About this blog

My only daughter's name is Clea. Clea was six years and nine months old and she was enjoying a family holiday in Samoa when the ocean surged as a wall, ten metres high, and drowned her. Many other people died that morning of 29 September 2009.
The other four members of her family survived the tsunami.
Life has never been the same since. It will never be the same. This blog features memories, reflections, poetry, etc...
Just let me stay with her under this moon,
hold her in my arms, spin her in the air,
with my dear daughter in some timeless swoon.

Saturday 2 March 2013

Unforgivable


Adam Strange, a New Zealand-born film-maker, was killed by a shark on an Auckland beach last Wednesday. He was Jeanette’s son.

As soon as the news reached Adam’s family, Jeanette wanted to fly from Wellington, where she lives, to Auckland. Jeanette was in fact in possession of a Jetstar ticket to travel the following week. That had been the plan: to meet up with her son in Auckland. Jeanette’s daughter called Jetstar, the air carrier, and explained the dreadful circumstances that required her mum to go to Auckland urgently, only to be put on hold for ten minutes while a supervisor’s advice was obtained, and to finally be told Jeanette would have to purchase another ticket.

A couple of hours later, Jeanette was able to travel to Auckland with Air New Zealand.

Jetstar have since apologised. But it’s too late. You see, there is no pain like the pain of parent who has lost a child. There is absolutely no justification for inflicting more pain upon a traumatised person, whose whole world has been shattered, whose pain will never disappear. Why add insult to the injury? Is the NZ$321 fare worth it? Why was it perceived there was a need to follow stupid corporate protocols instead of following one’s heart? Was it not clear to them there was only one correct way to deal with the situation?

I find what those people at Jetstar did revolting; never mind their belated apology. It is unforgivable.

My thoughts are with Jeanette. May Adam rest in peace.

1 comment:

  1. I heard this on NPR this morning and thought you might be interested: http://www.npr.org/2013/03/05/173419255/wave-tells-a-true-story-of-survival-and-loss-in-the-2004-tsunami (I also scooped it and added it to the first page of my website).

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