Sami’s Blog: Dad ashes

Wish me luck. I am airborne and Bali bound this week, on a special pilgrimage to take my Dad’s ashes to Indonesia. I am going with my big brother and big sister (Mum and Dad divorced when I was young) and my daughter and niece, but somehow I have been charged with getting Lex’s ashes abroad safely. I am terrified Bali security are going to confiscate the flimsy cannister of Dad’s ashes and I will remain the so-called flakiest member of our family. When we were kids my siblings received a skateboard each for Christmas the year I turned eight years old. I excitedly opened my gift only to discover knee pads and a helmet. No skateboard was anywhere to be seen. My mother told me I was too clumsy to be trusted on a skateboard. This theme continued throughout adolescence and I was never allowed to do anything that involved being responsible. I finally was put in charge of having the house to myself when Mum went away for the weekend when I was 18 years old and I had the party to end all parties. It ended up with all of our patio furniture being tipped into the pool and the clothes line being pulled out of the ground which resulted in me being grounded. Unlike the clothesline. Anyway, back to Dad’s ashes.

Lex passed away during covid. My tough-as-nails father died of a heart attack (after catching a bus and a train to the hospital earlier that day) his tiny funeral was held at his beloved Mooloolaba Surf Club. Covid and death and saying goodbye were strange times. We always said we would take him somewhere overseas or around Australian one day because he loved travel and he loved water. So this day has come. My dreams are we will have a beautiful sunset and we will lift our cold drinks on the beach to salute our father. I have a funny feeling the plan is not going to go to plan.

My larrikin dad would love to hear the story of how he is going to be smuggled into Bali. Wish me luck for the second time. I am going to need it.