Ephraim James was a vibrant young 26years old guy,course representative for agricultural engineering 400L Michael Okpara University of agriculture Umudike, Abia state.
I have known him for 15 years, we stayed together in the same area before i got married and left that Local Government Area.
The last time i heard of him was in November 2017 when he called and was querying me for not have called him since he was admitted in the hospital, I apologized to him, telling him I wasn't aware of his ill-health, just then he told me he would get back to me later as his doctor wanted attending to him.
Two days later, I had to call him since he hadn't called as promised, his number was switched off, I dropped him a message to get back to me as soon his phone was on but I never got any reply.
During the Christmas break, I traveled to the village, on 31st, a friend of mine that is his colleague came to visit me and when I asked of Ephraim, she told me to be praying for him as she heard that he was in a critical condition.
I started putting him in my prayers, by January when I came back from the village, I also tried reaching him but to no avail as nobody could say exactly where he was and what was wrong with him.
During the 5 nights of glory held by pastor David Ibiyeomie of the salvation ministries, I was always praying for him and believing that he would be healed wherever he was, when the program had ended I started putting calls through just so I could hear the goodnews that my friend had been healed, still nobody knew where he was and his health condition, I didn't have contacts with his immediate family apart from the mutual friends we shared, so I calmed down about the issue believing that all was well.
Just a week after one of our friends called me and was asking whether it was really true that Ephraim was gone, I was shocked to my bones, I didn't know where to start from, what killed me most was that he died of kidney failure and for the last two months he lived he was on dialysis which cost sixty thousand per week.
It's so painful that he had to die after everything, I know he was full of dreams which death couldn't even allow him to fulfil, not even finishing from schools after years of lectures and series of examinations.
I don't know what else to say but God be with you till we meet again.
Farewell Dear Friend