BB, Gwangwa'a, Ambe and Awoh ... Rest softly

By Kenneth Komtanghi (Wanaku)

How does one write an eulogy for friends/brothers
prematurely and roughly harvested from the garden of life,
when one can still taste the salt from one's tears?

 

BB, Gwangwa'a, Ambe and Awoh ...
in one fell swoop, your souls were made to exit
without any formality from this physical plane.

Not having prepared to leave so soon,
are we sure that you all are not still around?
If so, a sign from you will do us all good.

As the winds blow over Mount Fako
And the rains in Debunscha fill up all the
potholes of our motherland with promise
of fertility and good harvest,

As the thunder strikes
And the lightning lights up the skies
Let you all vent out the anger and pain
that your brutal coda would have built up.

When the ray  of sunlight breaks open
the thick clouds above our ancestral lands,
Your spirits should know the peace that
all your loved ones pray that you have.

Rest brothers. Rest softly.
After all the hard work, suffering and
so much pain, you deserve it - Rest.

Rest in Perfect Peace.
Rest softly.
~w~

Comments

[Christmas Ebini]

PRAYER AND TRIBUTE TELECONFERENCE FOR BB, AMBE, NGWANGWA AND AWOH

The Tribute Tele-Conference for Dr. Bate Besong, Dr. Hilarious Ambe, Ni Kwansen Gwangwa'a and Mr.Tabe Awoh is scheduled for Tuesday March 20,
2007 as from 8.30 pm eastern.

To participate please dial:

(605) 990-0400
Code: 871834#

The Tributes would be recorded.


Subject: PRAYER AND TRIBUTE TELECONFERENCE FOR BATE BESONG, AMBE, NGWANGWA AND AWOH

PRAYER AND TRIBUTE TELE-CONFERENCE FOR BATE BESONG, HILARIOUS AMBE, KWANSEN NGWAGWA AND TABE AWOH


We are all still in great shock following the tragic death of our friends and brothers: Dr. Bate Besong, Dr. Hilarious Ambe, Mr. Kwansen Gwangwa'a, and Mr. Tabe Awoh. We are mourning them and expressing our shock in different ways. Some are shouting, some are writing, some are just in silent shock etc. etc. The passing of these gentlemen has touched our collective psyche. Many of us are very broken and down. But we must pull ourselves together and include God during our mourning period. We must start taking comfort in the rich memories of these men and what they left of themselves for us and generations to come during their very brief sojourn with us.

To this effect, a Prayer and Tribute Tele-conference will be organized to the honor and memories of Bate Besong, Hilarious Ambe, Kwansen Ngwangwa and Tabe Awoh. This tele-conference will give an opportunity for Cameroonians from all over the world to pray together and collectively ask God to accept the souls of our brothers and grant them eternal rest. It will also be an opportunity for us to thank God for everything: their lives with us, their great works, their families, our own lives, etc. Given the fact that BB was a Boban (like myself), I will contact the Bobans and the UB Alumni Association to help with this Prayer and Tribute Teleconference. I am also calling on all the professional servants of God reading this message to contact me so they can be included in this prayer session.

I know there are people in Cameroon who may want to take part in this conference and it is obvious that they may face the difficulties of expensive cost for their phone minutes. I am requesting that those of us in the USA should volunteer to sponsor at least one person in Cameroon who wants to take part in the teleconference. All it may take is getting a $5 or $10 calling card and connecting them. The dial-in number, date and time of the conference will be made available as soon as I finish arrangement with Boba-USA, UBAA and get a head count of the men and women of God who will be available to participate.

Please note that the tele-conference will be taped and the recording donated to the University of Buea Library.

My condolences to the families of the departed, UB family, CRTV family, the University of Yaounde family and all of us who knew these gentlemen in different/various settings/capacities.

Christmas Ebini
shaken

[Fr Robert O'Neil]

I have a booklet of poetry that Bate Besong sent me years ago; Polyphemus Detainee....One poem is "Camwood on the Roads" with the footnote :"One of the most promising poets... Pol Ndu the Poet has been killed in a grisly road mishap."

Besong was, I think, Mathias when he was in the history class I taught at St Bedes. Sorry he is gone, and that we have not met for so many years. We remembered him at Mass on Saturday.

Fr R O'Neil