Only the dead have seen the end of war

We still love you George
By Francis Mwongela 

I have always chosen this forum to annually pay my esteem to my belatedly blood brother and friend, late Engineer George Kaindio Mikwa. 2009 3rd March was the day you painfully left us and we were left with many questions and unanswered. Personally I was shocked but hereto, I am convinced that no person ever dies the wrong death or joins the rest of the spiritual worlds at the wrong time. It all happens when it needs and ought to happen. If it was left for us to decide, we would have wanted and wished to spend a little longer time with you and never let you go.

When death occurs, humanity needs to understand and be reminded that the one who has left our world has indeed seen the end of the war. We may never understand nor fully accept what nature offers at such a time. But nature speaks the lingo of God and never shall it happen that nature contradicts the will of God.

When an infant is born, and I am definite when you were born around four decades ago, there was great happiness and celebrations. Birth is one instance in our lives only witnessed by those around us then. We are not aware when it happens to us. When you breathed your last breath, those around you wept and cried bitterly. You similarly never knew when and how it happened. Equally when salvation occurred to you, Angels in heaven celebrated. This one you likewise never knew!

Birth, salvation and death are the three life instances that come into our lives without warning and we have no say over them. It is God who has the ultimate power, authority and the uncausable cause of them. It is always first-rate to show appreciation to Him when those three happen since they ought to happen. They bring happiness and sadness to us as humanity.

World over, people have been born and people have died. Nature has its own way of balance. Sometimes it picks the most loved and when most wanted by friends and immediate family. It calls for great understanding and love to accept this. I have always accepted occurrences but that is the profound event, 3 years down the line has not hit my understanding to the brim.

Yours was a life you lived to your knowledge, understanding and intelligence. With the social challenges of the times you called the shorts and were a victor to inspire many, love the men and women you met along the path of your life.

Yours was the intellectual wit that up to date has remained an envy of the, and to the majority.

Yours was the academic excellence whose thrill in peoples’ lives has had great inspiration to the young, the old and all you met.

I know it was your perfect duty and moral obligation to pursue your personal happiness!

I know you were a human being.

I know you knew whatever you said.

I know your knew whatever you felt and sensed.

I know you knew whatever you heard.

I know you knew what happened each and every moment of your life.

I am certain you were a rational being.

I am certain that at each and every moment of your life you yearned to do well.

I am convinced that you loved God.

I am sure that humanity loved you back

I believe that God was good and is good to you even at death.

What else made your life charming if not your humble conviction and deep faith in God? You loved life. That is why you had a family. Nature loved you. That is why it gave you long life. How many children are born and they die in less than 24 hours? How many are aborted never to see the light of the day? We always see them in the dustbins and plastic paper bags. For you, you had a whole 37 years.

What a pain that ran down our hearts upon the news of your door of life slummed?  My professional and natural Creativity is taken away by such unspeakable pains as I write this down. That’s why I can’t give you the best like the likes of other literary jingoists, my poetry is taken aback as I recall you being lowered in the grave, as I recall your wife and children mourn, as I see your mother on the fateful day feel the pain of a lost and gone son! As I saw your dad feeling the pain of a first born son! All these are fresh to me as if the turn and the twist of events were yesterday.

It’s more painful when I pass by your graveyard or lay a wreath of flowers there. What I never avoid seeing is your face beaming with your smile as usual. I cannot ignore your laughter and the sound comes too fresh to me that sometimes I almost answer as you always called me ‘Ngesi’. That is when pains engulf me more than the world can ever imagine.

But what do I say? Love is strong. The bond we shared will never be understood by the humanity around us now and after. Every moment we shared had great inspiration and lots of love. Without you the world has not yet given me another choice tantamount to yours.

George, I know you are at some place happy.

George, I know whoever knows you pray for you.

At your 3rd anniversary there is no pomp, there is no dance either nor are there colors.

We have Holy Rosaries clutched in our fingers and we have Holy Mass offered for your soul.

I never chose to share brotherhood with you George. Nor did you choose. God did it. Why not? We shared the same womb. I may not have the entire prowess to say it all.

The name George is still a household name around here. You are dotingly missed by the sea of humanity I saw shed tears at your entombment. I always see them sulk whenever your name is mentioned or their memories are jogged with your past time with them. They are the young men and women, the old men and women of goodwill who gathered at your send off physically and mentally. Till we meet again at Jesus feet rest in harmony. We still feel affection for you more than you can imagine!