h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have lost one of my closest friends - and I am very relieved by this!

Peter was born 8 September 1951 to a loving mother and a Hungarian peasant who suffered deeply from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder - because he had been forced to fight in the German navy in WWII - and in turn made his family suffer from said disorder...

During his first year Peter was infected with polio and spent more than half of his childhood in hospitals. When at home his father would try to harden him - and did not shy away from using physical violence to that end...

Peter managed to heal well enough to get several jobs before finishing a special teacher training college as the first ever in the family with a degree. He worked for adults with autism and was very good at it. So good in fact that his bosses would call him in the middle of the night when there was a problem only Peter was able to fix.

In his later years the polio slowly returned. About 10 years ago he was granted early retirement which resulted in Peter watching more and more tv, smoking more cigarettes than ever and drinking both whisky and red wine. He claimed alcohol was the only thing helping him against the pain he would inevitable get whenever he had been out for a walk or used his body in any other way.

I am no expert, but I think it's safe to say that his drinking also was a result of his childhood traumas. As was his behaviour which could at times be quite extreme.

In the end he practically stopped eating, went in and out of hospital and gradually withered away harbouring only one wish: To die.

This wish was granted him yesterday after he had been rushed to the hospital for the last time the day before.

I wish the anti-vaxxers could have seen him. Other than that I am relieved to know that he is finally at peace.

- It will be an exciting new experience, he used to say. - Did you know that I have never been able to fly in my dreams in spite of really wanting that? Well, we'll see. Either I will fly among the stars or be reborn or there will be nothing after this. We'll see. Exciting!

I hope he flies. He deserves it

I'm sorry you have lost a friend, he sounds remarkable. and yes, I agree, I wish the anti-vaxxers could have seen his suffering (but it wouldn't change their minds)

I hope he flies among the stars (is my intention)

GB

Thank you all

I will have to sort a few things out in the next couple of days

Because of his at times - how shall I put this delicately? - "eccentric behaviour" will have to do - he's hardly had any contact with his sister and two brothers (or any other persons than his carers for that matter - except for me and maybe two other friends) and I don't seem to be able to locate the siblings so will have to ask the police to do that.
It's strange, but both the hospital and the police thought he had no family at all
And for some strange reason nobody was aware of the fact that I was his "next of kin" - and I know for a fact that he had registered me as such
Red tape, eh?

Oh well, once we've found his siblings I can leave it all to them

Oh you didn't need all this on top of your loss

We had similar red tape issues with Ian's mother and it was a good job I was with him and his sister as I was able to deal with "authority" on their behalf to save them the pain.

Thank you for being such a good friend

It's hard to lose a friend. And these circumstances sound very hard. But I agree, this time it also sound like relief for him. Open skies for him.

He sounds a really interesting person. May he rest in peace and fly amongst the stars

for Peter.

May he fly in liqiud sky.

"He Is Not Dead

I cannot say, and I will not say
That he is dead. He is just away.
With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand,
He has wandered into an unknown land
And left us dreaming how very fair
It needs must be, since he lingers there.
And you—oh you, who the wildest yearn
For an old-time step, and the glad return,
Think of him faring on, as dear
In the love of There as the love of Here.
Think of him still as the same. I say,
He is not dead—he is just away.”

I was remembered by these words by James Whitcomb Riley (which I knew by , of course - once I had googled them...) when I went to the probate court, the police and the bank this stormy Monday morning.

Everybody I talked to shook their heads and said: "He's not dead as far as we are concerned, because nobody has informed us yet"

I was close to asking them "then who is the guy in the box down in the hospital cellar?"

But of course I didn't. What I did make was sure that they know that Peter has had at least one sister and two brothers and at least one of them (and probably all three) must still be alive.

Apparently it is now up to the municipality to have Peter cremated or buried. Whether this will happen before or after his family members have been informed is up in the air.

Oh well, I think I've done what I can now. So I'll just sit back and wait to hear when the funeral will be.

Maybe someone will let me know?

hi ptp

im sorry to hear peter as gone now, i have the photo you sent in my spare flash, but as you said many times he was a hard man and didnt want to take notice to get his life in a better frame of mind.

to lose someone is bad but a veery dear friend and mate is more of a pain,ive lost so many male and female over the years ive but a few that are a lot older than me, ei joe i told you about he is 91 this time round, i will when he isnt there miss getting his shopping and spending time having a cuppa.

sincere condolances on your sad loss of a mate and friend jim

close friends can not be replaced, but the memory will never fade, so he will always be with you Pierce

he will be flying higher than high

Thank you, Jim and Prof

good friends cannot be replaced indeed .. and not forgotten

I'm sure you'll never forget the time Hati and you met Peter, Hapi

Condolences from the Lair

Thank you

Nothing new to report. The only place they seem to believe he's gone is the bank. Why does that not surprise me?

This suggests that his family has been in contact with the hospital and have taken over. For all I know they may have buried him in secrecy already.

But why nobody has asked me to hand over his passport, credit card and the the keys to his house, car, allotment and safe is incomprehensible