L.Thinglhangphai,16th August 2010: The 15th of August was a sad day for my family. After a prolonged illness, my younger brother, Tongjakhup Haokip, resident of L. Thinglhangphai village in Chandel District, Manipur, India, left us all for the life beyond death.
Tongjakhup is survived by his wife, Lamkhohoi, daughters, Tinlalkim and Hoineiting; and sons, Thangjapao, Thanglensei and Thangsanglen. The eldest daughter is in Class XII and the eldest son, in Class XI.
My brother led an agricultural life in the interior back-blocks. He was strong-built and a literal 'field' worker. When we the other siblings had been out of ancestral home, most of the time, studying or pursuing careers, Tongjakhup was the one son who took good care of my parents and the village affairs. We can say, he died with his field-boots on.
My late dad once said, " I am happy that my second son, Tongjakhup, did not do well in academics. His lack of higher education compels him to be at home to serve me and my wife when all the other children had stayed elsewhere. His ill-fate is a blessing in disguise"
Circumstances stood against his education. His pliable nature and inability to speak out for himself cost him dearly. A man of few or no words, he used his brawn to give the proper educational grounding he lacked to his children. My brother , before his departure, could sigh in great relief in having seen his eldest daughter and eldest son passing matriculation exam.
Socially, all his associates had no reason to complain against him. He had a mind to physically help out the poor and the needy. Akhup, as my sisters endearingly called him, unsparingly used his strength in threshing, storing and loading of heavy paddy-bags on lorries for transportation from our ancestral home, LT Phai, to the homes of my siblings at Imphal. We all miss him a lot. May God rest his soul in peace.
In the communal-clashes-battered Y.T.Phai grouping church, Tinlalkim's father served as the Treasurer for the longest period. All his co-workers liked him for his sincerity in tackling God's money with fear.
We must thank the Area Christian Fellowship, Y. Thingkangphai area; FIOC, ECI and KBC Churches of the are for the manual help and emotional support they gave in getting my brother mourned, condoled, bid farewell and buried.
Rev Onkhothong of ECIC spoke in his funeral service which was moderated by Mr.Jamson and ministered by Rev Y. Touthang og ACF. Relatives and church-folks came to mourn all the way from Aihang, Langching, Sugnu Tribal, K-Sabi and Makhao area despite the rising level of Chakpi river on 16.8.10. The wild river could only be crossed by a shaky 16-seater small boat.
I must also thank my brothers-in-law, Tongkhohao, Muonna, Letman; and my sisters, Nengja, Hoichin, Hatneilam, Neikhoneng and Hatneikim for the concern, empathy and monetary contributions in the pre-demise treatments and post-funeral formal observations and events. Time and again they proved themselves to be the source of strength for my beleaguered family.
We are grateful to Brother Seiboi Singsit for having made the service of a vehicle available for the transportation of the coffin.
the death of a blood brother is chilling and terrifying. The joy of life is periled as to how the surviving children of my brother will manage to complete their studies without the succor of their father and seek jobs for themselves. It all made me sad with life. but then, when things seemed gloomy, the Spirit of God guided me to Job 1:21,
"Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord".
And when my peace balance was disturbed by the repeated sorrowful happenings in my family, the following verse kept me stay afloat and normal on and across the turbulent waves of family tragedy,
"But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh, What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?( Job 2:10).
The Word of God is a blessing in many ways. It comes as a healer and comforter in times of grief.
