R.I.P. Lance Frederick Roper

A man died today. A very good friend of the family, and a distant relative, as an oddity. Lance was a good man, whose kind hearted nature and magnanimity was well known.

He died in my house, in the roof, while doing the absolutely last thing in rebuilding our house, for the parents in law. He was finishing the wiring on the geyser, and somehow, electrocuted himself. He was a very learned man, with great experience and ability. He was one of SA's foremost experts on 4x4's, and regularly travelled to Japan for up to date training. He claimed that plumbing wasn't his best point, but electricity he knew ...

I was here when he died. Thank Gods the children and wife were at granny's house. I heard him cry out, and was there when his spirit passed on. I was waiting for him to put the electricity back on so i could write more music cd's for him. He travelled a lot, and marvelled at being able to have 1 cd, with several albums on it. The first was apparently really good company. 

I'm angry, he didn't deserve this. It was a stupid wiring job, he knew what he was doing. He did the building because he enjoyed it, not for money. Not much to say really, although i have this overwhelming desire to shout at the world, everything i think and feel. 

The day was a good one, but after the fact that changed. Police, medics, family, friends. My father was his best friend. They worked together, and spent a lot of time in each other's company. My mom considered him a brother. The in-laws are the relatives, and they have just moved in with us, and in the last few weeks while Lance worked here also became firm friends. The old man and Lance both went to Jeppe boys, a tie that binds, as i joked. His sister now has no living relatives, as it's her husband who shares the surname with the in-laws. 

Ah fuck i'm rambling. Good, i guess. Oh, and several pastors were here, and a chaplain. Old church families all round too, which added an old friends flavour too. Good to know that support is given, when the time comes. Hell the one man was here was our pastor when i was 2 bricks and a tiki. His son and i were great friends. One of the pastors commented that for all our questions, there'll be no answers. That's a good point, i think. Fuckit WHY? That's about the only damned question i want to know. But of course, those that do know aren't telling. 

Something that's catching me out the corner, is the rather startling admission that this is the second death in my home, in 3 years. I don't like that fact one little bit. Both were absent of any negligence, other wise completely seperate, save the accidental nature.

*shrug*

Perhaps, and i think this only in the dim recesses of my own inner working, there is reason for such. Despite much in my life that is unoptimal, i am blessed with a good home. People come to us for an easy conversation, or to unburden, as may be. I'm hardly a people person, but i love that my home is a haven to some. Surely i cannot begrudge sharing a small portion of my wealth, even if it is sometimes ... hard. I also like think, to myself, That when the "they" (dem upstairs) need to use someone, in some way, one should never fight it, but trust implicity in the goodness of the process. Fuck i sound wierd, i know, but i believe, really hold it to be true, that love and peace and happiness are the desires of life. Life, God, Universe, Gaia, Petty Pewter Gods*, Whatever. And i believe that we are part of a process, and spiritual flow much greater than we can perceive. I have to, it's self evident, isn't it? 

Life, isn't it just, huh?

Life and death, intertwined ever. And as one life passes, many other wheels keep turning. Their spin has been altered, their courses changed, by both the life and the death of a single soul. Like infinitismal ripples crossing and building and levelling and shaping and flowing continuously for generations. 

He made a big splash, this quiet man. He was one of the good guys, straight and decent, and good to everyone around him. He will be sorely missed.

Rest in Peace Lance

A book, by someone, google it.

EDIT: i got his middle name wrong.