This is what i know for sure,
death regardless at what age for those closest to the deceased, is always a
tremendously difficult experience. I also know that no one else can understand
or truly partake in the grieving process. If one is in the public eye however,
the space to fully feel the range of emotions that comes with loss is not
always given much less authentically understood despite the outpour of sympathy
and support of well wishers. Last week,
Sierra-Leone seemed to come to a halt as the President and his family mourned
the loss of their mother, grandmother and matriarch of the family. The rest of
the nation seemed to mourn too. I personally am often desensitised to
realities of loss, suffering, pain, death, and all expressions and experiences
of grief, it takes a while for anything to sink into my body. So as the rest of
the Country got quite loud about the passing of Mrs. Alice Koroma, I simply
watched, and at times in complete amazement at the frenzy.
The gifts were many, the messages
of condolences poured from every corner, millions of Leones (hundreds of
thousands of dollars) were given and spent, and everyone had something to say about the
funeral. Music tributes sprung from most
corners of the country, hotel rooms were booked in advance in Makeni,
dignitaries were said to be flying in, Sierra-Leoneans abroad seemed to be
flying in, and hundreds of people and cars visited the home of Thomas Koroma (
the President’s brother) in Hill Station throughout the week, it felt like a nationwide
loss. Amongst the daily home visits at the Hill Station house and evenings at
Presidential Lodge with the President and his family, funeral committees were
set up to organize the seemingly nationwide funeral. This funeral, as you may
guess, was anything but private, it was anything but raw, it was anything but
quiet and everything most people seemed almost obsessed with as is often the case when a public figure passes (point in case, Princess Diana).
Upon arriving in Makeni on Saturday
and going to the Wakie (the last vigil before the burial) at the late Mrs.
Alice Koroma’s home, I was a little disappointed that i had so easily had
access to a moment that was meant to be for close relatives and friends. The
home was packed with all kinds of people and very little food. Inside the house
lay an open casket, an opportunity for one more goodbye. It seemed as though
half of Freetown was in Makeni, once again my internal feeling of political,
social, economical reasons behind the crowd migration to Makeni were
not been dispelled as I spent the evening running into scarcely dressed women with
an influx of married men sans their wives. We had stopped grieving and started
being basic human, meaning clandestine motives taking precedence of the day.
Sunday was grey and yet the air
was busy. Breakfast at the Apex hotel was filled with high government officials
dressed in well ironed and beautiful white brilliane or lace Africana. We were
all going to the same place, it was obvious. My cousins and I decided to go to
the church early as my aunt had suggested we do so in order to evade the large
crowd. When we arrived it was already semi-full with police and the military dispersed
around the church compound, and tense organizers running from one end to
another. The grey and the light rain kept the feeling of calm as human emotions
danced in and about the church. I was able to enter the church before the
service and take some photographs before people arrived, it was your average church
in Africa, but it felt heavily infiltrated.
As we waited for people to arrive for the 11am service, I continued to take
pictures until the President and his Wife, Sia Koroma arrived. They were
dressed in white and solemn, in that
moment my heart ached for them. Soon after, droves of people came in, noise
filled the air, shouting and shoving ensued making this moment anything but
peaceful. I stopped moving and just stared at the sea of people who seemed
uncontrollable.
I was reading a couple of online
articles about how this funeral was a true testament of the Sierra-Leonean
spirit as millions of people flocked to Makeni to mourn the loss of Mrs. Alice
R. Koroma. I disagree greatly. Firstly it wasn’t millions of people, secondly
most weren’t there to pay last respects or truly support the Koroma family as
they mourned the loss of their beloved mother and grandmother, little respect
and space was shown in my personal opinion as people drank, danced, socialized,
politicized the week and evening before the burial. It was political and
social, an event that provided an excuse for many to mingle and keep the social
helix connected. What i am proud of however is the calibre of class that the
opposition leader showed by going to pay his respects to the president
personally, and even more so proud of the President for graciously accepting
and acknowledging that kind out reach. That to me was a truly beautiful moment.
This is what I know for sure,
death and loss regardless of what age or what circumstance may have caused the
loss is always a difficult experience that only the grieving can understand.
What I also know is that at times like that privacy and respect of space must
be given, shown and supported. The weekend in Makeni was personally anything
but that for me and the humanity in this land that I so love continues to be
tested...
Fambul dem this is how we do....
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