a short narration by lamin darboe.
   
          the reality of life
  Death is an eventuality that every creature being it Man, Jinn, Angels or other creation of whose existence and nature  we have no knowledge shall taste. It is an unavoidable degree from the creator of all, The Master Planner and Sustainer of the known and unknown cosmic dispensations.  The time and circumstances of death is the absolute knowledge of the creator not the creation. So no one is endowed with the absolute knowledge of his/her death. Be it through illness, a horrible accident, a heart attack; whether at young age, prime age or old age. It can even be the next minute, as we have seen people leave there home to shop and   returned home lifeless. We have seen our own dear ones expired under our guise and we are defenceless despite availability of the greatest advance medical aid. 
  It is the reality of all realities as it exposes the encompassing fragility of man. It is an experience which no one can precisely describe because it is value of no return. Its appreciation down on a person when weaken by a terminal illness, he or she is told by doctors and carers that the probability of making it is zero. Although we all harbour some optimism that there is a chance but at that juncture man become aware of the profound deception of the life of this world. 
  The control of  power, wealth, children is slipping away, the enjoyment you had is no more experienced, doctors can’t help, love ones can’t either, and here you are at precipice  of the most unpalatable and unsurpassable  experience of your life. Slipping into the unknown, thoughts galvanised and the reminiscence of your life silhouettes on your retina; roll under your mind eye; and your defencelessness confound the sinuses of your being. Images appear and disappear, darkness ensures, gaze is dazed, the inevitability of death is here. Then the heart palpitates, the body stretches, the eye already transfixed can see no more the earthly things, one leg is joined to another, unto the creator is the return. Crying and wailing ensues, from the direction of “Karr Kunda” . the person until now who used to boast about his beauty, nice buildings, cars, status is “still”. He/she cannot answer back to the call of his/her name. No doubt “Njambarr danu na”, Malang is no more, he
 became blind to the colour of the room, the beauty of his wife or the softness of the bed. The fines clothes and jewellery; jeans and Nike shoes, expensive watches that we proudly parade in front of others for show will not miss us; they will someone else’s. That is the undeniable reality.
  Now the royal children, wife and relatives might be crying, insinuations flickering in their mind, how much has he left behind (bank account, compounds, orchards etc.), how much would be my share. In our culture the eldest son who you have brought up might be thinking, immediately after the funeral. “I will be in charge”; the wife or wives might also be contemplating, “who is the next likely husband” after four month and ten days. 
  We all have an innate fear of death because it cut us off from life of this world, the life of pleasure of money, power, children, wives and lofty environment which we tirelessly worked hard through out our entire life to acquire. Without a reservation, we can go to any country on earth irrespective of excruciating cold or hot environment, even though it has alien culture that look down upon us and threat us differently. Sometimes at the cost of our life, or even if it would involve defrauding and oppressing other people, nations, usurping other peoples’ rights and properties; killing and maiming others.
   
  As we have come into this earth so shall we depart, empty handed. The tongue that used to taste delicious meals, succulent fruits and sweet juices shall wither. The eye that used to survey beautiful ladies and scenes will decay and fall from the eye socket. Mr stomach, that stores our food for digestion and for its purpose we perpetrate the most heinous injustice and wanton greed, will burst, discarding all its content. The flesh which we use to tender, applying nice smelling perfumes will rot emitting very obnoxious smell that even the most beloved shall seal his nose from. You big room has become a tiny dark pit, worms shall feast on your body and you have none to accompany you except your deed.
  Why should man be proud and arrogant? Wield his power and resources boastfully seeing not his beginning was a dirty congealed fluid, his end a dead and stinky carcass; and between the two events (birth and death); he was a vessel carrying filth. 
   Today everyone is going ahead. Am better, am better; (by whose standard); he says because of my colour, my education, my status, my race, my tribe, my country or nation. Nay excellence has no bearing on all these labels but rather the substance of person’s character.  
  The pharaoh was black. Hitler the author of the most horrendous crime (the holocaust) was white European. The slavery, cultural annihilation and subjugation of the black people was engineered and perpetrated by Europeans. The massacre of Armenians and crusades was carried by a Muslim nation and Christian nations respectively. So race, colour has nothing to do with the content of a person’s character.
   
  Brothers we should reflect on daily basis the issues raised in this article and also ponder upon the day we shall meet our maker. We should stock- take our actions before we are stock-take on the day of reckoning. Establish justice irrespective of land, label and language; and work toward the good of this beautiful nation of ours; “The Gambia” and all nations wherever we find our selves. For tribal harmony can only usher peace and tranquillity for all.
   
  Thanks
   
  Lamin Darboe
  Leicester UK.
   

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤