December 10, 2005: My Sister-In-Law's Version

I was driving to Northolt with my friend, Chioma, for a business meeting, when my sister, Kate, called me on my cell phone. “Dorothy, Kechi's plane crashed. Kechi is dead”. I hit the brakes, right there in the middle of the highway. I remember that cars were honking all around us, but I was oblivious, filled with the deepest, darkest despair. The bottom had just fallen out of my world and the pain was overwhelming.

I remember that Chioma took over the driving, while I wailed, 'Why Kechi, why Kechi, God? Why did You take her and not me? I have lived a good life, she is just a baby, why, why didn't you take me instead?' Kechi was a girl I loved with all my life. Right from the day she was born, she and I were very close. I was in a daze until we got to the meeting. I remember the client was very understanding, and even tried to console me; of course the meeting was cancelled.

On our way back to London, I had composed myself a bit, and was driving, until Kate called me again and gave me the most unbelievable news of all! Kechi had been found and was alive.

Right there and then in front of God and the whole world, I stopped my car by the side of the road, and fell to my knees, thanking and worshipping God. Everyone that passed us must have thought I was bonkers! Meanwhile, Chioma went into action and immediately started calling members of her church to start a prayer chain, constantly updating them with every development and new prayer requests.

By the time I got my house, all my friends were there. They had all heard the news and came to comfort me. I remember that I went into the kitchen to make tea for everyone, and while I was there, everything suddenly became too much and I burst into tears. I was particularly sad because Tonia's kids were coming home from the States for the first time that Christmas and they were very excited that they were finally going to meet their cousin, Kechi. It was a double blow to them.

Remembering that day still gives me the shivers. It is an open wound that just never seems to heal.

….My sister-in-law, Dorothy Okwuchi's account.