On Friday 29th April, 2016, a great intellectual, literati, philosopher and friend departed this world of strife. I got wind of the news the following day and it was difficult to react to it. I became short of words because this friend was so full of life and bubbling with ideas. I have known him all through my years as an undergraduate student and even now, he is one of the few people I can truly call my friend. I remember how we wanted to publish a philosophical book entitled "What Happened to Man?" but for certain circumstances. I remember that we did publish a poem together "How does it feel to be a Problem?" which was published by Saraba Literary Magazine in the Solitude Edition 2013/2014. I remember when we talked about postgraduate studies and its prospects. I remember that he called Sandra James an Athenian beau. I remember that he was a bossom friend, and even beyond so, to the Iwezus; Joy and Ewere. I remember he spoke well about "Blacky" Daniel Nnamani and actually did introduce me to him. I remember our chats; some of which I still have "screen-grabbed". I remember the day you graced Lillysparrow's day with Blacky. I remember our Masonic alignments and ideals. The Hobbessian state of nature. I remember... EVERYTHING!
I have not made many friends in the life but you, Freeman David II, are my friend and I'll carry your memory with me, always and forever. You are not dead! I refute this Neitzschean state of affair!
You had always been an Existentialist! A Sartrean and a believer of Kierkegaard and Hiedegger! You believed in the power of human FREEWILL in the face of nothingness, absurdity and futility. Why did you compare yourself with Sisyphus? Why did you become Tantalus? You put questions at the lips of everyone! You made me reevaluate reality all day. It was you Freeman, it was you... I am short of words, for the umpteenth time.

Alas! The traveller has returned
Like an Avatar couched with dust:
This is the final initiation.
Memento, Memento Mori:
From dust we come,
To dust we return.
"Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the Gate:
'To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods.'"

Farewell my bro. We shall meet at the Cosmic gate!


-Mathias Orhero

Adieu dear

How does it feel to be a Problem?
Freeman David and Mathias Orhero
http://www.sarabamag.com/the-solitude-issue/



Do we tread the famished road with the single hope of an oasis at the end?
The desert sands shall give no mercy to the man of faith
Let us go then from lands we have baptised with pain
Let us, like Ulysses, set sail like the Vikings
Do we weep for things unseen?

Tell me, my kinsman, how it feels to bring goodluck
Even when ants have ecstatically ravaged your iron fence.
Tell me how it feels to drink from an oasis
In the parched mind
of a thirsty traveller.

Do we weep for the roads not taken?
We saw the Kiama bridge and that which goes to Yenagoa
Do we require gods to tell us where to go?
The soothsayers are out of business now
Everyman is his own prophet
The desert sands do not forgive penitent feet
Neither does the hungry panther put faith in the gods for a meal
So tell me! Tell me, oh kinsman, how does it feel to be a problem?


What is required for a genius to become a fool?
Does it require piety?
Does it require taking existence serious?
We were sent here to dig a hole
A hole which we have dug so deep we no longer see the light
I gave a penny to a beggar and he gave it to his brother in penury
I clean the guillotine daily, only to be stained with the blood of feeble minds.
Finding myself alone
Only for my solitude to be arrested by thoughts of things I have lost.


When I walked from Carthage to Kanem-Borno,
there were no tears of burnt and scratched metals
When I listened to Homer, there was no use for words of affliction
When I slept in homes built by the intelligence of Masons, there were no natural disasters.
The Aare-Ona-Kakanfo has refused to return
Maybe the age grades should hunt for him
Just ensure the Sultan does not abdicate before I return
If I do not return then I am your problem.

Taken 4 Years ago when we were undergraduates at DELSU. I read English, he read Philosophy. I wanted to be a Professor, he wanted to be a General!

Its so sad you had to die so young in that ill-fated domestic accident.

CC; MrLeno

So sad to wake up dis morning to hear a brother is gone. I wish his family well

We will miss you love.
Me for one will miss your big big grammar.
Very intelligent you were my friend.

our chats

Our proposed book

One of his philosophical musings

Rest in peace FreemanDave.. We will miss you.
Cc. refiner

Rip Freemanan.

The guy really loved you when he was alive,i mean IT!

Omotayor123:
Rest in peace FreemanDave.. We will miss you.

Cc. refiner

One of his philosophical musings:

Aristotle in his famous saying puts it that 'BEING QUA BEING' meaning Being is being or Being for being. Also the Great existentialist, Martin Heidegger said Being is a thing into death, meaning existence of a being is also a movement towards it's death therefore Being is nothing.

Going from the authorities above, Being is a metaphysical entity that moves in a vicious circle of empty and void purpose. Being is what most see as the essence of existence but this is wrong. I see being in the same light Heidegger sees it. As something that is nothing, that is continually moving towards emptiness.

Since being doesn't have essence on it's own with other things defining him, then Being is JUST nothing. For example, if a child is born today, that child is still a being but what begins to define his beingness is essence and what are these essence? The name he will be given,the language and culture he will learn to give him an identity, the educational line he will toll to make him know things because he came to the world not knowing. So being is actually nothing until these things starts defining him which is the essence. And as the Existentialists will put it "existence precede essence"
This means that for a being to be important, he must exist first before having essence, that he cannot have essence without existing. So the main attribute of a Being is that it must exist. A wood is a being according to my postulation. Humans are beings, cars are beings. All of these are beings because they exist in reality and they all have no purpose without essence, something to give it meaning.

The difference between Humans and Trees or cars under the concept of Beingness, is what Existentialists categorize as Being and being (big Being and small being).

fratermathy:
One of his philosophical musings:

Such a great thinker. RIP Freeman.

fratermathy:
One of his philosophical musings

Sorry for your loss. Was he an atheist?

aalangel:


Sorry for your loss. Was he an atheist?

Not at all. He read Philosophy and was very much influenced by the doctrines of various Philosophers but he certainly believed in God! He was a Deist!

Thanks for the condolence.

fratermathy:


Not at all. He read Philosophy and was very much influenced by the doctrines of various Philosophers but he certainly believed in God!

Thanks for the condolence.

It is well.

So sorry... .. .. I wanted asking the same question aalangel asked. May his soul find eternal rest.

One of our chats.

Swissheart:
So sorry... .. .. I wanted asking the same question aalangel asked. May his soul find eternal rest.

I guess he liked acquiring knowledge. My dad was like that; reading almost everything. But he still believed in God. But he had to stop, cos it can be confusing and you might end up not believing God anymore.

RIP bro!
Such is life... Hope u end up with God above! where u wouldn't have to be in pains nomore!!!
Where the problems of Nigeria exist not...
Its better bro! being in heaven!

Each day is a gift from the LORD. Like manna, it can only be used once and then it is gone.
The truth is that none of us know how long we have and what we choose to do with our life matters.
Amidst our busy schedules, let us always remember to stop and think about what is important.

chocolateme:
Adieu dear

his name is not adieu. Stop giving out wrong info about a dead man

May he soul RIP (Return If Possible) we need him

AN HONEST man here lies at rest
As e'er God with his image blest;
The friend of man, the friend of truth,
The friend of age, and guide of youth:
Few hearts like his, with virtue warm'd,
Few heads with knowledge so informed:
If there's another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.

Fare thee well young blood

Rip dear

Rip to him.

IYANGBALI:
his name is not adieu. Stop giving out wrong info about a dead man

Seriously?
Adieu means "goodbye"!

Ohh God. I still can't believe this. May his soul rest in peace

Not again...