A tragic turn of events

Yesterday was a tragic day for Sinbi muay thai, and a day that really put life in perspective for me.
As afternoon training was heading into it's final stages, we were all told to sit down for an announcement. Dui- 14 year old fighter and son of one of the trainers- had been killed in a traffic accident earlier that day. He had been riding with his father on a scooter, when they were hit by a bus. The father was in hospital with and broken leg.
We were all shocked- we had all seen Dui around the gym, lighting up the place with his big smile and energy. Many of us had seen him fight at the recent Sinbi Fight Night- he was a promising young boxer with a bright future ahead of him. To think that he was gone, just like that, his life cut far too short, was a difficult thing to accept.
The session was cut short so that the trainers could go see the father in hospital. Word soon spread that there would be transport for anyone who wanted to go as well, leaving in 45 minutes. Cameron, Iggy and myself climbed into the back of a pick-up truck, along with the Malaysian group from the room next door and Tun, one of the trainers. I have seen lots of Thai people riding around on the back of trucks, but never expected to be doing so myself. Least of all under such terrible circumstances.
When we reached our destination, however, it became clear that it was no hospital. There had been a miscommunication somewhere. Instead of going to the hospital to visit Dui's father, we had instead gone to a mosque to pay respects to the young lad's body. Those of us who wanted to go inside were ushered into a large room filled with people, both Muslim and otherwise. As far as I could tell, we were he only foreigners there, increasing the already strong feeling of being out of place. Young Dui's body was in the centre of the room, covered by a thick green blanket, with incense burning next to him. Dozens of people were sat around him, with more coming and going. At one point, someone lifted the blanket a little so that people could see Dui's face. I stayed back, unable to look. Though I don't often show it, I can be quite a sensitive person at times, and this whole thing was becoming difficult. After about ten minutes, we quietly left the room and stood outside with the trainers. It was strange to see such strong, authoritative men visibly upset, and I felt stricken by an utter inability to be of any help.
The number of people there surprised me- I had the feeling many of them wouldn't have even known Dui personally. This spoke of a strong community, though I was also struck by the feeling that this was nothing new to anyone here- they had all seen a tragedy like this before, and no doubt would again.
It was touching for the people at Sinbi to include us all in something so personal and emotional, and I felt truly humbled by the experience. Afterwards, a few of us went for a meal and had a beer in his name, and discussed trying to get some donations together for the family, who would surely be struggling without the two main money earners. Nobody felt like partying though, and it became the first quiet night I've had all week.

Rest in Peace Dui- I didn't know you for long or even on a personal level, but I certainly won't forget you