It was a bright and sunny morning as I came to the office, hoping it will be another cheerful day. I quickly tried to settle down to face the business of the day. One, after the other, tasks began to pour in and I innocently concluded that today is going to be another hectic day as usual.
In the midst of all these, a call came in from a friend at home. I picked the call with the usual excitement expecting it’s going to be the usual “I’m calling to check you out” and then we’ll exchange pleasantries and end the call. Alas, I was wrong this time around. I was too carried away and could not deduce something was amiss even though I sensed his tone was unusually unassertive and somber.

Like an explosion, the news was broken to me… in the beginning, it was shock, it quickly turned to discomfiture then numbness. I could feel my breath going away and for a moment, I was completely lost and helpless. I moved to the washroom and try to make myself comfortable so my colleagues wouldn’t know what’s happening with me… “It can’t be true”, “no, not Joe”, “there must be a mistake somewhere” I was involuntarily muttering all these until a colleague probed to find out what was wrong with me that I realized I wasn’t only thinking but actually muttering some words.

I wished it was just a nightmare and I’ll wake up from it but no way… I spoke with another of our friend, log unto Facebook, viewed your wall and lo and behold, the stark reality… IT IS TRUE.

Oh Joe, we might have been many miles apart in the last few years (due to work our commitments) but you are a strong part of my life and I’m going to miss you badly. If it was only for our university days alone, I’ll have gladly called you a friend and that will be sufficient. However, it’s more than that when I remember our service year…

We were inseparable right from Umudi (Imo State Orientation camp). We both got posted to the state capital (Owerri) and I eventually convinced you to come and stay with me since I had free accommodation then. We spent our whole service year together and had things in common. We’ll go to work together (we had our places of primary assignments close to each other), return home together, cook together, eat together, go for outings together and we even joined the same CDS (Road Safety Club) so we’ll always be together. If I can recall, the only thing that separates us, albeit momentarily was fellowship. I’m fully committed to NCCF (Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship) while you were not only committed to NACC (National Association of Catholic Corpers) you were the President of NACC at the time. Your friends became my friends and vice versa. We were more than friends at this point in time, we were BROTHERS and we had been so, ever since.

Service year came and passed but our relationship continued. I was so happy for you when you join FRSC, you were so happy for me when I got a job and relocated to Abuja. You even visited me a couple of times in Abuja which rekindled those good old memories of our service year. You couldn’t make it to my wedding but you called and apologized later (and I perfectly understood because of the paramilitary nature of your job). I spoke with you early last month and you promised to visit us any time you are in Abuja and my wife and I had been eagerly looking forward to the visit until this unholy news was broken to us this morning.

You were very vivacious, amiable, humorous, likeable, friendly and good-natured and above all, a devout Christian. Being around you was so much fun as you will always make us laugh until we forget ourselves. What more could I say?

Some things are better left unsaid but Joe, I have to say this. You left me heartbroken and inconsolable. I fought hard to stop tears from cascading down my cheeks but cannot stop the grieve raging in my heart. My spirit is disquiet and my soul is uneasy. I don’t even know why I’m doing this; I’m not even coordinated to make enough sense out of what I’m typing. I however knew I just need a way to vent out what I’m feeling, now that I know IT IS TRUE after all.

Rest in Peace Joe, till we meet again to part no more.

Your Brother,

Shadrach