Upon reading the article by Fazeer Mohammed in the Express of October 14, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on the tragedy that befell Akeem Elijah Adams.
I must state at the outset that my relationship with this young man has resulted in him being “Keemo” to me. To him I am “Uncle Lio”. I make this statement with the greatest sense of pride possible, since to know “Keemo” is to love him. In his short life so far this young man has done so much to make all of us, his relatives, feel such immense pride, yet he remained such a humble young man, his infectious smile ever present on his youthful face.
In the recent past “Keemo” had to deal with a period of great uncertainty.
For many months he was denied the opportunity to do what he loves, which is to play football. During this protracted period I could not help but admire his strength of character. The bright smile never waned. Not once did I hear him complain about the treatment being meted out to him. A lesser mortal would surely have been up in arms against such a state of affairs.
In a conversation with him just over two months ago, I remember telling him how much I admired the way he handled that period of uncertainty.
I know how he felt on the day that he signed for the Ferencvaros Torna Club out there in Hungary. We spoke about it. The uncertainty had ended, he was back to doing what he loved. I felt his joy. I offered some words of advice, unnecessary as they may well have been. The relationship which exists between us demanded that I do no less.
In his 22 years to date, the many mountains he had scaled did not change him. This will be no different. Now he is faced with a problem no one could foresee, his strength will again be tested. My faith in “Keemo” remains as strong as it has ever been. I firmly believe that he will overcome this latest obstacle.
It is a further testament to this young man’s character that so many people in Hungary turned out to donate blood in his time of need, given the fact the he was new to that part of the world. It speaks volumes about the positive effect his bubbly personality had on the people there. I wish on my own behalf, and indeed on behalf of all his relatives, to offer our deepest gratitude for their overwhelming show of love and support.
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, Ministry of Sport, every agency and individual who has shown their love and support must also be commended. While recognising their efforts, I feel the need to urge them to be there at all times for those who proudly fly our flag.
Our native son has claimed the hearts of the people in that far off place. In this his darkest hour they have rallied around him. In their native tongue they have coined the phrase “Veled vagyunk Akeem”. What they are saying is what should echo throughout this land of ours. We all need to sincerely assert that “we are with you Akeem”.
In our thoughts and our prayers we your relatives are with you. As we struggle with sadness at your tragic circumstances we are comforted by unquestioning acceptance. Some things are greater than the sum of all of us. We take comfort in the fact that as tragic as the current circumstances are, they could still have been worse. With that in mind we all give thanks.
Elias Lewis
Chaguanas