Drifting into the Light: How the Pandemic Changed Lives Forever

By J.B. Harris

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In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, where the words lockdown and self-isolation became common terms and a new way of life, a family spread across several continents was forced to bid farewell to a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and son. The sudden news broke hearts and took away not only funeral privileges, but also the opportunity to bid a final farewell to a man who traveled far and wide to reach his ultimate potential.

In a poignant tribute, J. B. Harris chronicles the life of her mischievous, lively Uncle Adam through her eyes. While detailing his fascinating life journey that included world travels and an entrepreneurial stint, J. B. also shares insight into their experiences together as a family as they vacationed in the Maldives, celebrated his wedding, the birth of his children, and the arrival of her own bundle of joy. Yet despite all the challenges and obstacles Uncle Adam had already overcome, there was one he could not- the journey to his demise. As he was struck down with an illness during a worldwide pandemic, J. B. details his determination to fulfill a final journey that led him to a fate he never imagined.

In this moving biography, a niece shares the story of her uncle, a kind-hearted man who traveled the world, endured hardship, practiced patience, and finally found peace by drifting into the light.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Sep 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781665580120

J.B. Harris

J. B. Harris was raised in the Middle East. She worked within the private sector for over a decade as a recruitment consultant before moving into the healthcare sector. She believes in living life to the max through family, friendships, reading, work, and religion. J. B. currently lives in Great Britain and is a beloved wife, mother, daughter, and friend. Drifting into the Light is her debut book.

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© 2020 J.B. Harris. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/25/2020

ISBN: 978-1-6655-8013-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-8014-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-8012-0 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

This is a work of fiction based on some true accounts. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental.

CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1 Centre of Attention

Chapter 2 Test of Time

Chapter 3 Farewell

Chapter 4 An Adventure

Chapter 5 The Family

Chapter 6 The Routine

Chapter 7 Uncertainty

Chapter 8 Final Journey

Chapter 9 Lockdown

Chapter 10 Emptiness

Chapter 11 Aftermath

Chapter 12 Technology

My uncle’s story is dedicated to the beautiful lives lost before, during, and after the coronavirus pandemic. To those people who have endured the passing of their precious family and friends, we are in this together. Stay safe and remain strong.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. B. Harris was raised in the Middle East. She worked within the private sector for over a decade as a recruitment consultant before moving into the healthcare sector. She believes in living life to the max through family, friendships, reading, work, and religion. J. B. currently lives in Great Britain and is a beloved wife, mother, daughter, and friend. Drifting into the Light is her debut book.

PREFACE

This book offers my personal recollections of the fondest times I have shared with my dearest Uncle Adam. His passing away has left an emptiness which can never be filled, and no one will ever be able to take his place as the pinnacle of my family. In looking back upon a true loss, writing this memoir has given me a sense of exceptional understanding and calm which helped me cope in one of hardest times my family has ever faced. It has allowed me to come to terms with the sudden passing away of an exceptional man. To be able to share Uncle Adam’s journey with you has been a great privilege and given my life new meaning.

Uncle Adam lived life to the fullest and always looked out for others. Although he rests in peace, my family and I will continue to carry out his charitable work and reflect on lessons learned from his journey to the eternal realm. We are all going to leave this world someday, but the beauty of our lives is to leave behind memories and stories which are told for years to come. What good we are able to take away from one man’s life can help us better our own selves. Uncle Adam would not have wanted this any other way.

My memoir cements Uncle Adam’s life, his adventures and final departure to the world of immortality, the light at the end of the tunnel, and the final destination to peace and tranquillity. I hope my memoir helps you understand life’s true meaning and the fact that we are all paving our own way to a beautiful life that will then have no end. Now that Uncle Adam’s story is here to stay, I am content that his life will never be forgotten until time itself decides to come to a halt. This memoir would not have been possible without the many accounts from family and friends who knew Uncle Adam well and have shared in my pain. For this, I am deeply thankful to each and every one of them.

The year 2020 has been a challenging one for everyone, with the coronavirus pandemic taking many lives, freedom, and jobs. The pandemic has separated many loved ones and has built several barriers with limited ways of bringing them down. Many people have had no choice but to accept their fate and face their emotions, fears, and challenges in a short space of time. For every life lost, there is always a gain. It is with this thought in mind that I have chosen to comfort others by sharing Uncle Adam’s story of patience, love, adventure, hardship, and final destination into the light.

CHAPTER 1

CENTRE OF ATTENTION

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Birth, life, and death are a summary of man’s life. Sometimes the way a person dies gives meaning to the death. Whereas some families are able to gather round and say their goodbyes to the head of the household passing away from old age or an ailment, others who are not so fortunate pass away unexpectedly from tragedy or calamity, either close to home or abroad. The gift of flight has given human beings the ability to connect with speed, and in these circumstances, funerals can take place in the homeland, with families meeting to mourn and comfort one another. Such death could have come in the form of an accident, a contracted illness, or murder. In many cases, there is still the chance to embrace for one last time, to see, to touch, and to prepare for that one last gathering to celebrate a person’s life.

The coronavirus pandemic did not allow my family to have these cherished moments with my uncle, Adam. His passing away left a hole in our hearts that can be patched only temporarily. The heart beats to keep us alive but aches for the sorrow it has endured. All death is painful, and the way it is remembered leaves a bittersweet taste, a feeling of regret or loss, or mainly a void that can never be filled. This is the story of a loving, brave man who travelled the world to meet his families’ needs but yet tragically faced death, leaving behind years of sorrow, grief, and sadness.

Born and raised in the Maldives, Uncle Adam travelled from an early age, spending some of his childhood in India and travelling the world to seek new endeavours through his teens and early twenties. From Afghanistan to New York, London, Paris, South Africa, and all the way to China, there was no continent that my well-travelled uncle had not set foot on after completing his studies in business administration. Uncle Adam was always mischievous and full of life. There was never a dull moment when he was around. According to my mother, as a child, he would climb the tallest trees and make every attempt to climb back down in his own time, careful to avoid any scolding. He was well liked by all, and in most of his life, he was always the centre of attention. In conversation anyone had within the family, Uncle Adam would have a mention. I think it was his calmness and charisma that gave him all the respect and love he acquired over the years.

I was born in Scotland. My younger sister Yaz, short for Yasmine, was my only partner in crime. We grew up in Bahrain. Dad was stationed there for work, and I lived there for fifteen years of my life. I remember when I was a young child, my family and I would summer in the Maldives. The Maldives was not only a holiday destination for us; Dad always wanted us to head there for the summer holidays to learn about culture and the language that would us keep us connected to our roots. Dad would always say, There is no place like home, and home is where family is. He was very right. The fresh air and luscious palm trees always gave us that feeling of excitement that we were in a faraway land. Uncle Adam always picked us up at the airport, at times in a new ride with his chauffer leading the way. He was a fair man of medium build with light-coloured eyes and dark hair. He had a lovely smile and enjoyed cracking jokes with his siblings and the extended family. Uncle Adam always planned the best weekends with camping trips, picnics by the sea, and sightseeing from the mountains. He enjoyed bowling and horseback riding. He spent a lot of time with my father, and from the 1980s until his demise, they were inseparable—brothers from another mother. Dad was eight years Uncle Adam’s senior, but Dad’s youth always flourished whenever the two of them hung around together. Uncle Adam had that effect on people. In fact, he had a really good relationship with all the extended family, and I guess when you are the only brother, your brothers-in-law are lucky to meet your expectations!

Uncle Adam was quite close to his sisters and ready to confide in them whenever he felt the need. They were also quite protective and catered to his needs. Meals were always prepared to cater to his preferences, and he was always gifted the best of clothes, shoes, colognes, and watches. Uncle Adam also had a good relationship with my sister and me. We were quite spoilt by him. Every day whilst we were on holiday was like a birthday. Each morning Uncle Adam would ask us, And what do you girls want today? Sometimes he would ask, So where do you want to go now? He was like a much older brother in a way. Not having yet settled down meant that he was the fun uncle and never the disciplinarian. He made good choices when it came to movie night, although I remember staying awake all night if he had picked a horror flick over romance. Uncle Adam always showered us with gifts and stories. I remember one time he travelled to New York and flew back with a pink and white Barbie sweatshirt. He gave this to me for my eighth birthday, and I wore it repeatedly. It was so thoughtful of him to know my exact colour, style, and preference, seeing as at the time he did not have any children of his own. We were all lucky to have good memories with him.

In his late twenties and early thirties, he avoided Grandma’s constant pursuits for him to marry. It appeared he had several female followers but was not looking for commitment, and he was a guarded soul. He would often stress and tease Grandma by saying, Marriage is not for me. I am always going to be single! You will always be the only woman in my life. Uncle Adam was committed to caring for Grandpa, and they were very fond of each other. Grandpa always worried about his son, knowing he was quick to get into trouble and not swift enough to come out of it. In the eighties, life was good and prosperous. Uncle Adam was a successful factory owner, and business was doing well.

It’s funny how we think life is everlasting, and we take it for granted. When all things appear rosy, we never seem to think that there will be a thorn in the path, but once it pricks, the sting will remain. While growing up, I never thought of death and never knew the impact. Although I had experienced some loss within the family, I was quick to move on while holding on to good memories. That family togetherness I was so lucky to have helped me move on to seek progress.

For most of the eighties, my family and I took regular trips to the Maldives with a similar routine for all holidays: sun, sea, food, and family. Looking back, I don’t regret this one bit because it brought me closer to my family back home and gave me a sense of religion, culture, customs, and their importance. Whereas my fellow classmates would return from school holidays naming other countries they had visited, I enjoyed telling them how my cousins had grown, how Grandpa appeared frailer but loved me unconditionally, Grandma’s home cooking, and feeling homesick when returning from such a blissful trip. At a time when WhatsApp was a futuristic invention and even mobile phones were unheard of, it was the yearly holiday that kept us going to spend the quality time with family. We always looked forward to and planned well in advance for the summer holidays. There were some trips when Uncle Adam was away on business, so while en route to the Middle East after the holidays, my father always planned a stopover wherever Uncle Adam was based. Our meeting up gave Uncle Adam the opportunity to see how my sister and I had grown and to catch up with my parents. Uncle Adam always appeared full of life each time we met and found ways to build a routine. In Mumbai, he started jogging down the beach after morning prayers, and soon after, several locals joined him. He led the group, and whenever some joggers were close to giving up, Uncle Adam would keep them motivated and say, We are nearly there. We can do this. There’s the finish line. Don’t let the sun get the best of you! In Pakistan, he learned how to prepare meals in a wood-burning clay oven, and in France, he mastered the French language.

In time, Uncle Adam had to bring his factory business to a close because the demand was no longer there, and he began supporting my grandmother with her clothing boutique. The boutique was based in the city centre, and competition with other retailers was at its peak. Uncle Adam was multilingual and well read. This was a huge asset to Grandma’s business. Grandpa was no longer able to continue with work commitments and had to step back as his health began to deteriorate. Thus, Uncle Adam supported the family business to the best of his ability. He was busy with both import and export, and business took up much of his time. Whenever he accompanied Grandma on business ventures, he would also come to the aid of any other business travellers, even if they were competitors. He would look after them, provide directions, give advice on the best way to strike a deal, and was never hesitant to share good business tips. He was very genuine in that sense, and many people admired him for his honesty and generosity.

In the early nineties, a marriage broker arranged for Uncle Adam to meet his wife-to-be. She was a petite young woman who was talented and well spoken. When I first saw her, she reminded me of Snow White from the animated Disney classic. She had fair skin, reddish cheeks, lips as red as a rose, and charcoal-black hair. She was looking to settle after returning from further studies in the Netherlands. For all the years that Uncle Adam dodged proposals and managed to avoid meeting the right woman, these two struck a chord and clicked in the very first encounter. I remember Uncle Adam telling Mum on the phone, Hey, sis, she’s the one. Finally found her! They were the best of friends and real romantics in the early part of their marriage. It was as if they had lost each other at sea and reunited on a remote