Peter and Malcolm...
End of an era...
Today it was something quite different. It was the scattering of a friends ashes, on an outgoing tide, combined with the ashes of his partner Malcolm.
The two drifting out to sea together on yet another journey.
Peter was an older man who, lets say, was at a complete loss when his partner of around sixty years died several years ago.
They had spent a lifetime together since meeting in their twenties. They left New Zealand in 1961 as young men on a lifetime adventure to England together by ship. It was a time when to be two males in a relationship was not understood, was not accepted, as it is mostly today.
Their life took on directions I'm certain would fill a book. Businesses, many beautiful homes together, even working for the Royal Family at one stage.
Returning to this side of the world, to live in Australia around the early 1990's, they renovated apartments and sold repeating and repeating many, many, times. Never seeming to stay at one address for more than a couple of years. A life filled with a need for constant change and challenges.
When Malcolm died Peter was lost...completely lost. He had to keep busy and was always doing "things" mostly to not think really. He had never travelled alone and never flown anywhere without his partner Malcolm. We can only try to understand what that must have been like as they had travelled the world extensively together over their lifetime.
Life ended suddenly and peacefully for Peter. I almost think he had had enough. However hard that may sound..
Although I only knew Malcom and Peter for the last ten years or so, we lived in the same apartment building, we met often for social events. I wouldn't say we were close but always there; especially for Peter in the last four years since Malcolms passing.
It has been a difficult time and Peter was never really happy. Never really. He would often complain about things, small things, but there was more to it than just a complaint I always felt. He had a lovely spotlessly immaculate apartment but it really wasn't enough. He was bored...and most of all lonely.
He always had to be doing something...even joining the local croquet club to fill in that extra day or two midweek when friends were busy doing their own thing and maybe not around to have lunch with throughout those long empty days.
Today a few of us, relatives from New Zealand and a few local friends, did what he requested and combined his and his partners ashes and sent them on their way with a scattering of flowers.
End of an era. I hope their ongoing journey together will be as new and exciting as their lives here on earth have been. May they find solace and peace.
Rest in Peace Malcolm and Peter...
Comments
Post a Comment