Ever since the news of pa Yong's passing broke earlier on this week,I have fought with myself to convince myself that it has only been a dream,but,the more I have read about it and the more I have heard others talked about it,I have been forced to take that bitter pile that it is not just a dream,but,a shocking reality. I am pleased to have been one of the products of pa Yong's schools and that was when I got to see pa from a close range and my first impressions were that he was a simple man.I later had the privilege to be elected to the post of senior prefect in Progressive college
in Bamenda and the then principal, took my prefects and I to pa's office in the then Circular education premises next to Mondial Hotel to introduce us to him and that was then,that I will say I had the honor to shake pa's hand and introduced my prefects to him.He advised us and told us of the need to concentrate on our studies first and remember to be helpers to the teachers. From then on,pa used to come into the school and addressed the student body whenever he had the chance.When the academic year was ending,pa sent for me and I wondered what could be the problem,but,just said,well,I will find out,but,inside me,I had some fear because a week leading up to then, my prefects and I had carried out a school strike against t Principal,vice principal and some teaching staff.When I got into his office,he asked me to sit down and I was able to watch pa typed on his type writer and I must say till now,I am yet to see anyone beat pa's record on the use of a type writer.he used it like it was made by him and I doubt even him knew the number of words he could type in a minute.He was so fast that I thought the type writer may come off the rail as he pushed it to the right and left etc.When he was done,he asked me''have you written your appraisal''?I asked him what that meant and he said to me as the senior prefect of the school,he expected me to submit my end of year's report.I asked him what I needed to write and he said all bad and good things about the school or teaching body that could be improved upon.I went and did it,but,I will not go into that,but,I was just moved that pa Yong wanted to have my input about his school.
When the G.C.E results were out,pa asked me if I wanted to stay and join the school administration.I was very honored,thanked him and said I will like to further my studies and we stayed in touch.A few years after that,I was back to Bamenda and working as a receptionist in Mondial hotel(where pa used to park his Mercedes car in the yard and would come in and chat with his friend Mr Longla- proprietor of the hotel).
One day after parking his car,he came in and asked me to come and see him in his office the next morning after work.The next morning,I did and he asked me how much I was being paid,I told him and he asked whether I will work for him in Bambui if he were to add something to what I was being paid,plus a accommodation,water and electricity for free.I said yes pa,try me.He said''it is not a question of trying my friend for I asked the same question to one of my teachers in Anyajua some years ago and he said I should try him and when I did,he later leaked the GCE questions and that cost me my center for years and my students had to trek to Belo for years''.I said I a able and that is how I got employed as the pioneer bursar of National Polytechnic Bambui.Pa then told me to go and get ready to commence work in two months and that he will send for me on a day to when the school will start to go down there.When the day came,pa's driver came and picked me up with my few items and we went back to his house and took pa and we left for Bambui in the afternoon.When we got to star Light junction,pa's car got stuck in mud for by then,Bamenda-Bambui road wasn't tarred.We came out with pa to push his car and I was touched by his humility.Some passers by were walking pass us and pa said''my friends wona no want come help push my moto,wona want make pa Yong sleep for road?''I was touched because it sounded like the pa Yong wasn't him.These guys came and helped pushed the car and we continued our journey.That day stocked in my mind forever because he never just sat inside as we expected,but,he came out and assisted with pushing the car.
After workingwith pa for sometime,I later got a job
with P&T and needed to leave,but,was worried that pa may not be happy,but,when I met him he said to me that my new job was an opening for many opportunities and that I was like his own child and if he refuses to let me go,that would be wicket of him,but,that I will still keep my job till the end of the academic year as I was with the Delegation of P&T in Bamenda easier for me to shuttle between Bamenda an Bambui on week ends and that he would like me to look for my replacement and that was how I went back to Mondial hotel and pinched Mr Longla's receptionist again-bobe Jum Francis to take up my place.While working at Delepostel,pa visited me a few times and it was always humbling to see him come and sit down with me and we chatted and all the times,he always gave me advice.He remained to me as a father and great friend and this was highlighted more when pa surprised me in 1999 with a visit to Mbingo Hospitalin Kom when my father was operated upon.Pa was not very happy that I never told him that my father was in hosipital. He spent plenty of time with my father and I that day and my father has remained grateful for that till date. A few years when I visited pa in Cameroon,Pa said to me that he will come and visit us and I felt so honored,my Zachieus's height tripped instantly for I couldn't believe my eyes.During his stay when he visited us,I was overwhelmed by his humility-he played tirelessly and non stop with our four years daughter with pa making some nice jokes and I remember him saying Sylvanus,a Kom child can never get missing wherever the child is when my daughter called a glass nklass. The next morning,he said he needed to do some shopping
and I took him to some big shops in the city center and when i took him to a top price section,pa said to me,''Sylva,you know I cannot be seen to wear things that expensive when there are many people back there in Cameroon that I can help with the money''.I was touched by the fact that he bought expensive things for others instead for himself.When we got to the till,pa said he had forgotten to buy some clothes for his househelps and we went back and he bought some clothes for all of them.I said to myself how many people of pa's caliber will do this for their house boys and house girls?While there,I asked him if he would help take a little bag for me if I were to buy a few things for my family and he said ''yes,how can you be asking Sylanus?''There is non or very few of them that will do this.The next day when we arrived at the airport for pa to fly back to Cameroon,I advanced straight to the first class desk and asked him''we are going to the first class desk right?''Pa said to me that ''ma lum niwi iwoh na sie a Sylva bomta afoh ateina keifeih,a ghi kwuhti kighi djim afi ghi ikuo ta ma ka ama kamgti gheli atein no siih nduih' a Cameroon''(I never do that kind of thing Sylvanus because if the thing crashes,everybody will die and that is money that I can help others with in Cameroon)This was very very humbling again to me because there was pa not travelling first class,not because he couldn't afford,but,because he wanted to help others with his money and putting himself last.At one point when I was home, some family members of pa said to me that I should talk/propose to pa to have some extra security
around him because the crime wave in Bamenda was on the rise and I did,but, pa said to me that he can never do that kind of thing and said it will be unthinkable to have a car with muscle men trailing him to wherever he went and that he likes everyone and that I need to see how sometimes little children called out his name and he stands,greets them and chats with them.He dismissed the idea and that to me was just another level of humility In December 2012,I was home and went to visit pa,but,was told he was resting and I couldn't see him and when I was leaving my message,he called down from upstairs and told me to come up.I went up and joined him in his upstairs parlor(a section of the house he had invited me up to it again and again in the past which was so humbling whenever I sat there and looked at himself and little me),we sat there and chatted generally and later went to his upstairs dinning area and were served some food.While we were eating,pa kept piling plenty of meat on my plate and telling me that''Sylva feiti shiie sii kel wi inki yeini egine ne sii''.Little did I know that it was the last meal I was going to have with him.What is death?
In 2000 or so when I was listening to a Cameroon calling episode over Crtv, dedicated to late Epsy Ngum,Auntie Becky Ndivey said ''Epsy,what was that kind of illness that even Oku that we know in the north west province couldn't cure?''I found myself saying the same thing to myself in a different way that so it is really true that no amount of treatment or money could cure pa Yong?Unbelievable!It dawn on me that it is really true that when ''Ambassador Abraham''(Head of Visa services to Heaven)issues your entry visa to Heaven,it can't be cancelled for whatever reason.
Well, I am humbled and privileged to have known a humble person like pa Yong.We always hear of vacuums that cannot be filled.His passing is really a big vacuum that will hardly ever be filled.I cannot remember of any person who was so selfless,dedicated himself and money to educating mankind like pa Yong.If any consolation to the family,I will say that God Looked down following what might have seemed like falling standards of education in heaven and found non else than pa Yong that can revamp that and he Called him to come and restructure that.I am sure he is on his type writers drawing up his vision to present to God and even before he finishes it,God Will like it And Approve it since He Knows our thoughts and everything.
He will set up a C.H.S Heaven, C.H.S Heaven and a great N.P.Heaven where many who never had the chance to school will carry out their studies.I have no doubt that God Will Be Very Please with pa Yong's work. Pa safe journey.We will forever miss you.Thanks ever so muchfor the lessons and the advice you gave me.May your soul
rest in peace.
By
Sylvanus Chia
