Page 146 - The Letter By Ann Newhouse

‘Her mother said that her father will forgive her and let her rest in peace if we allow her body to be flown home, how can I refuse that, she longed to be forgiven’, Paul put his head in his hands and wept openly. I had a lump in my throat but had no tears left to shed.
Her father would arrange for a diplomat from the Embassy to have her body released from the hospital and onto a plane where the family would be waiting at the airport to take her to the family burial ground. It only took a couple of days for everything to be arranged.
I went with Rex to the hospital on the day they were releasing her body and Penny went to the airport with Father Thomas, so he could bless the coffin before it was placed on board. It was a very sad day Paul was devastated as the coffin was put behind closed doors on the plane.
We went back to the bar to have something to eat, not that any of us really had an appetite, and met a few of the neighbours there offering their condolences.
As we finished our meal Paul informed us that Seki’s father had rang him to say they didn’t want to have anything to do with him or the baby any more. He blamed Paul and Shalma for taking his daughter’s life.
Penny and Paul were heading back to the hospital to check on baby Shalma, Paul promising from now on he would devote his life to his baby daughter. We all assured him he would have us to help him. He thanked us with tears in his eyes.