HE PASSED ON😭

By Dr jarlath Uche Opara

It was a long battle, eaten up by the distressing virus of cancer. Gone through many cemotherapy.I thought he could survive it, but he died 12 midnight. He passed😭 right inside the church, amidst dance, praise and jubilation. I thought the prayers of the faithful could help him, destined by God, nothing could salvage the debiltating condition of his health.

He had been ill since the begining of last year. As the year dawned, he became ill with what doctors called the inflammation of vitals and failing of upper artery of the heart . With these major ailments he could not do those basic things he was known for . Within a space of 4 months, his features became worse, down with progeria also known as Hutchinson- Gilford progeria syndrome, making him look older than his age. 8 months into this sickness, he developed cancer of the blood. It was at this point everyone around him lost hope, secretly wishing him dead because of the challenges of managing the sickness. But I was hopeful, expecting miracle to happen.

As Churches were preparing for their cross over night, I decided to take him to my church, believing in the healing balm of God, hoping in his stripes to heal him. Getting to the church, the priest had already exposed the Blessed Sacrament for an hour adoration.

Kneeling before the Jesus exposed, my faith for him to be healed became strong. We prayed, we praised , we worshiped and mediated, expecting him to be healed thereafter.

After the adoration, his condition did not improve. Weak and unconcious, laid all through on the pew, coughing intermittently , gasping for breath and struggling to hold tears running down his cheeks. Done with the adoration, the priest began the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

Beautiful liturgy, great homily. At the point of consecration I managed to prop him up , encouraged him to look striaght to the altar to receive his healing. Each time I propped him up, he would wriggle in pains, asking me stop wasting my time that his time was up. He was in pains, looking paled and weak. I knew he wasnt going to make it , but i didnt want to believe it. I wanted him to see the dawn of a new year. I wanted him to be part of those that would herald with shout of joy the dawn of a new year.

As the congregation was jumping and shouting, praising God with cymbals, piano, drums, guitars etc he was till in pains. It was obvious he was going to pass, his eyes were in tears. He probably didnt want to pass. I guess he remembered the pains he inflicted on those that came close to him, the shame, the destruction, the agony, the hunger he caused etc he wanted a second chance to live and make amends.

In such a roaring joy of jubilation, dancing and clapping of hands, suddenly the noise ceased and counting down to 2025 began. It was an emotional count down. As they count down progressed in seconds I looked at him, his breath was ceasing too. At the dot of 12midnight, 2024 passed into emptiness, never to be seen again. He passed with his worries, pains, difficulties, lack, poverty, inflation, hike in essential things etc.

2025 is here already replacing him ( 2024) There is time for everything. Time to dawn, time to dusk. Time to shine and glitter as new and adorable and time to look spent, old and not valuable. Yesteday it was the turn of 2024 to passs, today is the turn of 2025 to dawn, tommorrow, this new 2025 would suffer the fate of yesterday’ fate of 2024. Life is in circle, just a matter of time it will go round,

Goodby 2024! Welcome 2025! Be kind to Nigerians to compensate for the worries of 2024, a year of lack and sacarcity for the majority of Nigerians .

Happy new year!

Dr. Jarlath Uche Opara
Jarlathuche@ gmail.com