Your Cue, Edward, Your Cue

True, we fear the unknown but are confident with the perceptible, even what others bear witness to. Has it ever crossed your mind that the human race is the only living organism that holds the knowledge of death whiles living; yet we fear this knowledge.

Yeah, death… not something you would want to talk about, is it? I bet the trees don’t know about death until they die, neither does that lake nor the ant freely transporting those bread crumbs, but you do, because you aren’t dead… not yet.

It hurts to lose someone
It hurts to come to terms with the fact that they don’t exist anymore
No more calls
No more pings on Facebook notifications
No more smiles and complements
Simply, dead
Just like that… dead

All we’re left with are memories that stir up our emotions and the longing to see them one more time.
God please, one more time… just this once.

Death is wicked, I don’t like him. He makes me feel everything I don’t want to feel.

Edward, I just heard you passed on. I’m glad you’re relieved of the pain your body suffered but I miss you, okay?

The last time we spoke, I happened to mention how I’d started writing professionally and was earning incomes. I asked you not to tell, and you said “deal! That’s our little known secret”. Then you went on to tell me how you’d wanted us to write together. The plan? You said “let us write about how the year has treated us. Your perspective, then mine”.

Well, here is mine:

Amazing year, rough lessons, tough love, change; that’s how this year’s treated me, particularly change. This year, my imperfections perfected my being, surprisingly they revealed a part of me I consciously hid from myself. Little did I know that those imperfections were that which will eventually cause me to grow and be wise. I’ve laughed a lot, cried too many, even lost myself. It will be alright in the end, I say, yeah, I know… we all know that if it’s not alright, it’s not the end. But in all this, I’ve lived; I’ve stepped out of bed every morning with both bare feet kissing this cold ground. For this, I am grateful, to an intangible Supremacy I honour everyday. My name is Miz Akwele and I’ve had an amazing year with rough lessons, tough love, and change.

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This is your cue, Edward.
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Edward? Tell us, how has this year been for you… Edward, c’mon don’t be silent.
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Edward

Edward

Edward, say something.
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I’ll miss you, Edward Oteng Maafo. We’ll meet again, this time, without your glasses and I promise not to mention how small and Asian your eyes look without them.

Rest, my friend, rest.

…But Others!

You think you are alright because you’ve been that church boy, church girl, all your life and never backslidden out of the church.
You never played the prodigal son; never felt the need to ask God for a little ‘freedom with provision’ to satisfy your curiosity and later come to the realisation of who you really are and where you ought to be.
Yeah, you are alright.

You’ve never gotten drunk because you’ve never been in an environment where you’ve been indirectly influenced to. Perhaps you’ve never tasted the sweetness of some of the hard liquor.
So yeah, you are alright.

You’ve never stolen money because you haven’t been in the position to.
You’re alright like that.

You’ve never fornicated because a charming and irresistible man whom you can never say no to hasn’t approached you yet… he’s not touched you at certain places in certain ways yet.
So yeah! You are alright.

But woe unto you if you point a finger at that prodigal son who’s returned to his father’s house.
Woe unto you if you if you talk behind his back and judge him.
Woe unto you if you call him foolish, because for all we know, you might never return if you were in his shoes and strayed your path.
Perhaps, you would’ve returned but a week late, when your patient loving father who was awaiting your return is a week late.

There, you will know your fate lies with your elder brother; the one who’d always been there with, and for your father.

You cannot be comfortable where you are, because you can still be a church boy, a church girl, yet backslide, in the church, with your fellow saints. Be careful. Just be careful.

He who stands, stands because he is not falling.
He who is standing, remains standing because he can achieve more standing as compared to falling and remaining there.
Even toddlers… even toddlers who haven’t experienced life’s gloom yet, know that when they stand and fall, they have to stand again.

You can never be comfortable. But if you are, if you feel you are alright, think of OTHERS.

The Brows Are Not Twins, They Are Sisters! Opal Makeup Class With Special Appearance By Ashiakie Momo

I’m lousy with makeup, at least not until this past weekend at Opal Makeup Class. I entered with virtually no makeup gadgets yet left feeling like a pro. Truth is, this class was informative.