The Memory of Philip
March 2004, I had just moved to Florida from Massachusetts a few months ago. While I was enjoying a city festival in Orlando with my family, I received a disturbing phone call from my niece Barlynn in Massachusetts who just told me very bluntly in a squashy voice: “We just received a devastating news tatie.” I was quick to ask her what it is exactly. I was dumbfounded when she said Philip. I didn’t even let her finished her sentence, I cut her off saying please don’t tell me that he die. Tell me he got to an accident and he is badly injured I said. I didn’t want to believe what had happened.
Philip was my only nephew, a very intelligent young man who had just celebrated his 20th birthday a couple of weeks before. Philip went to school in George Washington to study political Sciences. Philip had a bright future before him. He was a smart, kind and compassionate young man. My nephew lived in West Orange New Jersey before he went to college. He was well known in his community. He was a very active young man. He had participated in several youth programs. He had accomplished one of his biggest goals when he won the One week try out to be the mayor of New Jersey. He had the privilege to be the mayor of his city for a whole week. Philip was very kind; he would invite homeless people in The Marvin Center in Washington DC and buy them food. I have always envisioned my nephew to accomplish big dreams in his life. I was surely not expecting for him to die so young. I was crushed by the news; it was the end of my reverie for Philip. “He was a really well respected kid around campus” said Ryan Smith who roomed with him on a report on GWhatchet.com. On Saturday March 29, 2004 Philip was walking with two friends near Tidal Basin located on 22nd street and Independence Avenue when he jumped into the water said Sgt Joe Gentile a metropolitan police spokesman on the issue gwhatchet.com. So Philip was drowned. I knew my nephew very well and out of everything I know he is not crazy. Philip was a happy person. He loves life. He is definitely not foolish to jump in a deep basin. Philip was not a drunker even though rumors were spread that he was at a party before walking near Tidal Basin. It is very difficult for me even right now to write about that, because I love my nephew very much and it is very hard for me to realize even after 4 years that Philip is really gone. I will no longer see him.
March 2004 was a crushing month for me and for so many other people. On March 17 2004 there was a massive unrest in Kosovo, over 22 people were killed and 200 wounded. On March 11 2004 simultaneous explosions on Rush hour trains in Madrid killed 191 people also known as 3/11 and in Spanish as 11-M. On March 15 2004 was the drowning of 3 Albanians boys. I believe just as I was crushed to hear about the death of my nephew the parents of those victims were also crushed when they received the terrible news about their sons, daughters, moms, dads and so forth.
Leave a Reply