Normally today would be a stitchy Friday Finish. However, today’s topic isn’t my general crafty theme. It’s about the end of a life.

Six years ago today, I was sitting at my desk when I got a call from my partner. He was at AirNZ in Christchurch and had just been pulled aside & told that he needed to attend a briefing. The gossip was that a plane had gone down overseas. I then rang our friend E, whose partner had been scheduled to sit in on a test flight in France. E confirmed our worst fears. The plane had gone down and no survivors were likely.

I met Muz years before the accident. He was part of the Metalshop at AirNZ, and Si joined there in May 1996. They instantly became as thick as thieves, and could generally be counted on to be at the centre of any mischief or mayhem. They spent all day together then gossiped for hours on the phone (teenage girl syndrome!). We socialised together with Muz and his then partner, were pregnant together (B is only 14 days older than his son H), grew up together. The “grow up” bit could at times, be arguable. That’s all part of the fun!

I’d talked by phone to Muz only a few days before the accident. He had been in Germany at that time, loving the opportunity but missing home and his son. We’d been out East Auckland to view their new house, a house which was handed over while Muz was in Europe and he never loved in. He was so excited about his new life, new love and everything in general.

My December Daily of this year is unfinished. The entries are either our basic Christmas things or related to the awful weeks after the crash. I guess that in itself is a story. Media speculation was rife and hurtful; a gossip magazine had camped out on both Muz’ parents door and E’s door before the names were even confirmed and gave no sympathy. To this day I don’t touch any “weekly” but most especially New Idea. The article they eventually ran indicated that E had given an interview; instead they clipped portions of a news conference and twisted what was said. Asshats.

In all the mess the staff at AirNZ were wonderful. They supported the families, sheltered them as much as possible, made it easy to go to Perpignon and tried to find the answers we all needed. Rob Fyfe in particular was amazing. Upfront and honest. It was a different world for these families and the sympathy and empathy was exactly as needed.

So six years later where are we? I didn’t know until nearly a month after his death, but I was pregnant. Muz would have found this hysterically funny. E delivered my M, a nice circle.

Z is now wearing one of Muz’ Ts – Muz was a bit height challenged. He made up for this with his personality. Z barely remembers him; he was only 5, the same age as M is now. I still think “I should tell Muz that” and then have to hold myself back.

We have lost contact with a lot of people but I’m sure that today they will be raising a Steinlager Pure to Muz just as we will (that stuff’s awful, we only drink it twice a year!!). Sadly E is one of the people who has slid away. She has a new partner now and her family has extended too. I guess we are a reminder of loss to her as much as she could be to us.

But long story short, I miss Muz.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XL_Airways_Germany_Flight_888T

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/9785004/Final-moments-of-Air-NZ-test-flight