GONE but NEVER FORGOTTEN

The year is 2013,
And in this year my friend died.
Only a month stood between him and his 26th Birthday,
I know he was anticipating it from the way he talked about it for reasons I now will never know.
Its said that death comes for us all
I just never expected it to come this soon for him
See Mark has had what many would call a nightmare of a life
Orphaned at 6, he was left to the care of his elder brother who also was taken away from him a few years later and his education was left in the hands of the colourful Watoto, thankfully they helped him acquire his Higher Secondary certificate.
Like us all, he saw it fit to take a whack at his longest enduring dream.... MUSIC


Mark narrates his life story at Power FM presents

For it, he walked from Nakulabye to First love Studio's in Ntinda everyday and eventually recorded a couple of songs here and there. They might have not seen the light of day but his popularity grew with every performance he had at Gospel Night at TLC, It was clear that his future in the Gospel music industry was bright albeit all around him was humble as was his character.
                 Fast forward to the year 2009 when he walked into the PowerFM offices confindent but not overbearing, friendly but not a boot licker, proud yet still all together humble. First Impressions really do matter because even now with him being gone, this is the impression I still hold of him. The song he dropped off that day went on to become a hit, "Church boy" was loved as were all the other hits off the same album that followed, Mufirako, First priority et al.
A lot of people have profiled his music speaking of how it touched them in tough times, maybe it's because he sung from his life experiences, to thousands he gave hope because he had been through it and survived and through it all he had formulated a friendship so true with his maker that it influenced his life through and through.
Mark ceased to be just an artist to me when I met him at a home where I go to attend share group and there we shared life experiences and became fast friends and upon our new friendship I grew to understand why this very seemingly small man had a rather grand future.
See he had a heart of "Gold". That he had been crushed more than once by life and friends is painting his story rather mildly but that didn't weaken his resolve to tell the story of a love so strong, it held him through it all and can hold others too. He never wavered or minced his words. Mark was and always will be a Church boy, it mattered not who he was talking to or who asked why he christened himself church boy, he always smiled that wicked grin of his and answered, "I am a Church boy and Christ is my First priority" but his were more than just words, he was a doer, he believed in getting the love of Christ out there, one action at a time whether through school outreach or a good deed or just listening to you after you have heard a bad day or a phone call just to pray with you because he senses all is not well.
You see W.E.Cummings said it all when he said, "May your life preach more loudly than your lips"
And Mark's life did  just that.
                     Music and God being everything to him, he wanted to go back to school to study sound engineering and theology, in the meantime, he practised his new found skills in music production at his music label "Bronz wall music" but believe me he had other passions which included writing (Music specifically), swimming and many more which is why when I was called on Saturday afternoon with the news that he had drowned I was more confused than convinced that this news was circulating. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mark was a world class swimmer, there was no way he would have drowned. First instinct prompted me to call him, got no answer, proceeded to call up a few other people and the sound of their grieving from the other end convinced me of what I had been denying for an hour.

Mark in Tanzania with Sami Kay

He was GONE................
My last words to him were,
"Gwe fala, make sure you write that wedding song you promised me because its happening soon"
Not, I love you but the above phrase
 who says Goodbye like this?
For the past 2 days I kept on hoping to wake up and find this nightmare gone but with each passing second, i realise he is not coming back
I cannot attempt to convey the extent of my grief
I never got to say Goodbye!! and this grieves me so.

He wanted to see the body of Christ work together so badly, its all he talked about for months and I hope that someday this dream can come true for his sake.
George Elliot once wrote, "Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them"
We have just got to remember his dream, his vision
GONE but NEVER FORGOTTEN!!

Mark performing at Phatfest 2011

Rest in Peace
My friend
Until that glorious day when we meet again
In my heart you'll stay
You always said, "I bet I can fly because I know Christ"
Well, Now you can.