J/BLØG

It’s been six days since my brother passed away – he was buried on Sunday, 2 March 2008. We now have the pain and grief to deal with – however, amazing stories about my brother have surfaced ever since.

Let me share now about my brother, Handy Sugiharto Tanusondjaja. He might not have received many awards and might not have multiple degrees. It might have taken him longer to finish his Accounting degree, and he might not have as much money and wealth as some of his siblings – but one thing is for sure, he was much treasured and loved by the people around him.

My brother passed away on Thursday, 28 February and from then on until his burial, many people came to the wake – from the acquaintances and relatives of his siblings, to the veggie seller who opened his business in the field in front of Handy’s house. Everybody shared a little piece of him that even we, his family, knew little about. Handy was known as somebody who was always willing to help  – from repairing a mobile phone that dropped into a swimming pool, to fixing electrical outlets. Around the house, he cooked, he drove his children to school, whilst also managing his little ‘mom-and-pop’ shop. He was also somebody who came to church to do his scheduled ministry, even when he was still feeling weak because of his heart condition. Of the many people who filled the hall that was used for the wake, there were his neighbours, the youths who used to hang around his shop, his old uni mates, his church mates, and even, as mentioned previously, the veggie seller and the porridge seller from the housing complex.

Handy was born on 29 June 1974 – another boy to complete a family of five daughters, and three sons. He got married in 2002 to Sisilia Sianne – after which they received three children: Michelle Aurelia Tanusondjaja (on 19 May 2003), Sheren Aurelia Tanusondjaja (on 13 June 2004), and Kenneth Nathanael Tanusondjaja (on 11 December 2006).

At the end of 2007, he complained that he wasn’t feeling well – and the x-ray result showed that he had an enlarged heart. Apparently, he had had the onset of a cardiac problem for many years, even when he was still courting his wife – he would complain to her that he had pins and needles on his shoulder.

A couple of days before he passed away, he complained that his hands and feet felt cold – his shortness of breath had also worsened. Yet, he would still help his sisters, drove his children to school, and shopped for his household needs in the morning, as well as buying the can of paint that played a part in his death. He wanted to decorate his shop for a competition that was organised by a local cigarette brand.
Continue reading “RIP: Handy Sugiharto Tanusondjaja (29/06/1974 – 28/02/2008)”