‘’O NOT LOST BUT GONE BEFORE US
LET THEM NEVER BE FORGOTTEN
SWEET THEIR MEMORY TO THE LONELY
IN OUR HEARTS THEY PERISH NOT’’
Writing a tribute to you has been such a hard task because not one of us was prepared for this unpleasant and unexpected assignment. Marlon, the shock and the pain of your untimely death lingers on. It hurts so much because the Saturday before, you participated fully in the burial activities of our sister-in-law Ama. And who would have thought the goodbyes said on that day were going to be the last.
Marlon, in our midst, twelve (12) siblings in all and the eighth in the line, you were the non-conformist and the unique one whose actions differed from the rest of us. No wonder as a toddler you mistook a cake of sunlight soap for butter and ate it, though not all of it till you were found with a drooling mouth and your lower lip hanging out. Again you were the only one amongst us who was audacious enough to march (from wherever you were sitting at Sunday church service) straight to the pulpit when Papa was preaching while Auntie, our mother, looked on helplessly with embarrassment.
As a growing child you loved to read but you were never the one to bring books home because of your carefree nature. However your inquisitiveness and quest for knowledge always made you read library books borrowed by your older siblings when we lived at Jasikan-Buem. You would read all the books and typically make more noise about those books than the real owners.
As an adolescent you were the one who always got into trouble with teachers, tutors, and headmasters with your many arguments and use of jargons. Surprisingly your escapades never affected your academic performance. You were a brilliant student. Indeed, you gave Papa more work to do than any of us but he loved you to bits and always got you out of trouble. We all loved you very much and accepted the way you were.
At the University you were so controversial to the extent that, your belongings were burnt by your mates at Mensah Sarbah Hall Annex 2 (Okponglo) your hall of residence because of your political dealings and affiliations. You were not deterred by this. With determination and tenacity, you completed your undergraduate studies obtaining a B.A. HONOURS degree.
As an adult, you still scored a first. Some siblings sojourned in Nigeria, others in Liberia but you were the first to migrate to the developed world; United Kingdom.
Your personality was a mix, an embodiment of every quality: the excellent, the good, the bad and more. You will fight and even brawl for your beliefs and what you stood for. No doubt you were the only one amongst us who had the courage to do party politics. On the other hand your meekness and gentility stood out especially during your late night visits. You would walk in slowly, with your hands at the back like a lamb or a naughty school boy and even have a meal no matter how late it was. Just like you did to Papa and Auntie, you had a clever way in getting us to succumb to your “ways”.
Unlike most of us, you were the easy going and fun-loving one, from childhood when you would waltz with our paternal grandmother, whose pet name for you was “Ghanaorere” meaning “Ghanaman”; you never stopped dancing until your last breadth. You loved music more than any of us and would sing along tunes of old. You were the life and soul of all our parties and brought so much joy into our homes on your visits from London. We always danced along with you when we visited your home at East Airport. Marlon, you have left us stranded, you’ve quenched that joy prematurely.
You were the dividing line between the “old schoolers” of our time and the new and the “champion” for the younger siblings. In the absence of the older ones, Marlon, you became the big brother. Your street sense made you mentor them into single minded and independent individuals after we lost Papa. Rose, Frank, Gloria and Gertrude remember you for your assistance in matters relating to their school admissions, exposure to the world including securing of jobs, dating and even partying. They thank you for mentoring them.
Da Ellen, Fo Seth your buddy who is another Komla, Fo Kudjoe your guardian at Worawora, Fo Obed your partner in politics, Fo Adom (Bob) who introduced you to campus life at the University of Ghana even before you gained admission and Sister Annie, whose library books you always poached in those days, who also heiped you to graduate from cooking only rice to other meals say thank you for the times spent with you, kid brother. For the good times we spent here in Ghana and when we visited London. We will miss the highs and lows in our relationship with you, brother.
Marlon, our politician, popular, easy going, fun-loving and controversial brother. We wish God would have spared you a few more years for us. We will miss every step you took on the dancing floor, the good music you played when we visited you at home and many more.
Marlon! Praises! You are not lost but gone before us
You will never be forgotten.
Your memory will remain with us forever
And in our hearts you perish not.
When you get up there, tell Da Charity, our late sister, Papa and Auntie Kaa, who are gone to be with the Lord ahead of you that we miss them.
Adieu brother
Rest in Peace
He de nyuie, Afadzo Are
