Deepest Sympathies

Dear Malik Family,

I haven't been very good at keeping up on information from Hyde Park lately, and the terrible news about Tombol just made it out to me today. For the past 3 hours I've been sitting in the library in a state of shock, remembering Tombol and reading the testimonials from the many, many people that loved him and whose lives he touched.

I knew Tombol's older siblings better than I knew him. I chiefly remember Tombol as the baby of the family, still too young to join the big kids as we raced about, playing tag behind the apartment on Drexel or on the U of C campus.

When I ran into Shiera and Samil at a New Year's Eve party many years later, Shiera told me that I wouldn't believe it if I saw how big Tombol had become. Now I'm saddened to think that I'll never get to meet the wonderful young man he grew up to be. From reading the many entries in the blog, he was a wonderful young man indeed, and someone I would have been lucky to know better.

Sati, Shiera, Samil and Karen, my thoughts are with you during this sad time. I wish you much peace.

Ben Newton
Madison, WI