You left the world, at a time we all believe you have come of age intellectually and physically to be larger than life, a giant figure who exhibits the ability to transform energy and enthusiasm in anyone fortunate enough to have met you. I put this tribute at a time of being emotionally traumatised by the grief and pains of you being miles away forever, but with a strong spirit sauced with the belief that you have accomplished loads of divine certifications worthy of calling the present generations of young minds and the ones yet unborn to emulate the sterling attributes of hard work, down-to-earth, dedication and commendable enthusiasm that were in your common nature.
It was on 27th November 2011 that I received the hard-to-comprehend news of your death from a co-sister in Birmingham. Before the news was confided on me, my conscience was itching me and I rang your line many times, but unfortunately couldn’t get you as it did not occur to me to come to the conclusion that you answered the divine call we must all wait for. I do remember the very last hour I chatted with you on phone (an hour before departing for my final outdoor exercise in Scotland) and the amount of inspirational words you put into me. You exhorted me to switch on and conduct myself so well and work diligently during the course of the exercise as it marked my final assessment throughout the Commissioning Course. These I will evermore live to appreciate and remember!
My huge gleaming impression about you cannot be overemphasized, as you naturally earned it from the first ever kindness you rendered to me in the United Kingdom. I sum up your general character to be an exemplary one which showcases no sort of youthful exuberance, shallow-mindedness and the mangling way of addressing issues of immense challenges. As you leave, you left me with the undying memories of our first ever discourse over issues of challenges bedevilling the international stock market and the comprehensive uncertainty in the marketability of a monopolistic entity in the current scale of imperialist economic modules. Your special liking and excellent grasp of Industrial and Monetary Economics still resonates in my daily thoughts. You were a true representation of an in-depth understanding and ideological staunchness in the analysis of international affairs especially the perplexing mystery behind the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the beleaguered parts of the world. All these made me recognised your immensely blessed intellectual prowess.
As regards your charismatic personality, you gave conventional life a shining example of a descent outlook every time everywhere even as you lived in a place where norms and societal expectations never abhors one from turning out in skinny and skimpy dress. I do consider that a lesson every damsel responsible girl should imbibe to the latter. Dear you address people with one of the best manners rarely seen as you oftentimes put ravishing smiles into faces with a warm sense of exchanging pleasantries. Before you left, I remember telling a friend how hugely I admired your manners which simply reflect the kind of proper moral upbringing you were nurtured with. Actually, if discipline can be nicknamed on a personage, I would have named you “Ms Discipline”. You all charmed us with your lively sense of humour and the boldness of calling a spade a spade even when the conditioning system momentarily demands otherwise.
Precisely, the millions of people from all walks of life that trooped over your house to condole with your family and the oceans of tears glinted from their eyes squarely defines how touching and mind-boggling your death strikes and the extent of unfathomable love and admiration the generality of the public have for you .Yasmine! Your life, you lived the fullest even though your days were few. I do miss you but in my heart I smile as I know you are freed from earth’s painful struggles, dangers, difficulties and accomplished greater heights at a tender age of serving the Most-High.
Dear! As I am here weeping, grieving and being inconsolable with the agony of your demise, I browsed through my Gmail Account. What I read from it was the last mail you sent felicitating with me on my forthcoming Sovereign’s parade which you promised to attend even at the detriment of your scheduled flight for a recess leave in Nigeria. You purposely intended to postpone the journey solely to attend and rejoice with me on what you phrased my “proudest day”. The news of your death came to me like an artillery bombshell launched on priority call and distraught every peace in me and that compelled me to immediately give out the tickets I booked for you for the Commissioning Launch and Dinner as a means of getting to die away with the sadness . It costs me a great deal of recollection to finally convinced my subconscious mind that you will not be here to attend the sparkling parade on 16th of December 2011.Also, I remember fishing out plans to take you with all my guests to the Napoleon Statue, Queen Victoria Statue and the famous Lower Lake in my school just to comfort and beautify your attendance .Sadly unknown, the prey of death was planning a better time for you. My mates and the Sandhurst community as a whole are all going to miss your steps to grace the occasion.
Really, the death always rings a bell that makes our heart trembles and emotions crumbles. The deductions from your death which I wholeheartedly accept made me to underscore the parcels of death as better captured by Edwin Liebfred, to be a passing phase of life; changing of dress, a disrobing; a birth into the unborn again; a commencing where we ended; a starting where we stopped to rest; a crossroad to Eternity; a giving up to something, to possess all things; the end of the unreal, the beginning of the real. This aptly describes the heartrending nature of death!
Yasmine! No amount of encomiums and tribute showered on you can ever compensate the degree of comfort and motivation you put into us as friends and as brothers. The humble thing I can do is to pray that, God shall wrap you in His loving arms, wash away the pain and tears of leaving us and make you whole again, take you to the heavenly place we called Jannatul Firdaus for all your sadness to trail away and the grief left from your eyes
Dear sister! Gentle memories and bitter regrets cluster around me as regards the death. Alas! It claimed early from us that loved you. What a grief as I recollect how your friendship was so sweet a support and nothing on earth is lasting. I grieve in my selfishness at having lost you but the charming legacy you left, inspires me courage and conviction, as likewise the glorious hope of meeting you again in a better world, where eternal joy awaits the righteous.
As I draw curtain to this tribute, I tend to realize that ,if you can come back to this world and thee filth unseen around us ,we shall always be near you ;in the happiest days and in the darkest moments amidst your gloomiest hours ;and as the cool breeze fans your throbbing grave ,it shall be us cutting around with our prayers unto you. Lastly, may Allah grant unto your soul, the elatedness of the Eternal bless, the fortune to rejoice in the beatitude of His Devine presence and give us the fortitude to bear the irredeemable loss. Amen
I miss you loads darling angel as you sleep in the bosom of Most-High.
Bala is a currently undergoing training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, United Kingdom
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