“Even in our sleep, pain which we cannot forget
falls drop by drop upon the heart
until, in our own despair, against our will,
comes wisdom through the awful grace of God”- Aeschylus

I do not where to start and where to end. I never thought of such a day to be our last encounter. Bra Yaw, as we all grew up to know and called him. I remember being sent to him at Manhyia Polyclinic whenever I was sick of malaria. That was the days when chloroquine was the main drug used for malaria treatment. He would smile as approaches you. After dispensing your medication, he would also see me off to the gate. His affection for me as a son was beyond my understanding.

I know that as human beings, we are mortal but I never thought that angel of mortality could, without any provocation give Bra Yaw unexpected flight from time to eternity. When the chilling news got to me on that fateful Sunday morning, it was as if the whole world had collapsed on me. For weeks, I have not been able to come into terms with the news. I still live in constant denial of this fact. I wish it was not true.

I remember he was one person that came to tell me all will be well when my dad (Baffour Kyei) passed before I attained the age of majority. Anytime I visited him at the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate office, we would have an encouraging and uplifting conversation. He was one person who opened his mouth and blessed me when I visited him in the office to inform him of my decision to go and continue my professional life in the United States.

My last encounter with him, I reminded of my third son whom I named after him. His comment was, “I will not say anything, I am watching”. I promised to come and show his grandson to (Nana Yaw Ohemeng) to him. Little did I know that was my last human encounter with him. Little did I know Bra Yaw, A hardworking, principled and incorruptible man who wore white top and down through his professional life and was a father to me will go and be with his maker. I never thought I will be writing a tribute to a Dad like you today. Your blessing has been like that of God to Abraham when he was travelling to a foreign land. The last time you saw me to the gate, you gave special advise to me as a public servant and this remain fresh with me ever since.

It will be very difficult to say bye to you today. You have a favourite spot in my heart and in prayers. Even though death has forced me to bite what I cannot chew, I am being forced to relive the day Baffour Kyei passed way. I would say that his death is a rather sad to the family which I am part and loss to the pharmacy profession and the nation. No handkerchief can wipe away the tears of the deceased family especially the wife. As the nation mourns the death of its illustrious citizen who throughout his life committed everything in serving the nation, we should not weep, rather we should celebrate his life and the legacy of my Pharmacist J.O. Kyei.

In this world, there are some people whenever they die, their spirit is so great that it cannot be interned with their bones. Pharmacist J.O Kyei is one of them. He is dead and gone but he lives with us through the ideas and the good things he brought to the nation, the pharmacy profession and the need to uphold integrity and God-centered principles.

Now I want to hold on to my tear glands because I can identify myself with Rev Martin Luther King Jr that the greatest evil in this world is not death but rather to be outside God’s purpose and plan for your life. Indeed, Pharmacist Yaw Ohemeng Kyei served his God diligently. As we the living have LOST him, the heavens have GAINED him. This alone consoles us.
Beyond this I also know that death is not the of life. It starts the journey called eternity which everybody would trek on it. Paul, the Apostle said that ‘except a man dies once’. As a Christian I believe in what the Bible calls it resurrection and that one -day one –day we will meet on the beautiful streets of New Jerusalem.

May his soul rest in peace