It was my birthday, my big birthday, I was so excited and happy, I thanked God for the life He gave to me. On the other side of the wolrd at the same time a great life had just been taken back to God the creator, my heart was broken and I was in terrible shock.
It was Piya, the same Piya, the God's Marvelous Creation (GMC) Piya, a son, a brother and a great friend. We all could just not take it in without expressing the shock.
Some of you reading this blog may not know him, but to those of us who knew him, its hard to believe that 2nd December 2008 was your last day Piya on this earth.
I met Piya at Chanco, when he came to join GMC theatre, a christian drama group that went out evangelizing and spreading the word of God through drama. When Piya joined the group we could not help noticing the talent that was embedded in this young man. He was a great director and play writer. He always had interesting imaginations and ways of acting which would always spark a heated discussion most of the times during the rehearsal. But at the end of it all it was just GMC.
I remember the time we had to act "KUMASANO", this was a great production which all GMC remembers. It was a play that we acted in many schools and we never stopped appreciating how each time we acted it came out different.
After Chanco we re-united as GMC alumini and called ourselves GMCA. We still had the same goal reach out to many young souls in schools. As time went by with age, most members got married but we still tried to keep GMCA together. Piya worked hard to keep GMCA together with several members who were in Blantyre, Lilongwe and many parts of Malawi, he did not give up on the dream of GMCA. There was a dream of having a film of one of GMCA plays I dont know how far you took that one Piya. Unfortunately, I can not ask you now, but I know you dreamed big for GMCA.
Some of the interesting moments were when we had to dance "Kumasano " on the weddings of members of GMCA. You were on the lead, with the "Kumasano chant". I am sure GMCA remebers "Kumasanooooooooooo eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh, Kumasanoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."
There is a lot members of GMCA would want to write about Piya. And I have put together this tribute on my blog so that all the members of GMCA and all friends can comment and add on what fond memories we shared.
We are separated now physically, but you are always with us everyday, as we look at your photos, as we walk past St. Columba, as we walk past HHI, as we walk past Salima turn-off, everywhere we go you will always be in our memories.
We will always remember you Piya, as one of our GMCA members put it: May the great "Kumasano" rest in peace. The great Piya will always be rembered. He was so dear to us at GMC. He was a God's Marvellous creation! (EK)
Mnyamata wa pa Lizulu, wakwambewe, womwetulira bwino, nyamata wodziwa kuyankhula chichewa, wokonda chikhalidwe cha chi Malawi, m'ngoni woyenda ndi litchowa, sitidzakuyiwala PIYA!
I will always remember the last time I met you at shoprite in Lilongwe in 2007, you were just back from a youth conference in Kenya. I didn't know that that was the last time I was seeing you, in this life. You will always be remembered.
Piya, you were indeed God's Marvelous Creation.
We will MISS YOU SO MUCH!
MAY YOU REST IN PEACE.
LOVE GMC and GMCA
2 comments:
Indeed Piya is gone like a dream. When we were viewing his body, it was like he is "just sleeping" in his suit, but then in the afternoon there we were at HHI lowering the casket into the ground till we meet at His feet.
The body was also taken to St Columbus where there was a church service and the funeral was attended by multitudes of people that there was no space for car parking at St Columbus all the way to Kwacha grounds. He was indeed a man of the people. Chanco inakumanso kumeneko.
So sad indeed. May his soul rest in peace.
DJ
I interviewed Piya about seven years ago about young men who desired to maintain virginity till death. This was when he was a student at the university. He was a virgin.
Fast forward. The last few hours we interacted was last Sunday morning (30 Nov) as I was online on Skype. He asked for some songs and asked if I would be going to Church. I told him I would be and would leave my computer on while sending him the files he wanted.
Monday afternoon ie hours before he died, he was calling me on Skype but it was not possible for me to take the VOIP call. We chatted very briefly as follows:
Wakwambewe
Vic, can you send me a mobile number to Patrick Kaudzu
[2008-12-01 14:59:50] Wakwambewe says: I need it almost now
[2008-12-01 15:07:34] Victor Kaonga says: 08850116
[2008-12-01 15:09:02] Wakwambewe says: A million Thanks, you are wonderfull.
Many hours later, I heard he was dead. I was shocked. However I felt comforted and challenged by his intercation with me those last few moments of his life. Rest in peace Piya.
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