الجميع يتذكر ضحكاتها، مزاحها وحتى غضبها ويبكي حنينا اليها.
هي التي كانت تعمل قبل التقاعد في شركة الميدل إيست، عُرفت بجرأتها خلال فترة الحرب اللبنانية كانت تتنقل بين المناطق دون خوف.
أحبتها عائلتها وجيرانها ، كانت مينيرفا تبتسم دائمًا وتساعدها. تجنبت التعليقات والمواقف المزعجة ، وابتعدت عن الجدال. كانت دائما مسالمة.
كانت مينيرفا أمًا وأبًا لولديها جوزيف وساندرا خاصة وأن زوجها الذي يعيش في الخارج مرض وعاد إلى لبنان. عملت في وظائف متعددة لإعالة أسرتها.
On August 4, Minerva went to visit her aunt for a while, and came back home around 1:30 PM to feed her dog “Pinky”. She talked to her daughter multiple times afterwards, and sent her a voice note around 5:45 PM to tell her about a huge fire at the Port of Beirut, followed by the sound of fireworks going off. Minerva also called her son who asked her to stay away from the balcony, fearing for her life. Minerva entered her room seconds before the explosion that blew her into the corridor, and left her trapped under the room’s door, which fell on her body.
Sandra did not listen to her mother’s voice note at the time, but she heard the blast while she was in the village of Chartoun. She rushed to Beirut to check on her mom who called her, before losing consciousness, crying for help: “Help me! The house must’ve exploded”…
Joseph, who believes his mother’s phone call saved his life –she had asked him not to come over as the fire seemed huge, took her to Notre Dame des Secours Hospital, where she was treated for multiple fractures in the knee, foot, and chest. A blood clot was also found in her brain, which slowed her treatment protocol, undergoing multiple surgeries on August 7. She was discharged from the hospital on August 10, and went to her mountain house in Chartoun, after her doctors agreed there was no risk in postponing the treatment of the blood clot.
في 12 آب ، وبعد أن ساعدتها ابنتها على تغيير ملابسها ، اشتكت مينيرفا من صداع رهيب وتوفيت بعد فترة وجيزة ، قبل أن ترى حفيدتها الثانية التي كانت حريصة جدًا على مقابلتها.
Minerva’s name was not initially listed with those of the Beirut explosion victims, due to the lack of communication and coordination between different governmental bodies. This was the case of many who have been wounded on August 4, and greatly suffered before leaving this world at a later date. Her family fought hard to finally have her included.
And because human beings are not alone to suffer the loss of their loved ones, Minerva’s dog died of sorrow on her pillow, one day after her passing.
مينيرفا الشرتوني ضحية انفجار مرفأ بيروت، فارقت الحياة ولم تفارق قلوب محبيها.