I learned yesterday that my South African friend D died in a river rafting accident on Sunday. He will be buried today.
D was the great guy that made our trips to SA such memorable experiences. Our reason for going there was to adopt our two children, but we quickly hooked up with D who took us far and near and gave us wonderful experiences of his country. He was a surfer soul and an adventurous guy. He loved nature and told us of his amazing travels.
D was never just our tour guide. He became our friend. He participated in our family life. He had a great way with the kids. He told us about his life, the thrills and fears of growing up in a radically changing SA. He was all for the changes, but frustrated over difficulties in getting work – and even more so of his personal safety.
He married R and about a year ago he contacted me to explore possibilities of moving to Sweden. They had decided to leave SA and were actively exploring options. During the last weekend I started thinking about D and that I was unaware if they had made any progress. When I sent him an SMS yesterday to check up on him his wife gave me the chocking news.
The irony of everything is that D was worried he would get shot. Turns out he died too early anyway, but doing something he loved. That is some consolation at the moment.
My heart goes out to his family that I never came to meet. It is terrible to lose a son/brother/husband.
I miss him deeply.
//jan