Qazi then got married and he was living with his new wife and step-dad Paul in Pakistan. Paul had decided to take retirement from the army to live with his adopted son and daughter-in-law. After a couple of years Qazi found employment in London, he moved back to England on his own to start work. Paul was then looking after his wife and children in Pakistan. Qazi used to visit his family in Pakistan every 6 months. Paul took up a new occupation in Pakistan and became a teacher. He went onto teach in various colleges and universities in Pakistan.
When Paul got old he decided to give up working and his focus was totally in raising his grand children. I remember spending the first 10 years of my life with him. He was a lovely, caring man. He used to take all of us out for dinner at least once a week and he provided us with everything that we needed.
My granddad Paul looked after my dad’s parents, brothers and sisters as well. He gave them money and all the support he could; as my dad’s original family was poor. We never felt that he was a different person from a foreign country and he was always one of our own family. Paul was one of the leading officers in British army, he was quiet famous in both Pakistan and back in England.
As he got older Paul had health issues when he was in his late 90s he used to be ill and sick quiet often, and had to stay on his bed for last few years of his life. One day he suffered a heart attack and he was put on life support machine for two days in hospital before he passed away on 13th September 2001. I was about 12 years old at the time of his death. His death happened in Pakistan, we all went to his funeral in a Church. That was the saddest day of my life and I was inconsolable. My father was very upset as were all the other family members. He was bought back to England for burial and his grave is in London.
This is how a stranger from a different culture, different country changed the fortunes of a poor child living in a poor family and giving him the best possible education and making him a decent human being. For all he did for me and my family, especially for my father, I will never forget him. He will always live in our memories. He was a special person, that is why my Family and I can never forget him, 8 years on and we still visit his grave regularly.
