In memory of my Dear Friend, Omoye Omoike-Okuribido. You’d have been 28 tomorrow.

Omoye, her husband & I on her wedding day

Omoye, if you were around, we’d have been making plans for your 28^th birthday for tomorrow. With all anticipation and joy and I, smiling from ear to ear like I’m the celebrant.

I met Omoye at my work place but she sooner became more of my friend than my colleague. She was younger than I but was so mature that I found myself asking her opinions on serious decisions. She was so full of love, so calm, so gentle and so beautiful in the inside. Her love was pure.

When I met Omoye, she wasn’t married yet but she was engaged. She loved her fiancé with a passion and it was so obvious, she made me want to fall in love. She treated her fiancé with so much respect and love, I learnt from her.  She was never shy too shy to show love, she was so inspiring.

We planned her wedding together and I volunteered to build her wedding website which I did with all pleasure. She was such a calm and sweet bride, never a Brideziller. We went places together, fitted her dress and I enjoyed every bit of it. I was so excited; you’d think I was the one wedding.

I remember her wedding day, like it's happening right now; I was with her from the beginning. It was one of the most beautiful weddings I’d ever witnessed. She was a very pretty bride, in and out. You could feel the purity of her heart and her love. When she stepped out, I hugged her and told her she looked like a very pretty fairy princess. She inspired me to want to get married.

We talked about a lot of things and planned lots of things together. Oh, she never failed to let me know she was going to give me a surprise bridal shower ‘when you finally agree to get married’ she'd say with a smile.

Today, my heart is heavy, very heavy because she doesn’t even know I’m engaged. She never got to see my engagement ring and she’ll never have the opportunity to throw me that surprise party, but thank God, she met my husband to be and she showed me how to love. Today, the wicked hand of death has snatched my friend away!

After the wedding, my dear friend went for her honeymoon and of course, she brought me a nice present. She never failed to use the word ‘my husband’ as often as possible. She was so in love.

I remember her cool gentle eyes, I remember her voice and the way she gesticulated when we gisted.

She was so conscious of neatness and so careful about even the littlest things. She was the most detailed person I’d ever met. She was super intelligent and was always the star of our weekly operational meetings.

Omoye had a kind word for everyone. She had every reason to be proud, yet she was the humblest girl I ever met. She was kind to the cleaners, to the tea girls and to everyone around. She forgave easily and moved on fast when people hurt her feelings.

Today, I’m not only sad, my heart is heavy and I’m angry. Why doesn’t death take away only the old ones or better, the wicked ones who only destroy other people's lives. Why does it take the best of us, the sweet kind ones, the ones who bring joy to other people's lives? 

But in my sorrow, I know that Christ has defeated death and Omoye has defeated death too. She lived, she loved and she left the world a better place. Everybody who ever had contact with her knows that she lived.

Today, I’m sure she’s with the Angels singing praises, with that sweet smile of hers and waiting for us to join her on the last day.

I love you Omoye, rest in peace.

The cold hands of death took Omoye away on Saturday, 28th of April 2012, only 6 months after her wedding.