A man who gave so much of himself to life, to friendship, to family, & to everyone fortunate enough to cross his path. A man who poured himself out freely, asking for little in return. Yet on May 17, he quietly took his leave, leaving behind a trail of anguish, disbelief, & hearts that are still struggling to understand what happened.
My dearest Adeyemi Babatunde Roberts.
What a man you were.
A truly stand-up dude.
Loyal to the very core.
Dependable beyond measure.
The kind of person whose word was stronger than a contract. The kind of friend whose presence alone could calm a storm. The kind of man who showed up, not when it was convenient, but when it mattered.
If chivalry could walk among men clothed in flesh & blood, it would have looked a lot like you.
Fearless, yet remarkably gentle.
Soft-spoken, yet impossible to ignore.
Strong, yet kind.
You carried yourself with a quiet dignity that commanded respect without ever demanding it.
And perhaps one of your greatest gifts was your ability to encourage others. You breathed life into people. You believed in them when they doubted themselves. You gave your time, your energy, your wisdom, your resources, & your heart with such ease that many simply assumed you would always be there.
How wrong we were.
My dance twin.
My confidant.
My brother.
One of the very few people who could look directly into my eyes & tell me the truth exactly as it was. No sugar-coating. No pretence. No fear of offending me. Just honesty wrapped in genuine love.
You were that rare.
That real.
That dependable.
My ride-or-live dude.
And then, without warning, you left.
Too fast. Like this world wasn’t good enough for you,
Far too fast.
Damn, too early.
No goodbye.
No final conversation.
No hug.
No hi-five.
No words.
Nothing.
You simply stepped away from this side & left the rest of us standing here, trying to make sense of a silence that has become deafening.
Just like that.
I still find myself waiting for this to make sense.
Waiting for an explanation.
Waiting for an answer.
But there are only questions.
