to see you here. Thanks for coming over.

Kevin: Okay! Nods his head and chuckles as he looks at him with wide open eyes.

His coffin was placed at the bottom for Christian burial and as we went close to the cemetery to see him for the last time, Mrs Craigen just sneaked into the cemetery where Kevin and I were standing, pointing at Mark’s coffin said, in a low voice “son you wait for me, I am coming and see you soon”. It felt so strange hearing that the world for her had changed and she didn’t want to be around anymore because her only son whom she loved so much and created fond memories with was in a different world.

Later when the proceedings are done and everyone starts to go back Mark’s sister Jennifer saw Kevin and she called him ohh Kevin you are here. How are you? Thanks for coming over today. Kevin’s response was good. 

Jenifer calls her mom Leonine, mum look look Kevin is here 

She goes close to her. How are you doing Kevin?

Kevin: I am good.

She could not control her emotions at the sight of seeing him. She was so happy and pleased to see him at her son’s funeral. She asked him Can I come over to Mowbray sometime to see you? To which Kevin said yeah. 

Do you like cake or something else, chocolate?

Again he replied yeah with excitement. When are you coming?

I will come next week to see you. Promise. Not this week as I am busy and have some other things to do.

Kevin: Ok! I will be waiting (to see you) for you.

Leonie departed promising that she would visit him soon. She got into the car and we also made our way back to the car. 

Kevin was so well behaved that he had a good conversation with Tamara soon after she gave him a cigarette and they both lighted the cigarette together and she said I promised him that I would give him once the proceedings were over. We walked together to the church before we went our way home.