On Tuesday I have to return to the UK for four days after the death of my Father. Dan and Veronique are coming with me. Its been a rough few days, my Father passed away last Friday, the family asked when it suited me to have the funeral what time and date for it to take place and gave me some dates to choose from, I asked for the 16th, this Friday. All seemed straight forward, the family contacted a funeral Directors and got everything booked, I booked and paid for my flights and Dan and Vero booked time off work, we then found out that because he had an industrial disease there had to be an inquest by the coroner and an autopsy, his disease was asbestosis, it was already diagnosed, his employers had already accepted liability many years ago, so there was nothing new that needed investigating. This has thrown all the plans in the air, will the autopsy take place soon enough to allow the funeral to go ahead, I had been strong after my fathers death, I had already prepared myself mentally to him going but this put a lot of strain on me. What has been hard is not being there and not having a role to play.
Mom and dad on there wedding day
My dad grafted all his life, never had a day off sick until he was struck down with the asbestosis, we had a large family but always had the best that my parents could afford, we were never "poor", both my parents worked and as I said my dad grafted to make sure we never went without, but now we have the sad task of dealing with inheritance selling our family home, dividing all the things that were always there from our childhood, my dad never rented, he always owned his own home,our family home, now he and mother have gone its the end of an era, what has always been there is no more, on the day of the funeral we will walk away from our family centre for the last time. Us as a family are strong as a team, so if one of us has tears there are other arms to comfort us. Hopefully the funeral will take place on the booked day, if it doesn't then Dan and Vero will have to fly back on Saturday as booked and I will have to stay in the UK till after the funeral.
When I get back I need to go for tests for asbestosis my Doctor has written me a prescription, she thinks it unnecessary but as asbestos also contributed to my mothers death it would be a good thing to have done, my Mother got it from washing my dads work clothes and My brother and I used to sit on the sink while my Mother did the laundry.
