Lord, allow name in peace

Dear Father:

It was just few weeks ago when my brother and I did a little racing after the SKD Boulevard traffic light. It was an interesting experience as we both laughed and exchanged greetings. It had been long. Yes it had been.

Despite all the controversies surrounding him -notable amongst them: “you have your pen, I have my gun”, he was such a sociable character. He wore a broad smile when ever one encounters him- at least with me, because we both share the same first name-and so we did addressed each other as Name.

His sojourn Father, has once again risen within my head this one unanswered question-death oh death why have you come?

Father, trust me, we will never know the answer pertaining to such a mystery called death. It is a mystery that you have kept from us from the foundation of this earth. It has and continues to remind us that we are just visitors here on planet earth. But do we really know this?

We plan and devise evil against each another for things that we cannot take on this journey when death comes calling us for a return to the land of our ancestors.

We live with hatred out of jealousy when we cannot have what our friends have or when we think we should be the one with the spotlight and not the other person. But do we know when death would come calling and where will all these things be left?

Father, as I drive along the streets of our village and see homes and businesses left behind by actors before us and even among us, I often asked myself -why do we fight and war among ourselves.

Yes, I believe that life here provides us a stage upon which we are all actors. But what we don’t know is the end of our performance. If only we knew that each of us would give an account as to how we play our respective roles on this stage, our dealings with our fellow mortals would be things we value most.

Carrying hatred and hurt within oneself because you think you should have a lion share of whatever your friend is involve with and would go to an extend to suppress same won’t do you any good.

Who knew that we would have all woke up few days ago to hear that Name has left this stage. I don’t think Name himself had properly prepared for this sojourn. Trust me, if he did, he would have shared this with some of us who were so close a friend to him.

But he didn’t and we cannot question the cold hand of death why. Simply because we may not get the answers that we seek.

I have a cousin who is a pastor. And he asked me this once. He came to me once saying “I have noticed that whenever a close friend of yours depart for the land of no return, your attitude change for a period.-bad to good.

That was after the passing of one of my childhood friends in Uncle Sam’s village, at the time I was still exiled in Charlie Land.

Father, I said to him the reason is simple-the passing of a close friend often remind me of the fact that it could have been me. And if it were me, the question that comes to mind immediately is where would I end up on this journey?

Yes, Father, the passing of a close friend especially someone with whom I have shared drinks and much fun only reminds me of my own passing and how death is an untimely visitor who could come when he has not been invited into a home.

Well, with this in mind, all I can now say journey on Name-rest in perfect peace. As Shakespeare said “the good is often inter with the bones. There are many who would for one reason or the other try to celebrate your early departure.

But no one celebrates death, because it is a journey that no one can figure out-once again Father, please allow Name to rest in peace.