By Francis C. Dike
Tuesday morning, 8th of April, around 4.25am, my telephone rang. I woke from sleep to pick it up, but it stopped ringing. I wondered why a call should come at this time and queued into ‘Calls’ and saw a name that made my heart sink.
I immediately returned the call with trepidation all over me. I had that experience a few years ago when a friend passed on, and I was far away in the United States. This time, I was the person now calling and the sober voice who answered had only said, ‘Senior’ when I interrupted before he could say further by saying “my God, it has happened Ndaa Pascal,” but I could not mutter the ominous words, “is dead” when he assisted me by saying, “he passed on peacefully, and was surrounded by the family”
I spoke last with Ndaa on 21st March, and he told me he was gravelly ill and I should pray for him. I consoled him with the usual assurance whenever we spoke over the ‘phone, that ‘God is our strength.’
God is still our strength because I know he is with Him now as I mourn him, nwannem nwoke Ndaa Pascal.
Rest In Peace!.
Prof F C Dike SAN