Happy 1st Heavenly Anniversary, my sister Norah

Dear Norah,

Do they even call you Norah in heaven? How is it there? Do you even see or recognise me anymore? Do you even hear me?

Your death has been one hard piece of puzzle to put together, a year after. But one piece that came quickly and very clear to me is that you needed to rest. I have accepted that. I couldn’t get myself to see you in pain. My fragile brain would have haunted me with images of you suffering, almost forever - thank you for being considerate. But also, without being selfish, I am convinced there was no way you would have chosen to leave your children without a good fight. You did indeed put up a good fight. When I wrote the article "The Rise and Fall of the Majesty of a woman’s breast," I was still processing. Little did I know breast cancer would add you to its statistics.

It was nice knowing you and sharing this life together. You fought my battles, and I fought yours. You were a source of strength during our long walks to school. You sharing a bed with me taught me to respect women and make them feel safe. Thank you for your coconut rock buns, mandazis, and chapatis. Thank you for your smiles, laughter, and dancing. Thank you for the gentle, hard talks. Thank you for the annoying moments.

You thrived in school, you thrived at work, you thrived in church, you always did your best.

Your death brought a lot of drama, too. As someone put it, all emotions come from love. There was anger, there was fear, there was sadness, there was disbelief, there was despair, there was confusion, there was propaganda, there was brokenness, there was church drama, there was village drama, there was city drama, there was hospital drama, there was laughter too, to name just a few... lols. It was a movie.

You touched many lives, and many people came through to support us. We thank them. You missed the comedy filled gathering in the village.

Saying "I loved you so much" makes me shed a tear! I would like to know and believe you are well rested.

I am still picking up the pieces, some are easy to pick, some are heavier than I thought, and some I feel are best kept unpicked, at least so far.

Honestly, it is still hard, especially on days like this, but continue to rest well, my beloved sister!