The loss of a friend

In my freshman year of campus, I was undertaking a statistical course , SMA 160 at Kenyatta University's Lecture Theatre 1. The hall was always full of enthusiastic and ambitious but failure-phobic and scared first-year students. We had been made to believe that we were the cream of the society, and that we had a great future. Everyone would do all it would take to make sure that our promised future comes to reality. We would scramble for the front seats to listen to Dr. Ruttoh's feeble voice and  get the perfect strategic view of his microscopic writings on binomial & normal probability distribution and Cheby Shev's theory.

One class-session still lingers in my mind is one in which I tried switching seats (OK, stealing grabbing someone else's seat). As I was trying to do so, I had a voice from a student that was sitted next to my target seat say "You are being unfair".  I definitely looked up to see who this courageous freshman was. That was the very first day that I met Ephraim, a wonderful male student that became my friend.

In my campus-life, I shared many special academic moments with Ephraim. We were involved in many group-work exercises. He was altruistic, generous and an ideal creative thinker. He always made me think widely and to always challenge and stream-line my focus. He was one of my accountability friends. We shared similar interests, dreams and ambitions.

One of the last moments I spent with Ephraim was right before our graduation. I had just returned to Kenya to prepare for my graduation. We were taking breakfast together at a restaurant as we were catching-up on each other. I vividly remember how excited I was that I had moved out of my comfort-zone after reminding him about what we had discussed right before we left campus. Ephraim had adviced me (earlier-on while we were still in school) about moving out of my parents' house, and how bad it would be if I returned to my parents' house after school. I remember his warm smile after letting him know that he influenced my decision, which is one of my favourite achievements ... no, I actually remember his laughter.

Earlier on this month (while I was away), I got the shocking news that Ephraim had passed-on after a short illness. I felt heart-broken. I felt like I had lost a part of me. I still feel the it. :'(

Ephraim was a humble and respectful young man. He was focussed and wise. Right before his demise, he was a volunteer at a children's home in the outskirts of Nairobi. Kenya has lost a champion, a person that was dedicated to eradicate poverty. I have lost a great and irreplaceable friend.


For the years that I have known Ephraim, there are things that I didn't do that I wish I would have done. For instance, I should have been a good friend to him, just as he was to me. I should have been nicer to him. I should not have always been in a hurry... too much in a hurry to take time to listen to him, or even to accompany him to Catholic church, atleast just once. I should have smiled alittle bit more at him. I wish I gave him more of me. I wish I, atleast, gave him a hug...as a friend (he'd probably have resisted a hug because of how strict he appeared). A simple "I love you" would have sufficed, probably.

Ephraim, I thank God for you, for giving you to us, to me. I really enjoyed every moment, every dream, every ambition and vision with you. God had different plans for us. Who are we to reject God's will?

Rest in peace, Ephraim.