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- Story Listed as: True Life For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Friends / Friendship
- Published: 05/18/2014
Ricardo Marteen. (May 19th 1978 – May 19th 2014)
That's was my friend's name. He passed away this morning, at the Madras Medical Mission hospital, in Chennai, India.
This is the story of his life!
All his life, all Ricardo knew was... pain & suffering. He lost his dad when he hadn't even reached his teen years. Ricky just didn't lose his father; he also lost all his relatives, as he witnessed their back being turned on his mom & him.
But that didn't deter young Ricky. He had to drop out of school, took up all kinds of odd jobs, to support his Mom. His mom & him were all there was in his world, and they were okay, cause they believed they had Jesus.
Once in his late teens-to-early twenties, Ricky took up a course in Graphic Designing. He even met a lovely girl, whom he hoped to marry. Ricky was so happy and feeling really blessed... he thought his Jesus had really come through for him at last! He was really looking forward to a brighter and blessed future. But, as things turned out, Ricky later realized that he couldn't have been more wrong!! The girl whom he loved, left him for a wealthier man, and this left Ricky completely heartbroken... as a result of which, he suffered a heart stroke!
This left him bedridden for the next 6 and 1/2 years!!
Ricky was admitted at the MMM (Madras Medical Mission) Hospital. Jesus had arranged for the doctors, to care for and treat Ricky completely free of charge. During this time, Ricky described to me, what he considered to be a moment of epiphany! He said that while he was in the ward, he had once suffered a heart attack, and that a pastor who was tending to another patient, came and started to pray to the Lord for his life, as he was passing out, Ricky said that he literally saw a shining white light and heard a soft, but strong voice call out his name from afar, and told him that he was going to be fine. All this while the doctors and nurses were scrambling around him, and inserting him with tubes and administering him with lifesaving procedures! Ricky woke up, just as the voice urged him to, and to the joy of his mom & the pastor, he was perfectly fine!! His heart & pulse rate were normal, and so was his blood pressure.
Ricky had renewed his faith in Christ, and had also begun to recover steadily. The cardiologist had later told him that his heart was only functioning at 26% it’s normal capacity, and therefore, it was inadvisable for him to never take on stress of any kind and nor could he walk up stairs, or work jobs that required any sort of physical and mental strain. Ricky was so pained to hear this; all he could think of was taking care of his mom. But, Ricky didn’t lose hope, cause he knew he had his Christ. He had believed that Jesus would make everything alright.
For the next two and half years, Ricky had what he described as the toughest phase of his life. He had met me during this time; he used to frequently visit his friend’s hair salon that was above my boutique. He used to always drop in and we used to chat for what seemed like hours. We grew close as friends, over the course of the year. Ricky wasn’t employed during this time. In fact, his mom and he were being supported and their home and groceries too were taken care of by sponsors. This was always a cause for worry for Ricky. I was always amazed at this boy’s ability to smile and remain hopeful through all the pain…I loved Ricky’s smile. That’s the face of him that I remember.
He had so many dreams… one of them being the dream of opening his own Hair salon. He was so inspired by his friend, Ricky too believed that cutting & styling hair was his calling. In fact, we would talk and discuss his hair salon for hours. He would ask me what color should he paint the walls… what he should call it… I’d told him that “Ricardo Marteen” was the name God had given him, and that’s what he should name it.
In November last year, he stopped coming to the boutique, when I’d called to inquire what had happened, his mom had explained that she had fallen ill, and that Ricky was taking care of her. After which, I’d rarely seen Ricky… I’d heard, every time I’d called, that they were going through too many financial problems, to a point where Ricky had cried himself hoarse. His mom told me she was worried that he was losing hope and faith, as they hadn’t paid the rent for more than two months, had hardly any food at home, and Ricky had broken down completely. She’d asked me to reach out to him and speak to him. I did. I didn’t know what to say, except that I too believed Jesus would open the door for him, and I’d urged him not to give up on our Savior.
I got a call from an extremely excited Ricky, just a couple of days after Christmas and before New Year, his mom too sounded very joyous and excited. They told me that Jesus had made Ricky’s dream come through… he had at last been given the money, by his sponsor, to open his own little hair salon! His voice was in recovery, but, he was so excited to tell me that he had actually followed through on implementing all that we’d discussed. The three of us were so thankful to God, for showering his blessings on him, that we screamed in joy! Ricky dropped by the boutique a couple of weeks later, with pictures of his new salon and to show me the hair styling kit & products he’d bought. We were like a couple of kids, all excited for the other’s joy. Ricky had asked me to drop in and see his place. I’d promised him I would… a promise that wasn’t kept.
We’d hardly spoken after that, till a few days back when, I received a couple of calls that I didn’t take as I was bereft with the loss of my Dad’s passing three weeks ago. Ricky, then sent me a text of condolence from him and his mom, and promised me that he’ll always be there, if I ever needed to talk. That was a promise that wasn’t kept as well.
I got a call this morning, from a friend of Ricky’s and mine, telling me that Ricky’d been going through a very rough time, again. He’d informed me that Ricky’s dream salon, that we all thought was blessed, hadn’t done well, and that he had painfully shut it down. Ricky didn’t have the money to hire any help to move his things from the salon to his home, so he’d carried everything himself. This, along with the emotional pain, had apparently caused strain to his heart, and he had been admitted to the hospital two days ago.
I don’t know whether Ricky had fought or not. I have so many questions to which I don’t have any answers. No, I haven’t gone to the hospital. I can’t somehow bring myself to. Why? Maybe cause, I just lost my father in the same place, just three weeks ago. And maybe, cause, I refuse to see the smile I remember be lost to death. Or maybe, because I just don’t have a heart that’s recovered as yet. I don’t know. I don’t know, and nor do I have any answers. All I have is a prayer. For Ricky, I pray for his soul to rest in our maker. For his mom, I pray for God’s strength and love to comfort her.
What comforts me is the thought and belief that, God chose to save him from any more suffering on the very day he came into this world. Today was Ricky’s birthday!
Remembering you, my friend...(Tanvee)
Ricardo Marteen. (May 19th 1978 – May 19th 2014)
That's was my friend's name. He passed away this morning, at the Madras Medical Mission hospital, in Chennai, India.
This is the story of his life!
All his life, all Ricardo knew was... pain & suffering. He lost his dad when he hadn't even reached his teen years. Ricky just didn't lose his father; he also lost all his relatives, as he witnessed their back being turned on his mom & him.
But that didn't deter young Ricky. He had to drop out of school, took up all kinds of odd jobs, to support his Mom. His mom & him were all there was in his world, and they were okay, cause they believed they had Jesus.
Once in his late teens-to-early twenties, Ricky took up a course in Graphic Designing. He even met a lovely girl, whom he hoped to marry. Ricky was so happy and feeling really blessed... he thought his Jesus had really come through for him at last! He was really looking forward to a brighter and blessed future. But, as things turned out, Ricky later realized that he couldn't have been more wrong!! The girl whom he loved, left him for a wealthier man, and this left Ricky completely heartbroken... as a result of which, he suffered a heart stroke!
This left him bedridden for the next 6 and 1/2 years!!
Ricky was admitted at the MMM (Madras Medical Mission) Hospital. Jesus had arranged for the doctors, to care for and treat Ricky completely free of charge. During this time, Ricky described to me, what he considered to be a moment of epiphany! He said that while he was in the ward, he had once suffered a heart attack, and that a pastor who was tending to another patient, came and started to pray to the Lord for his life, as he was passing out, Ricky said that he literally saw a shining white light and heard a soft, but strong voice call out his name from afar, and told him that he was going to be fine. All this while the doctors and nurses were scrambling around him, and inserting him with tubes and administering him with lifesaving procedures! Ricky woke up, just as the voice urged him to, and to the joy of his mom & the pastor, he was perfectly fine!! His heart & pulse rate were normal, and so was his blood pressure.
Ricky had renewed his faith in Christ, and had also begun to recover steadily. The cardiologist had later told him that his heart was only functioning at 26% it’s normal capacity, and therefore, it was inadvisable for him to never take on stress of any kind and nor could he walk up stairs, or work jobs that required any sort of physical and mental strain. Ricky was so pained to hear this; all he could think of was taking care of his mom. But, Ricky didn’t lose hope, cause he knew he had his Christ. He had believed that Jesus would make everything alright.
For the next two and half years, Ricky had what he described as the toughest phase of his life. He had met me during this time; he used to frequently visit his friend’s hair salon that was above my boutique. He used to always drop in and we used to chat for what seemed like hours. We grew close as friends, over the course of the year. Ricky wasn’t employed during this time. In fact, his mom and he were being supported and their home and groceries too were taken care of by sponsors. This was always a cause for worry for Ricky. I was always amazed at this boy’s ability to smile and remain hopeful through all the pain…I loved Ricky’s smile. That’s the face of him that I remember.
He had so many dreams… one of them being the dream of opening his own Hair salon. He was so inspired by his friend, Ricky too believed that cutting & styling hair was his calling. In fact, we would talk and discuss his hair salon for hours. He would ask me what color should he paint the walls… what he should call it… I’d told him that “Ricardo Marteen” was the name God had given him, and that’s what he should name it.
In November last year, he stopped coming to the boutique, when I’d called to inquire what had happened, his mom had explained that she had fallen ill, and that Ricky was taking care of her. After which, I’d rarely seen Ricky… I’d heard, every time I’d called, that they were going through too many financial problems, to a point where Ricky had cried himself hoarse. His mom told me she was worried that he was losing hope and faith, as they hadn’t paid the rent for more than two months, had hardly any food at home, and Ricky had broken down completely. She’d asked me to reach out to him and speak to him. I did. I didn’t know what to say, except that I too believed Jesus would open the door for him, and I’d urged him not to give up on our Savior.
I got a call from an extremely excited Ricky, just a couple of days after Christmas and before New Year, his mom too sounded very joyous and excited. They told me that Jesus had made Ricky’s dream come through… he had at last been given the money, by his sponsor, to open his own little hair salon! His voice was in recovery, but, he was so excited to tell me that he had actually followed through on implementing all that we’d discussed. The three of us were so thankful to God, for showering his blessings on him, that we screamed in joy! Ricky dropped by the boutique a couple of weeks later, with pictures of his new salon and to show me the hair styling kit & products he’d bought. We were like a couple of kids, all excited for the other’s joy. Ricky had asked me to drop in and see his place. I’d promised him I would… a promise that wasn’t kept.
We’d hardly spoken after that, till a few days back when, I received a couple of calls that I didn’t take as I was bereft with the loss of my Dad’s passing three weeks ago. Ricky, then sent me a text of condolence from him and his mom, and promised me that he’ll always be there, if I ever needed to talk. That was a promise that wasn’t kept as well.
I got a call this morning, from a friend of Ricky’s and mine, telling me that Ricky’d been going through a very rough time, again. He’d informed me that Ricky’s dream salon, that we all thought was blessed, hadn’t done well, and that he had painfully shut it down. Ricky didn’t have the money to hire any help to move his things from the salon to his home, so he’d carried everything himself. This, along with the emotional pain, had apparently caused strain to his heart, and he had been admitted to the hospital two days ago.
I don’t know whether Ricky had fought or not. I have so many questions to which I don’t have any answers. No, I haven’t gone to the hospital. I can’t somehow bring myself to. Why? Maybe cause, I just lost my father in the same place, just three weeks ago. And maybe, cause, I refuse to see the smile I remember be lost to death. Or maybe, because I just don’t have a heart that’s recovered as yet. I don’t know. I don’t know, and nor do I have any answers. All I have is a prayer. For Ricky, I pray for his soul to rest in our maker. For his mom, I pray for God’s strength and love to comfort her.
What comforts me is the thought and belief that, God chose to save him from any more suffering on the very day he came into this world. Today was Ricky’s birthday!
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