Everyone that ever comes in touch with you, impact your life in a way. Every impact helps for a better tomorrow. Appreciate everyone for they touch your life to make it better
Once was a bright beautiful spring, after the coldness of the winter. All seemed so perfect, blooming and so full of life. Followed by a hot and shiny summer, life seemed unstoppable. But came the FALL and crumbled everything down. Without a warning your sun just stopped shining, like the leaves falling in the autumn, so did you. So fast so soon. Then I came to agreement that beautiful things dont last. Your smile, your generosity and greatest of all your heart of gold was gone in no time. It n'ya pas 2 Schartz. Miss you much, forever in my heart
My dear brother,
It has been so easy to collect eulogies from others but so hard to think that I am writing about you instead of talking to you. I had never dreamt of this day because the two of us have always had plans even the ones that don’t make sense. We had big dreams to the point that I will be angry with you for dreaming without any sense of direction and you’ll be like “Hmm, when money start come, no come for my corner ooh”.
Shake, Shake, you loved without boundaries. I remember our conversation on August 23rd, 2014 in Augusta Georgia. It was so emotional we went out and wept behind a car outside and when we went back in, I said you should smile so that nobody notices what has happened and you said “Vio, na you need for fix ya face I beg, look at me, handsome boy”. I was not pleased with your response and as usual, I decided not to talk to you for the rest of the night. But then, you called me and said you had good news. That is when I knew about baby Benjamin and we planned the surprise for December which you never got to see. We picked up another quarrel when I said I was going to be your backup singer for a song you were planning to sing for Marceline and you said “Vio, I beg, I get for be drunk before you fit sing with me.” I didn’t take this lightly and actually left Augusta without talking to you. Had I known, I would’ve just ignored and enjoyed our company more.
We spoke on the phone a couple of times but it was mostly argument on one thing or the other. Before I knew it, the dreaded phone call came from our sister, Geraldine to say you were in the hospital. I remember like yesterday, Saturday November 1st, 2014. I called your phone, listened to your voicemail, shaking and waiting for you to call me back so that I can tell you that I am not mad at you anymore, but it was too late. I waited my brother, I waited because I had regrets, I waited because I was in pain and just wanted to scream and say I am sorry. My faith grew more with you being in the hospital because the trials were too many for me to handle.
I visited you in the hospital sometime in December when I realized you will not be returning my phone call anytime soon. “Shake” I stayed with you for three nights straight and could not close my eyes because I was afraid you will open your eyes and find me sleeping, and then you will tell me a piece of your mind. Unfortunately, you never did. My brother, I wept, I laughed, I giggled, I prayed but you just stayed there with your eyes closed. I looked forward to you sneezing because whenever you did that, you held my hand tight and I will tell you to cover your mouth, until the nurse on duty asked me at some point if I was okay. The night before I left you, I asked you to show me a sign that I will be coming back to Savannah to be the backup singer especially as I am no longer angry with you. I asked you to forgive me and promised that I was going to shed no more tears. Giving you a haircut and cutting your nails before leaving that afternoon was the best thing that ever happened to me and I will cherish it forever.
Every day I learn something new in life. Thinking about it, I learnt a lot from you. You had a heart of gold. You gave even when you didn’t have and you never hesitated to ask when in need. We will always pick up a fight because I felt what you were asking for was not important and you will smile and say “You di give me or not”. You were so courageous to call and tell me when I was sick that I need to enjoy my life and stop worrying about every little thing around me. I thought that was harsh but it was real talk. I appreciate you bro. I celebrate you with love, with courage, with resilience and with faith. I could feel your presence in Savannah when the family was around to pay our last respect. We danced, we wept and we laughed our lungs out just for you.
Wherever you are, may your light continue to shine. Your courage towards life was all worth it and I am so grateful that our kindred spirits crossed paths along the way. You fought a good fight. I promise you I will live by your principles as our conversation keeps ringing in my ears. We cried for two years and now is the time to celebrate and honor you for a life well lived. This is my take on courage.
Courage takes many forms. There is physical courage, there is moral courage, then there is the higher type of courage; the courage to brave pain, to live with it, to never let others know of it and to still find joy in life to wake up in the morning with an enthusiasm for the day ahead.
This is the kind of courage I saw in you and this is the kind of courage I want to emulate. It is well with your soul. Rest in perfect peace my brother. This song is for you and no matter what may come my way, I know that my life is in His hands. Rest in peace.
Your Sister
Khien Awasom-Nkimbeng
