Ni as we respectfully refer to an elder brother in Meta.
I will not forget this fateful day the 21 of July 2021 when my phone rang at mid night and I was instinctively scared of taking the call. The call was from my sister Mrs Dorothy Tanwani. I suspected something was amiss . The message was brief and chilling in our dialect.
"Ze fe beuh moh. chewirie Ni" it's bad Ni is no more. It was shell shocking . How could this be?
It signaled an end to almost 60 years of close family ties.
When I was only five I knew you were my most senior brother as we were growing up in my father's household your maternal uncle, Mr M.N. Tah in the sixties.
In 1961 when I started primary school you were already in your final class Standard 6.
All hell broke loose when we lost our father and you had to assume the role of a father. You were only in form four, pioneer batch of LCC Mankon. As a consequence you had to drop out of secondary school for lack of financial support. Your insatiable quest for knowledge was rudely interrupted.
At a time when there was neither internet nor social media, no television, no FM radio you were our only source of learning and information. When you spoke French we would come around and try talk like you, and reciting French words n'y a pas n'y a pas .
In 1966, I was still in Primary when with your meager salary from your first job as Secretary to the Manager of Presbyterian Hospital Acha Tugi, you were able to support the entire family of your late uncle M.N Tah.
1968 through 1974 you home schooled and through correspondent courses with Rapid Results college and Wolsley Hall UK ,at the same time working in Victoria, you obtained RSA, GCE O Levels , and later the A levels.
In 1975 when I completed high school from CPC Bali, my first stop was your home in Buea. Then you were working at the Economic Division of Foreign Trade .
I saw you develop films and print black and white pictures at home, while still working and studying. You could type above 70 wpm on a Hermes manual typewriter.
1976 As a student in Berea Collage in Kentucky USA you were still able to financially assisted me while at ABU Zaria Nigeria.
You motivated and encouraged all your maternal family at Tuochup to work hard.
You were a source of inspiration and was always an honour for me to receive you my elder brother, a PhD lecturer at the University of Dschang when I was employed at Guinness Cameroun 1980 to 1984.
When I decided to go into private practice in 1993 as an Engineer, you taught me how to run a business (location, address, letterhead, etc). You were very instrumental at the creation of my defunct Allied Engineers in Bamenda and you were also my first client.
Your meteoric rise to a Full Professorship 1998 was a watershed of learning not limited to the family but to everyone who came close to you.
You were a very generous person to family members , giving away most of your personal belongings as gifts.
You wanted to see my progress . You and Mr Pascal Tebug were planning to come and visit my modest palm plantation in Edea .The first attempt was when Afor came for the traditional marriage and it was called off due to Afor's husband illness at the time.
I now disappointingly know this will never happen. Our last talk was when you were in General Hospital Douala but I kept hoping you will soon recover and life will return to normal.
Helas I was mistaken The lord had a better plan. Ni was a successful elder brother , father to me and Grand father to all my children (who don't still believe Prof is gone forever). We shall miss you forever. Adieu Ni, Dong, Prof, Ni Prof, May your Soul Rest in Perfect Peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Engr. Tah Humphrey