April 6, 2018
April 6, 2018
Tribute to Nnena
Youth confers this sense of invincibility on itself and exiles the thought of death to lands far beyond imagination. That was the aura about these teenage girls that came into the UI med school in 1981. Adanna, Ifeoma, Kehinde, TG, Ngozi, Udeme and the bunch of them. They forged a friendship that was inseparable so it seemed,until death came in from its “exile”. I became one of them by virtue of my relationship with Udeme, my wife. Their joys and pains I shared because they became my/our friends.
Now, this! Finally that aura of invincibility is pieced by this. We lose one that was most caring, friendly, joyful and all you can think of, and more. This pain will linger because how do you talk about Nnena in past tense? How can they feel complete without feeling guilty? Many questions of how, why and what that traverses the mind without answers.
I believe I know how. Like Muphasa, in Lion King, “she will live in us” because she never left! That is how to get through this loss. That is how to take the sting of her death away! Nnena dear, we will miss your physical presence but death can never take away from your friends the beautiful memories you left behind. Sleep well, our dearest friend. God be with your family.
Ally & Udeme Inyang
Youth confers this sense of invincibility on itself and exiles the thought of death to lands far beyond imagination. That was the aura about these teenage girls that came into the UI med school in 1981. Adanna, Ifeoma, Kehinde, TG, Ngozi, Udeme and the bunch of them. They forged a friendship that was inseparable so it seemed,until death came in from its “exile”. I became one of them by virtue of my relationship with Udeme, my wife. Their joys and pains I shared because they became my/our friends.
Now, this! Finally that aura of invincibility is pieced by this. We lose one that was most caring, friendly, joyful and all you can think of, and more. This pain will linger because how do you talk about Nnena in past tense? How can they feel complete without feeling guilty? Many questions of how, why and what that traverses the mind without answers.
I believe I know how. Like Muphasa, in Lion King, “she will live in us” because she never left! That is how to get through this loss. That is how to take the sting of her death away! Nnena dear, we will miss your physical presence but death can never take away from your friends the beautiful memories you left behind. Sleep well, our dearest friend. God be with your family.
Ally & Udeme Inyang