ARANMULA (PATHANAMTHITTA): The terrible misfortune of losing one’s parents, that too within a fortnight, which befell a household here during the Covid-induced lockdown, can be numbing. But this is precisely what James, Jose, Jessy and Joice — children of deceased couple Mariyamma Thomas, 78, and her husband KM Thomas, 81, of Chanjaplammoottil Assariyath here -- are currently going through.
Compounding the sense of personal loss, Dubai-based James and Jose and Jessy, who works in New Delhi, are now awaiting the nod of the authorities which will enable them to fly home to attend the funeral of their father scheduled to be held at IPC church cemetery at Edasserimala here at 11.30 am on Tuesday.
The tragedy which gripped Chanjaplammoottil Assariyath began with the death of Mariyamma Thomas who lost her battle with cancer on May 5. However, James, Jose and Jessy couldn’t say their final farewell to their mother as they were unable to travel due to lockdown curbs.
Joice alone was able to attend Mariyamma’s funeral while his siblings had to watch the funeral proceedings being live streamed. A few days later, Samuel K Mathew, the US-based younger brother of K M Thomas, died of cardiac arrest there. And his funeral service was live streamed on Friday and Thomas collapsed while watching it.
Though Thomas was rushed to hospital, his life could not be saved. His body is presently kept in the mortuary of a private hospital. James and Jose are now pinning their hopes on the Indian mission in Dubai to enable them to attend their father’s funeral rights. And they are quite hopeful of the mission officials doing the bit to fast-track their travel clearance.