by Tasha Gandamihardja

Pioneer, mentor, friend, uncle, the ‘go to guy’, teacher, leader….these are some of the words you may associate oom Beni with. However, to me and I suspect to many of us, oom Beni is synonymous with Soroako. A place many of us hold extremely dear to our hearts, where we all knew each other, and everyone became one large family. Spending my early teens here was akin to having a huge play ground where we could explore, be mischievous and yet be entirely safe. Sailing in lake Matano, hiking around the hills…it was an absolute idyllic setting to grow up in. Soroako is a special place and will remain a part of our lives forever.

When I learnt about oom Beni’s passing, I felt this large hole had been created which I was sure would never be able to be filled. The loss would have been felt most profoundly by tante Soffie, Reza, Emir, Kemal and the immediate family. But of course, there is the ‘extended family’…spread all over the world…who mourned with them.

Oom Beni was wise, generous, eager to pass on his knowledge to the younger generation, compassionate and humble. He was a man we admired and looked up too. He was the glue that stuck the Soroakoers together. He was the inspiration that made life long friends of us all who were privileged to have known him.

Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”.

So long oom Beni, we will miss you terribly. You have given so much, to so many people. You may no longer be with us, but you left this world a legacy, which will continue to live on.

 London, 19^th April 2012