On
the wee hours of Saturday 23rd August 2014, the day when
the first batch of ASP 2014 participants were to fly out of Dakar,
having participated in the highly successful (third) African School
of Fundamental Physics, the hired UCAD bus pulled outside Mermoz- one
of the ASP student guest houses to pick more students, en route to
the airport. In their characteristic manner, the ever joyful group of
students were all smiles laughing and chatting happily. Some in their
mother tongue- for those that had their fellow countrymen- others
mainly in english, though one would not miss some foreign accents, if
not arabic then definitely french. Seated on the second back row on
the left inside the bus, I thought that I saw my good friend the
dark-skinned ever smiling (late) Papa Aly Diop stand at the bus door
as if to get inside, but left into the guest house when the bus left.
If I could recollect well, his face seemed a bit dull and he looked
as if something was disturbing him. Little could one guess that what
would later befell him on that fateful day, would happen.
Though it has
taken me many days to post this message, my heart still feels cold
when I remember the untimely demise of our good friend. I wish I
could travel back to Dakar and convey my sincere condolences to his
family and friends, maybe one day I will. I could not believe it, and
neither can I do it today! This is the message that I have longed to
deliver to our ASP 2014 hero, who passed on while doing what he loved
most- helping others..
Rest in Peace
Papa, we miss you!
Geoffrey O. Okeng'o
