Wife’s loss sends mariner in despair
I feel so empty now living without her. I lost focus, no color, no inspiration — this is the hardest part of my life
“Grief is the last act of love we can give to those we loved. When there is deep grief, there was great love!”
We may have heard or read different stories of tribulations and mischief during this time of pandemic — but indeed, nothing beats the pain of those who had lost a loved one.
This pandemic showed us that not even your social status can save you from the deadly whip of the virus,
as more than 14,000 from all walks of lives were snatched by the deadly virus when it started wreaking havoc in the country.
And one of those taken away during this pandemic year was Barbara Rhodora Abad Jose, 57, or “Bamba,” wife of Capt. Relly Jose Jr., a seasoned Master Mariner and CEO of maritime agency GMM Global Maritime Manila Inc.
Ms. “Bamba,” passed away last March 25 due to critical ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome).
She succumbed to death also due to severe pneumonia that caused deprivation of oxygen to her brain, leading to her sudden death.
But Capt. Relly is not confident that his wife was a victim of the dreaded disease, though declared by doctors that expired due to Covid-19.
In an interview with the Daily Tribune, Capt. Relly expressed his deep sorrow for his wife’s passing — his greatest love.
“I feel so empty now living without her. I lost focus, no color, no inspiration — this is the hardest part of my life,” comparing it to the giant waves he faced when he was still captain of a merchant ship.
He reminisced those wonderful moments they’ve shared, saying that every day of his life spent with her is truly outstanding.
“We used to do a lot of things together, eating, brushing our teeth, and even taking a bath. Those exchanges of I love you as we wake up each morning and before we sleep at night.
We do that every single day. Our memorable trip to Dubai and Boracay. I will super miss her smile — nothing can ever replace that smile,” he lamented.
A formidable partner
Almost a 100 percent of maritime enterprises suffered huge losses when the pandemic and hard lockdowns were announced last year.
For Capt. Relly, that was one of the major downfalls of his company, when they can no longer provide the dream jobs for Filipino Seafarers, as most borders and airports in the world are secured for foreign contingents, making him feel a bit anxious about what is in store for his family and his employees.
But her “super wife” Bamba, who served as a Board of Director of their enterprise from 2013 until the time she left the world, has always been there to cheer him up, telling him that this too shall pass.
Capt. Relly said being sweet and loving is innate in his wife, as she is an educator by profession, a product of University of San Agustin Iloilo and became a high school teacher for 20 years.
‘I will be here’ theme song
With Bamba’s passing, Capt. Relly paid tribute to her through the song “I will be here” that his wife often requested from him.
In a Facebook post with the video tribute attachment, Capt. Relly stated “nobody — even me, can ever imagine how many attempts I made to complete that requested song because it’s extremely painful. I have sung a lot before, but this time is different! Now, I personally experienced that it is not easy to sing when you are in agony! I stopped, I cried, I shouted, but I could feel in my heart that she wanted me to complete the song! I feel her within me. She will bring this song to heaven. Believe me, she is my number one fan! I sing as a hobby and she is always there supporting me. I will forever miss her and will love her more until the end!” the seasoned ship captain said.
Right now, Capt. Relly and his children are still under quarantine, but still singing songs to ease their misery with his departed wife Bamba.
“I know Bamba is just here watching and protecting us. I promised to keep her legacy and to take care of our family too. Please help and guide our family in our reflection and prayers for her. Bamba is gone from our sight, but never from our hearts. Death may have taken you away from me, but it could never take away your memories. You will always be in my heart, in your own special place. You were the most amazing person and light of my life. You will be missed forever and always. The beautiful moment you shared with us will never be forgotten,” Capt. Relly expressed.