A TRIBUTE
Now that the words appear to have come to me, maybe I should talk about the time we found each other or rather the time we discovered each other, the time we were close to the edges of the garden of Eden; a time when the intensity of an innocent relationship took a whole community by storm and shook some of the fundamentals of that period; a time when bonds were forged and some others were severed never to be reunited; a time of innocence so pure it was misconstrued, misunderstood, misrepresented but together we knew we had something we couldn’t define; a time of friendship I now understand has eluded so many and not many can possibly fathom;
May be I should talk about the school days and the many reading hours together , the fears we shared and dreams we talked about which mainly centered on career; the choices we felt we had and ideas which at that time were just wild and crazy but today, I knew you were meant for great things and at no point was I disappointed as we followed each others careers and encouraged each other through the very difficult and unpredictable place –life.
“You made it Prof!!! you did.”, I shouted at you when I called to congratulate you a few days ago. Feigning anger at having to read it on facebook, in your usual way you apologized so much I felt guilty. You said to me ‘my teacher, you are the prof’, again you took me through our reading days together and the foundation we laid for what we are today. You then promised to be in Abuja ‘very soon’ so we can celebrate your ‘professorial chair’. it was a hilarious conversation.
Or probably I should write about the later years of respect and companionship; a time we shared; a time we laughed; a time we consoled each other; a time we called wondering if the other person was ok;
But perhaps the ideal would be to talk about “Paradise Found” as you have made the journey ahead of us.
Undoubtedly you have earned your spot in the hearts of so many as evidenced by the encomiums, the tributes and the pain your sudden departure has left us.
Heaven just gained a jolly good fellow; a peaceful person; a compassionate, caring, respectful and undoubtedly godly person.
Adeiu my friend.
It was a privilege being your friend
Rafatu Idris Salami is a seasoned journalist and Secretary of the Council NUJ FCT Council
