4. WHEN THEY PASSED ME AWAY

 San Diego memorial park, Cikarang, West Java

When the time come we couldn't negotiate to Almighty to extend the minute for any reasons, when the time come we surrender totally to HIM, kids, young, grown nor seniors. But generally speaking, the senior passed away sooner than the younger. From the senior, man called first than woman.

I saw several friends and families passed away ahead of me, I knew them well and wonder why not me, why they got them first, some younger than me. Of course the decision has made by Almighty, we couldn't ask HIM why. But as a glance, I made many observation, maybe not in academic way.

Let me describe start from my friends in congregation first before friends in my profession and then followed by my close family.
Tree of my friends in the Church, Gereja Kristen Indonesia, Kwitang, central Jakarta, were love music and songs. Then cross to my mind, do God welcome them with music when they come home to heaven with trumpets and angels sing the hymns or songs we love to sing while we are in the world.


                Joris Rahadi

The first friend Mr.Joris Rahadi, 65 years old (photo above), an elder, assigned to administered music section in the Church. His son is a guitarist  and his little brother was a well known singer in Indonesia, Chrisye. The second was Mr. Soebagyo, a choir instructor of our group, Sangkakala choir, now under my management.

                                           Sangkakala choir

The third  was Mr.Edmon Tambunan, 70 years just passed away last week, the one who asked me to joint a choir. What amazing me, I didn't see a tear or two from his wife and 5 children, in the contrary they sing hymns before the funeral along with the crowded. One among 5 children was a priest in one GKI Church in Central Java.

What impressed me from the 3 Church's friends are that one of them was a workaholic till the end of time in academic, lecturer in his background in oil business. I had never heard he took a long vacation, enjoy his senior in relax  but always work and work.
The other two were idol husbands and happy families, every body in the congregation knew them well.
The questions then is effected to myself with questioning, what families, friends and congregation would remember me when I return home to heaven later ? Or in what marks they leaved over my name.

Now, the second group are my friends in my profession in a State own Bank, Mr Trisulo, my superior since in East Java till in Jakarta Head Office. I was his Deputy General manager who knew him well, a flamboyant style. He didn't depended me when Management transferred me then become his Deputy in Jakarta. He felt little bit sinned of me.

Second was my friend, Mr.Djumeri,  who replaced me as Branch manager in Bank BRI Kudus, Central Java and later be my friend also in a morning sport at Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta. He got faster promotion than any body else because he was closed relationship with the President Director, Kamardy Arief, who originally came from the same clan, Minang, West Sumatra.

                                               My boss room

The third was a HRD General manager, Mr.Untung who knew everything about performace of Bank BRI high officials, including my background, why transferred me to Head office so soon from Bank BRI Surabaya branch.

From professional point of view they had the power in management, knew the wrong doing or weakness of every personnel in the company, but why then they called so soon. Did they had more sin then the other personnel .  From their family background, I had no idea, how their success in the job also balance with success in the family.

The last group were my family from wife side, first Mr.Siagian, high rank in the army. He was a good father in the family and met us often, never had arise any incident between  two families.He was known as a kind and often help his own family. Second is Becca's husband, much younger then me, a business man and ever been cooperate with my family. His bad attitudes never change from time to time, cheating his father in law and cheating my company too.

What impression left in me is why a good, kind man passed away so soon and in the contrary, it was make sense cheating business man rewarded with punishment went away sooner.

From 8 (eight) friends who passed away ahead of me, I come to my conclusion. First that we couldn't negotiate to extend our time, it was His  right. Second, no matter what,  the person was good or bad, how much sins did in the world, once He decided to stop, we couldn't say No, wait. Third, it was a logic consequences  if sinners rewarded with punishment and called back first in line.
So be ready anytime to go to meet Him. Do the right thing in your life, so you may left a nice marks to be remembered and to be followed, go in peaceful and family may let you go in joy not in tears.