This book is no longer available. I am in the process of rewriting it.
From Phillipa Mitchell who assisted me with the book:
“I cannot tell you how proud I am to have worked on this book with the most incredible client. From start to finish, the Universe opened up the time for me to be able to take on this project which, under “normal” circumstances, would never have happened. And, as a further universal thumbs up, Amazon, who usually takes 2-3 days to approve a new book, approved it in 2 HOURS this evening.
This is a powerful work. Laura’s mother put it together after her daughter’s tragic suicide. It’s gut-wrenchingly sad.“
From Laura
July 2014. Doha, Qatar.
So, my journey began with a man…Mubarak…
A man who opened me up to a world,
maybe an awakening,
that made me question everything in this world.
I feel like he has turned my life upside down,
for I feel confused, lost yet found,
but don’t know where to start.
Where your beliefs, religion, life, the world is questioned.
What is truelly right, and what is wrong?
Rules.
What are they?
To guide us or, to control us?
To live by them or to live by our own truth.
My soul is connected to him, yet I am not sure he is the devil himself,
or my angel and light,
as clashes between dark and light.
They say it is within the heart that truth and treasures lie,
yet to follow your heart can be your biggest downfall.
Love is truth,
yet it is also deceit and betrayal!!!
*******
INTRODUCTION
by Leona Sykes
My daughter Laura was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 1 July 1976, and spent her childhood years in South Africa and Portugal. After qualifying as a beauty therapist and masseuse in Johannesburg she left South Africa for Abu Dhabi in 2007, living mainly in the Middle East until her death by suicide in Dubai on 16 November 2014. She fell to her from the At the Top Sky observation deck on the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa. She was thirty-eight years old. Her death was concealed by the government of Dubai but on 18 May 2015, an article written by Rob Davies of the Daily Mail was published.
“Exclusive: Heartbroken woman leaps to her death from the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building – after relationship turns sour.”
Later in the day, the Dubai police through the government-controlled media, issued a statement: “No suicide at the Burj Khalifa, says Dubai Police. Official clarifies that woman killed herself from a building in Jumeirah Lakes Towers.”
Jumeirah Lakes Towers is 24,6 kilometres away from the Burj Khalifa.
As the story unfolded Rob Davies suggested that I publish the first page of the coroner’s report which was issued by the government of Dubai, onto my Google+ page.
“Circumstances: having received the phone call from Operations Office at Dubai Police, I moved to the balcony of third floor at Burj Khalifa on 16/11/2014, to find…”
Other international news agencies followed the story. A couple of the headlines.
“The final moments of Laura Nunes. Has the mega-rich Emirate, Dubai, been caught in a huge lie about the circumstances of the death of a tourist from a popular attraction.”
“Is Dubai trying to cover up woman’s death from top of the world’s tallest building? Mystery surrounds the tragic death of a woman who is said to have committed suicide from the world’s tallest building.
I was effectively called a liar by the Government of Dubai. The coroner’s report proved that the Government of Dubai was lying.
The Daily Mail was not interested in publishing a follow-up story in spite of the coroner’s report and a travesty of the truth.
I still had no closure.
On 7 November 2016 I received a message from Mark Saunokonoko on the Facebook page I had created for Laura, Laura Vanessa Nunes – The Cover-Up, upon my return from Dubai. He was an investigative journalist and was interested in writing the follow-up story that no other journalist or news agency was interested in pursuing.
On the third anniversary of Laura’s death, the story was published for 9news Australia.
“How rich Gulf emirate Dubai covered up woman’s suicide from top of Burj Khalifa.”
“A Freedom of Information request lodged with Portugal’s Foreign Ministry targeting communications inside their embassy in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, proved more fruitful. Portuguese emails obtained by Nine under Portugal’s freedom of information laws confirmed that Laura had jumped from the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa.” “The police called us on the morning of 17November and informed us of her death,” Camara told Nine. In response to how he knew Laura had leaped from the 148th floor, Camara said: The information was given to us when we asked where it had happened.”
I finally had closure.
Laura’s story.
*******
From page 43, 19 December 2009. Zighy Bay, Oman.
“Your Eyes…
I have lost myself in them yet something real I have found…
deep.
They are going on for miles on end
on and on.
Will I find my way back
or will I be lost forever?”
*******
From page 51, March 2010, Dubai
“I am not strong enough to hold on anymore!!!
Your love I feel inside me
and in my heart you will always be
but sometimes to love someone enough
is to know when to let them go!!!”
*******
An extract from page 60, 27 April 2010, Dubai.
“And the truth is that the darkness I feel
is not about me, but about us.
It is the darkness that surrounds you
which brings out the stillness in me
and awakens me.”
*******
Page 66, 3 June 2010, Saudi Arabia. Laura speaking about Dubai.
“Follow your heart, so I follow my heart.
It swirls with energy when it thinks of being back with you.
Like adrenaline that rushes through me, nudging me and pushing me to go back and to be reunited once again!
Dubai, I love you, but fear keeps me from you!!!”
*******
From Laura’s Voice Whispers from an Angel, page 22, 4 October 2009. I think it is beautiful. She was at the Royal Court of Bahrain at the time.
“The colours of the notes of a piano are black and white
that play the tunes of a rainbow to your soul.”
*******
REVIEWS
“This book moved me deeply, from the first page right through to the moments before her tragic fall from the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa. To bear witness to the inner workings of the mind of this deeply troubled soul, a soul who was too fragile for this world and its expectations of her, left me feeling hollow inside. My heart goes out to Laura’s mother, Leona, who had to somehow summon the strength to gather her daughter’s written notes and letters together and find some way to read between the lines to make sense of something that seemed so senseless. Hauntingly sad and beautifully put together, this book will change you.”
Gregg Davies
“Absolutely heart-wrenching to see inside the feelings and thoughts that a vulnerable and loving soul was experiencing before choosing to end their life on this planet. Even more, tear-jerking to know a mother waded through these experiences and relived her daughter’s pains a word at a time in an effort to try and find closure.
Big respect to both Laura and Leona for putting together something so touching and deeply spiritual. Thoroughly blessed to have been able to play a small role in the process.”
Phillipa Mitchell
Interview with Sara-Jayne King on Cape Talk, 13 June 2018 – Laura took her own life
The interview with Sara-Jayne King had been disastrous, or so I thought. I had not realised that my healing process had scarcely begun. Laura’s book, Laura’s Voice Whispers from an Angel, was going to be the second book…the first book was the story, before Laura’s death, Laura’s death and after Laura’s death, but I couldn’t face it. I was not ready to write it. Instead, I was determined to put together Laura’s book, written by her posthumously, to introduce her to the people that had been following her story since the Daily Mail published the expose about her death on 18 May 2015. My deadline was the end of April. It was published on 21 March. I had achieved my goal. For the next few months, I was going to take a break from Laura before I continued with her story. So Laura and I went into hibernation in a box called a block. When Sara-Jayne was interviewing me I didn’t realise that I was still in a state of shock and the mental block to her death was still there. I hadn’t moved beyond Laura’s death or tried to deal with my own feelings and guilt about Laura. I put the podcast of the interview on my Facebook and the feedback from my Facebook friends was very positive.
“An amazing interview…
Sara-Jayne..hugely professional but with an edge of real-felt sincerity throughout…
Leona…I know how unsure you were..to go thro with this…another brave…necessary move…(I felt) in your incredible…heartbreaking journey .
Almost drew no breath…quietly listening…to your responses.
I salute your courage…another very difficult moment for you…reliving your pain…(in a short time too)…to an audience who one day will know Laura’s full story…
IN LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP…ALWAYS.”
“I have just listened to this now, Leona…Terribly sad and I hear so much unresolved issues – “listening” between the lines…How do you ever come fully to terms with a tragedy like this, but you are incredibly brave and have a great zest for life which carries you on. Sending much love to you and I may get to see you soon.”
“Thanks for sharing Leona I was sorry I had to miss the radio talk because I was not in SA but now at least I heard it. Must have been quite difficult and unnerving. It is hard to put that whole story across in a few minutes … you did well xxx”
“A heart wrenching book about a tragic, all consuming love affair and the agony when love ends. Experience the flights of joy and moments of doubt, an attempt to understand love and it’s effect on lovers. Recommended if you want to relive a familiar, but challenging love, something we all experience and not always capable of handling.”
“Love unfortunately comes with an expiry date and as unwilling as we are, because of its magnificence to accept this fact, the disappointment when love unilaterally ends, can be devastating.”
“Loved this interview Leona! You handled it so well and what I loved the most, as sad as it was, is that you didn’t pretend to feel things that you couldn’t, or say things to hide what you really meant. You were honest and vulnerable and made no bones about yours and Laura’s relationship. Super proud of you.”
From Phillipa Mitchell:
Laura Vanessa Nunes 