Episode 28

Flash_Back

Wally: Life is like a big merry-go-round,
You’re up and then down,
Going in circles trying to get to where you are.
Everybody’s been counting you out,
But where are they now?

Sitting in the same old place, Just faces in the crowd.

We all make mistakes,
You might fall on your face,
But you gotta get up!

Don’t Ever give up…

Me: I rather stand tall than fall on my knees… Cause am a conqueror and I don’t accept defeat….
Jegede: Haba! Willie are you singing the remix?
Me: What do you mean?
Jegede: You can’t sing as good as Wally
Me: And so?
Wally: Hey c’mon! You shouldn’t scuffle about that. No matter how bad your voice is, within you the
heart sings it well. Jegede play the key again…
Twas in our 300 level when we were doing our IT.
We were on a short vacation and decided to chill
out in Wally’s mini studio. His dad, a professor in
Physics have been away for three weeks for vacation in Amsterdam, leaving the big house alone
for Wally and the servants.

Jegede was handling the piano while I played the
guitar and sang along with Wally too. We were
trying to record a song that will be shared to a
group of students in our IT class who wanted to hear Wally sing.

Wally: Lemme play Handel’s Messiah.
He left his seat and took control of the piano. He
played it perfectly well, using C-minor but he didn’t
play it to the end and stopped.
Wally: I know tis boring we can try some other stuffs
Jegede: Let’s go and have a drink?
Me: Like tis necessary?
Jegede: But we’ve been here all day
Me: Wally, what do you suggest?
Wally: Why not ordering one of the servants to get a wine for us?
Jegede: Nah! Let’s get some fresh air. Haba! You’re
just acting like you don’t know that today is
Saturday and we still have tomorrow to practice the
song…

Wally: Will, did you come with a car?
Me: Yes
Wally: Ok, mine broke down yesterday and the
manager won’t lemme go out with any at the
poach. I asked him to fix mine but I don’t know if
he’s done so.
Jegede: Let’s go na. We dismantled the instruments and switched off
every sockets. On the exit door was a large poster
of Wally and Kenny G when he had come to Lagos.

Another one was that of Femi Kuti while at the
extreme end was that of Yanni… The Jazz master
handling a keyboard expertly.
Me: What’s your main inspiration in music?
Wally: Very simple! It takes me beyond this life, into
the supernatural. The mystery of life is contained in
music. Death too… Everything has a great respect
for music.
Jegede: How? Death? I don’t understand. Wally: Music can defeat death… But I don’t know
how… But I just know so
Me: that’s funny, you know?
Jegede: Guru Sylva Wally Morrell… You can never
stop entertaining us.
Wally: I see!

I ordered for pizzas to be delivered this evening by 8 with Chinese take aways. So I believe
you’re gonna sleep over here cause I can’t spend
the night alone here.
Me: Haba!!! Invite all those girls wey de won scope
you na… “F–k dem all”
Wally: Like tis easier said than done
Me: I know you can do it
Jegede: Willie why don’t you do it? I’ll be on
standby to invite the ambulance.
Me: Am not in the mood na. Trust me na, you gatz to
know what I can do.
Wally: Who doesn’t know William the cassanova for this Lagos?
Jegede: After you na you my man ooo!!!
Me: And who doesn’t know Wally for this town.

There are some things I observe and know that I still have hope than some people, infact am sure am
a heaven candidate.
Jegede: For your backyard mind na… Yeye boy.
Me: Jege no de yarn rubbish here. Kponkpi!!! Even satan sef de give you rep. You get special place for
hell fire. As in confam duplex and cars.
Wally: Chaiiiiii! your own worse pass o.
Jegede: Lemme reserve my comment. Wally: Ain’t we gonna invite some girls over?
Me: Why?
Wally: we can have a little party. After all, tis
weekend.
Jegede: Call them, they will listen to you when you
tell them. Me: Yeah… Why not why?
………………………

Presently:

Everyone stood in shock silence and tears as
Wally’s body was wrapped up in a white bedspread
and moved into an ambulance. It was happening
like a dream… Was Wally actually dead? Was it really
Wally? If it were a dream let someone wake me up,
I thought. Hundreds of students were already gathered in the hospital, crying silently as if crying
was going to wake him up. Everyone’s anticipation
was to see Wally jump out from the ambulance and
shout “April fools… So all of you want me dead
baa?” It didn’t happen even as the medical staffs
purposely delayed to know if a sort of miracle would happen.
Jegede couldn’t hold himself together… He was
actually running mad. Everything was just like a
movie to me… I was still to believe the fact that Sylva
Wallace (Wally) M. was gone and gone for ever,
never to be seen again. I won’t see Wally smile again. I won’t see Wally laugh again.
Medical Staff: Excuse me sir, but you have to follow
us to the morgue so that you will represent your
friend…

My world was just shattered. I couldn’t think any more.
Me: Is he really dead???
Medical staff: Am sorry, but as much as you can see,
we have to believe so. Tis unfortunate… He must have lived a great life, the way people are mourning. I am touched.
The woman touched my shoulder and left. So Wally is DeaD?
.
.
.
.
TWO WEEKS LATER

Lagos stood still the day Wally was buried. A night before his burial, a candle vigil was held for him in
his father’s mansion as his body arrived from Awka
that day with a massive convoy. 60% of Unizik students were in attendance. Everyone wanted to
bid his or her last farewell to Wallace aka Wally. The burial was planned and organized by our
faculty and most of the things done were done by
the students and all of them wore black.

All eyes were swollen and red as his body was
brought for interment. His coffin was left open for
all to see him for the last time. His face was still bright as the smile never left his face… He was just
there, smiling and wishing we all could feel what he was feeling.

After the mass and usual prayer, he was taken to a
cemetery in Ikeja where the final prayers were said.

I was yet to believe he was actually dead. Academias from all walk of life were there present,
to witness the burial of the son to one of the greatest physicist in Africa soil. His mother was
inconsolable and the step mum was worst too.

She fainted twice but his dad stood his ground, no tears
but he was touched. Before he was finally put in the ground, everyone was allowed to have a final moment with him.
I had to go with Tricia and Jegede, Kosi wasn’t there. Even when Wally died, she wasn’t there.

We stood there looking at his corpse, he tux was
the best ever and he was smiling as usual…

even in death.

Tricia: He doesn’t deserve to die… Not so soon.
Me: I still can’t believe it… It still sound like a ‘dream to me
Tricia: God knows the best, may his name be praised.
Jegede was just there, probably thinking of the right word to use… Tears were just flowing freely
from his eyes even as Tricia’s friend help dab it with
her handkerchief.
Jegede: Ogbeni, we spent our lives together. Right
from childhood, we were together and agreed not leave each others side. Wally, why do you have to
break this solemn vow? Mum and dad invested on
you, they wanted you to come someday and take
them on vacation to the Bahamas. Why does it have
to be now? You