"I have been in deep thoughts since yesterday after I received
a call telling me that a woman I knew had passed on to glory.
Am sure it's glory.
When her children waited for my condolence call to come
through for about 3weeks, the daughter decided to call me
yesterday believing that I must not have heard. But deep
inside me I knew she must have wondered why I did not call
sooner knowing how their mother held me in high esteem. I
was short of words as I listened to the daughter. Then my
mind started playing back.
Before the 18th day of Oct. 2013, 'Yar garin mu' (daughter of
our hometown) as I did call her and while she called me 'Dan
garin mu' (son of our hometown). She called me on phone and
told me she needed me to forgive every wrong she'd ever
wronged me. I told her that she has never wronged me, but
she insisted she needed to hear me say that. That she was
making peace with all men, and that she feel it's about time to
go home. I felt it in my heart too. We talked like a younger
brother to an older sister, just the way we were used to. I
could feel her peace radiating into me as we ended the
conversation. About a week or more later, she called that she
needed my assistance, confusingly for me, I just borrowed all
I had, but as I heard the voice of the Lord in my heart I had to
part with about half of it, but I could not send it that day
because it was a Friday and past banking time, so, I hoped for
Monday to come and it seemed like everlasting, but patience
helped me pulled through my anxiety. Miraculously, that same
Friday's night I earned more than I have purposed in my heart
to give her, but sadly, am sure it was greedily, for I did not
increase the amount I purposed seeing that I have made more.
God, am sorry. Though she needed the little I gave her, but I
should have done more. That was goodbye between me and
'Yar garin mu'. About two weeks and four days later she died,
as I was told.
I pondered on all the events as they clouded my mind. I
remembered the first time I met her at work for she was our
janitor and a colleague while we worked together, but most
importantly she was my friend. I remember all her wise
counsels. She believed in me when no one did. She was a
perfect big sister.
Now, I reason, looking at us in this life, our deeds, our
hardheartedness, our unkindness, our endless struggles daily
just to make ends meet which never does and in the process
letting the most important things in life slip by. What are the
races for? I asked myself over and over again, when in
actualization there is nothing we can hold unto in this life
forever. Can we hold unto a brother, a sister, a mother, a
father, a dear friend, a lover, a posh job, or a fine face forever?
I wonder! I still do. From this world, some gets to say
goodbye! While many never did. 'Yar garin mu' told me
something she was so certain about, she said: "I am going
home, till we meet in Heaven." When, she told me to pray for
her, all I found myself telling God was to forgive her all her
wrongs and accept her back home, for she was sore even in
her illness and spoke as one that was ready to cross over.
Be good to all. It might be the last act of kindness you may be
opportune to render. We can't hold anything forever, but we
can leave our memories written in gold, we can leave
footprints that can never disappear. We can leave our lives to
be told as bed times stories. Yes! We can. It starts with a
simple act of love and kindness. Goodbye! 'Yar garin mu', till
my time is done, when the Reaper shall find me homeward
bound."
