MH17 말레이시아 항공 비극에 의해 숨진 11세 남자아이가 비행기를 타기 전에 엄마한테 “나 죽으면 어떡해?”라는 질문을 했다는 것이 밝혀져 주위를 안타깝게 했다고 외신이 보도했다.
말레이시아 항공을 타기 몇일 전부터 11살인 미구엘은 엄마에게 죽음, 영혼과 신에 대한 질문을 끊임없이 쏟아냈다고 했다.
비행기를 타기 하루 전에는 축구를 하다가 갑자기 “엄마는 선택할 수 있었다면 어떤 방법으로 죽을거야?”, “내가 땅에 묻히게 되면 내 몸은 어떻게 되는거아? 영혼이 하나님한테 돌아가서 아무것도 못 느껴?” 등의 수많은 질문을 했다고 한다.
그리고 항공기 탑승 전 날 밤, 미구엘은 엄마를 안으면서 가기를 거부했다. 엄마는 미구엘이 자신을 보고 싶어 하는 마음 때문 일 것이라고 생각하여 그와 같이 밤을 보냈다.
미구엘과 그의 19세인 형 샤카는 발리에 사는 할머니를 방문하기 위해서 말레이시아 항공을 탈 예정이었다. 그의 형 미카는 항공권을 못 얻어 다음날 출발하기로 했다.
비행기를 타기 직전 미구엘은 여권 심사대를 향하던 도중 다시 엄마에게 뛰어가 보고 싶을거라고 말하면서 비행기가 추락하면 어떻게 되느냐고 물었다.
엄마는 미구엘에게 안심하라고 말했는데 이때가 그들의 마지막 모습이었다. 11시간 45분의 비행시간은 불과 2시간 만에 끝이 났다.
엄마는 ”미구엘 말을 들었어야 했다“고 조용히 말하며 인터뷰를 끝마쳤다.
(코리아헤럴드 조한나 인턴기자 hnncho@heraldcorp.com)
(사진 출처: 유투브 캡쳐)
<관련 영문기사>
Boy who asked mother about his death before flying on MH17
It broke the heart of people to find out about an 11-year-old boy who asked his mother about his death days before boarding Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, according to the Daily Mail.
Miguel asked his mother tons of question about death, souls and God just days before the flight
One day before the flight, while playing soccer, he asked his mother, “How would you choose to die? What would happen to my body if I was buried? Would I not feel anything because our souls go back to God?
Miguel was normally excited about traveling, but the night before his trip he hugged his mother and refused to go. Mrs. Calehr, Miguel’s mother, thought that the boy behaved like this because he was just going to miss her and “held him all night.”
It was 11:00 p.m. that night -- 15 hours were left to live for Miguel, his older brother who would be on the flight with him, and 296 other people destined to board MH17.
Miguel and his 19-year-old brother Shaka were planning to visit their grandmother in Bali. His other 16-year-old brother Mika, who wasn’t able to get a seat on the flight, was planning to catch up with them the next day.
On his way to passport control, Miguel ran back to his mother and said, “Mama, I’m going to miss you,” adding, “What will happen if the airplane crashes?”
Calehr told her little boy not to worry and her older son reassured both of them that he will take care of Miguel.
That’s the last time she saw both of them. The flight which should have been 11 hours 45 minutes ended after just two hours when it was reportedly shot down.
Calehr ended the interview with the words: “I should have listened to him.”
By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (
hnncho@heraldcorp.com)
