My father brother, my father best friend and my uncle. Right now, I am almost unable to imagine his face – his smile. I am almost unable to recall clearly his deep appreciation of his own life and the joy with which he appropriated everything that it brought to him. Because when I close my eyes, that pervasive image of him – supine, lifeless and his face cast in a black shadow – invades my mind and my only relief then becomes a gut-wrenching grief. I cannot stop crying for the man who represented everything that was beautiful in this world to me. My heart cannot accept the passing of my greatest idol – my father's most cherished brother – my eternal mentor – pa Martin  – a beloved brother to his sisters and brothers and a beautiful uncle who was loved and worshipped by his nieces and nephews – and most of all, his dear, dear wife mami juliana, as he always called her Julia.