Talei is the one on the left of the above picture facing us, she is the one not wearing the glasses, and is with her friend Jennifer. It was taken not long before Talei tragically died in Jamaica aged 26.As you can see from these photo's Talei was incredibly beautiful.
She was the youngest of the Jones's, My Mum's brothers youngest daughter, she was doted on by her parents and her other siblings, especially Felix and Leonard, she was their little sister.
They lived all over, my Uncles family, I think Talei was born in Canada, her Mum (my auntie) is Fijian, Talei's parents met in Fiji. They travelled extensively, My Uncle, Talei's Dad had the travel bug and visited an enormous number of countries.
At one time while Talei was growing up, they lived in Quebec in Canada. Talei spoke french fluently from that time ( although she said she later forgot it!). Then the family moved on, they spent a while as Talei was a young teenager in the Bahamas as well as living in a very large house on the Canadian American border. I am not sure of the exact chronology, but Talei and family were true internationalists.
Talei came to Britain when she was fourteen years old, she came here to go to a lovely school in Cranbrook in kent, which is a very nice area. She spent some time during her vacations with my Mum ( her Aunt). Talei was a very helpful girl even as she struggled making the transition from girl to young woman, she was polite and caring while around my Mum's, although it must have been hard for her without her peer group and her immediate family around her, but she coped, in fact she flew through it, her natural intelligence saw her through.
She was very well liked and did well at school, and so she went on to University, the London School of Economics, the LSE, following in her fathers footsteps, and she really took to it, she loved London so much, quite right too, London has so much going on. Soon Talei developed a love for culture and all good things in life. For a while too she was the partner to very upper class and well to do fellows, although neither of those first relationships lasted ( might have been something to do with her love for independence, although that is a guess, we never really discussed her relationships).
Anyway, Talei was proving to be not only incredibly beautiful as a woman but also highly capable, she organised everything for the students she shared digs with, she organised the trips to theatres, other cultural events and also she organised the holidays.
Despite her hectic social life, Talei found time to study and did well gaining a second class honours degree from the London School of Economics, and then as is the case for all young people who finish their degrees; what was next?
She packing in so much, she went to China to teach English to young Chinese children, she did well there, was loved by all and she knew how to make the most of her situation and enjoy herself. But I knew how much she loved London, she would have liked to have stayed and settled there, I know that. But for stupid money, that is what prevented her, she was saddled with debt from being a student, accommodation was difficult and extremely expensive. It is this that really makes me angry, if it hadn't have been so expensive for her to stay here, I am sure she would have done. It upsets me very much.
Talei went travelling and her parents moved to Fiji where her brother Felix, his wife and family were now settled. I honestly lose track of all the places she went to for experience and to work, she was working in Australia when she went travelling to South America, and then her final destination, Jamaica.
Talei as you can gather was amazing, as a child she was very special, she was funny, she displayed an brilliant sense of humour, she could make everyone laugh ( as is often the case for the youngest children) and she was so caring.
Talei was about seven years old when I was seriously ill with a mental breakdown and she was strong around me, she cared and it felt like she was looking after and looking out for me, despite her being so young.
We have lost our youngest, our best, our fittest one. All of her friends have lost one of their most capable, fun loving and caring people they could ever hope to meet.
This pain I am in right now I have never felt before, when Talei died, my life changed. Although I am grieving the loss of Talei, I cannot even begin to say how her death has affected me, it is so huge and too raw at the moment.
I love you so much Talei and I hate money. Rest in Peace lovely, sleep now in the loving arms of Our Father.
They lived all over, my Uncles family, I think Talei was born in Canada, her Mum (my auntie) is Fijian, Talei's parents met in Fiji. They travelled extensively, My Uncle, Talei's Dad had the travel bug and visited an enormous number of countries.
At one time while Talei was growing up, they lived in Quebec in Canada. Talei spoke french fluently from that time ( although she said she later forgot it!). Then the family moved on, they spent a while as Talei was a young teenager in the Bahamas as well as living in a very large house on the Canadian American border. I am not sure of the exact chronology, but Talei and family were true internationalists.
Talei came to Britain when she was fourteen years old, she came here to go to a lovely school in Cranbrook in kent, which is a very nice area. She spent some time during her vacations with my Mum ( her Aunt). Talei was a very helpful girl even as she struggled making the transition from girl to young woman, she was polite and caring while around my Mum's, although it must have been hard for her without her peer group and her immediate family around her, but she coped, in fact she flew through it, her natural intelligence saw her through.
She was very well liked and did well at school, and so she went on to University, the London School of Economics, the LSE, following in her fathers footsteps, and she really took to it, she loved London so much, quite right too, London has so much going on. Soon Talei developed a love for culture and all good things in life. For a while too she was the partner to very upper class and well to do fellows, although neither of those first relationships lasted ( might have been something to do with her love for independence, although that is a guess, we never really discussed her relationships).
Anyway, Talei was proving to be not only incredibly beautiful as a woman but also highly capable, she organised everything for the students she shared digs with, she organised the trips to theatres, other cultural events and also she organised the holidays.
Despite her hectic social life, Talei found time to study and did well gaining a second class honours degree from the London School of Economics, and then as is the case for all young people who finish their degrees; what was next?
She packing in so much, she went to China to teach English to young Chinese children, she did well there, was loved by all and she knew how to make the most of her situation and enjoy herself. But I knew how much she loved London, she would have liked to have stayed and settled there, I know that. But for stupid money, that is what prevented her, she was saddled with debt from being a student, accommodation was difficult and extremely expensive. It is this that really makes me angry, if it hadn't have been so expensive for her to stay here, I am sure she would have done. It upsets me very much.
Talei went travelling and her parents moved to Fiji where her brother Felix, his wife and family were now settled. I honestly lose track of all the places she went to for experience and to work, she was working in Australia when she went travelling to South America, and then her final destination, Jamaica.
Talei as you can gather was amazing, as a child she was very special, she was funny, she displayed an brilliant sense of humour, she could make everyone laugh ( as is often the case for the youngest children) and she was so caring.
Talei was about seven years old when I was seriously ill with a mental breakdown and she was strong around me, she cared and it felt like she was looking after and looking out for me, despite her being so young.
We have lost our youngest, our best, our fittest one. All of her friends have lost one of their most capable, fun loving and caring people they could ever hope to meet.
This pain I am in right now I have never felt before, when Talei died, my life changed. Although I am grieving the loss of Talei, I cannot even begin to say how her death has affected me, it is so huge and too raw at the moment.
I love you so much Talei and I hate money. Rest in Peace lovely, sleep now in the loving arms of Our Father.
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