Pius was supposed to be back in Canada on Friday, the ides of March. He didn’t make it back, but guess what made it back? His bag! Intact! Pius travelling bag never left Canada.
Surprised as I was? Yes, you should be.
This Ogbanje Pius knew his time was up and left on the international stage, not on some forsaken and obscured road between Oyo and Ogbomosho.
On arrival at Ottawa airport to take a connecting flight to Toronto enroute to Ethiopia, Pius discovered that someone had made a mistake, his name was not on the manifest!
Being who he was, after a few lashes from his “koboko” he found someone to correct what would have been a celebrated mistake, and his name was written on the manifest with an ink pen!
On getting to Toronto, of course, his name wasn’t there either, they were asking him, “Prof, how did you get here?” Your name wasn’t on the original manifest of the folks that left Ottawa. Stranger than true, I agree. They took him to from Toronto to Bole airport in Ethiopia to board the ill-fated flight anyway, but his bag never left Ottawa!
In his tribute to Pius, Bayo Aregbesola, a close family friend of his, who got transferred from New Brunswick Canada to Ottawa not too long ago revealed that Pius told him a few weeks ago that God must have brought you here for a reason. Something in my body is telling me I might not make it to 50.
He was surprised like anyone else would, why would a lanky, healthy looking guy, with access to one of the best medical facilities in the world say such thing?
Now it makes sense, or maybe it still doesn’t. Why the hurry?
Pius insisted he would leave on the wings of the morning because his time has come. For great guys, it is usually not how long, but how well.
If tears and words could wake someone from dead, Pius would be back with us.
Effusive delivery from oratory giants filled the air of the Sanctuary of Metropolitan Church, Ottawa, Canada and also the huge hall on the premises, by the practitioners and freelancers in the Wordsmith industry. They came from all over the world.
Glad I was there to bid him a final farewell. It is well with your souls Muyiwa and ‘Tishe.