Au revoir!

Yesterday, my family lost a friend.

We have known him since back then in the early 1990, since I was an elementary student. He once come to our place in Tawangmangu, Solo, West Java, visited an herbal drug plantation managed by my father. In the mean time, my father still the head of this institution, before promoted to National Food and Drug Administration in Jakarta in 1996.

This man was a person we really respect. He shared and gave my father a lot of great thoughts, helped my father in developing his career path, and in Indonesia’s health world, he did bunches of contributions.

He even once used our-sold-red-kijang to go around the town! Can you imagine that? :)

Both our families become friends and we kept maintaining the good relationship. He and his wife, as well as their children, always asked me and my sister about our study, and very care about us. My father once even had a business trip to China with one of his sons. Then, the relationship was no longer become a business matter. It had expanded to a friendship. It was also because in the middle, we had a link to each other made by… How should I mention it? My ‘Pak De’. My Pak De had become his colleague first, which at first also in a business matter. Then, one of my cousins married to his niece. So, no wonder we getting close to each other. Not to mention sent Christmas greeting and Ied greeting. I like his wife’s cakes handmade. Sering juga ngirimin Samosa- kinda martabak but filled with curry..yummy – and batagor.

During my father’s last times, he visited my father regularly, supported us to keep strong and optimistic, even at last my father finally should gone to a Lovely Place up there :) but after all, he always nice to us.

Yesterday at 10.30 he passed away. I was called to be told about the shocking news. He passed away after collapsed and fell when opened a seminar in RSPP Jakarta.

Goodbye, Professor Sujudi, we will never forget you. You’ve been a very helpful, a very great person, a low profile man even you was an Indonesia’s Health Minister. You are a person we highly respect and admire. We have lost you, but this is God’s will; He will give you an even better and lovely life.

I always have this funny thing in my mind: When a person passed away, someone we know, I always imagine that my father up there, helped by angels, has set up a welcoming party, and the person to enter The Place will be welcomed by all people who have gone there first :)