::: Willem Scheuerman Tribute :::

We are together today to celebrate the memory of Halewijn, my older brother that passed away last week in a traffic accident.
It gives us consolation and strength to accept the loss when I see with how may we are here today to attend his memorial service.

There are so many things that can be said about my brother and it would take hours and hours to go through it, but there are a few things that in particular I would like to address here today, in your presence. I apologize nevertheless for my English, which sometimes happens to fail.

It was Wednesday morning, September the 9th, at work that I received a call from Joyce on my mobile. When I pressed the button to take the call, the communication was cut off. I tried to call her back but without success. So I called Jalida who told that her mum was trying to call me. I asked her if she knew the reason of her call. She confirmed but she said that her mother wanted to speak with me personally. So far no reason for me to worry … Some times later Joyce called again and she told me the terrible news, Halewijn, my brother Adrian, passed away as a result of a traffic accident. I could not believe it but she confirmed it was the truth. I was in chock, this was not possible... It was unreal. It is hard to describe all the things that cross your mind at that moment.
After the first chock I realized things had to be done. The family had to be informed. It was without saying that I would accompany Jalida to Kenya. Our flight to Nairobi was scheduled on Friday the 11th.

At those moments, when somebody looses one of his parents, brother or sister, many pictures come up in your mind about your common life and the events of live you shared with that person.
I must confess that as a child it was not easy to be the younger brother of Halewijn. We have opposite characters; he is always seeking for contact and interaction with others, even not avoiding confrontation. Personally I am more an introvert person who likes to be on himself. So, like brothers often do, we had quite often fights that Halewijn won most of the time.
I remember one time he made me so angry that I punched a scissor in one of is bums. He was bleeding and crying at the same time and he could not believe what I had done.

But I know he loved me. In the boarding school in Oloron, a small town in the south of France, he protected and defended me against others. This was not a very nice period of our live; the discipline of the boarding school in those years was though, especially for my brother who already at that time could not bear the limitations of his freedom. We were also seen as strangers, and what children often do, the other schoolfellows tease those who are different to them. That is what happened to us. Halewijn was not the kind of person to accept that, so he rebelled, fought to defend his younger brother and himself, ran away from school several times when it was too much for him. At the end my daddy and mum took him back home, and since then we only saw each other during the holidays and some weekends.

Halewijn was at that time already a special person; he always had friends much older than himself: especially one, named Gonzalo with whom he practised his first passion, mountain climbing, walking and climbing for several days high in the Pyrenees mountains, and in contact with the rough nature.

With our return to the Netherlands in 1969, our lives took different directions. As we were getting older our relationship normalised gradually, with good times together, nice chats, but stormy moments remained so now and then.

Studies, graduations, relationships, marriages, and jobs, made that we did not see each other very often.
One of these occasions was when he came to visit Lucile, my wife and me in Cameroon. He crossed the Sahara on a motorbike and without any previous announcement he arrived at our place. We were damned surprised to see him, standing there in front of us. He told us that he did not want to tell us he was coming because, if he would not succeed he would not have to tell us he failed. But he did succeed.
He stayed with us for three months. We had a good time together and there were funny moments. But as usual with Halewijn, there were also heavy moments. We talked about all kind of issues, and among others about what Lucile and I where doing in Cameroon. He was critical about it.
On the other hand, his way of doing has a positive impact. It kept you sharp, he brings you to think about your own ideas and opinions and about what you are doing.
Once in a while, during his stay, he made my wife Lucile mad: eating everything he found on his way and empting the fridge all the time. When she was looking for something to cook, it was gone.

Halewijn had a strong personality. Passionated, interested in everything, with great dreams, trying to realise his dreams and often succeeding in it. A very special person.
Since many years I accepted the way he was, and admired him in what he realised in his life.
During the last twenty years we merely met and beside that we are not writers….
Since our mum and dad passed away we only met once when he came to Holland a few years ago. He invited us many times to come to Kenya, and we postponed every time, and now ….. he has gone.

We did meet more often and longer with his wife, Joyce and his daughters, Jalida and Ngalivia.
I am sincerely convinced that the best thing that happened in my brother's life is to have met Joyce and his marriage with her.

Halewijn's death is for all of us very painful. But for you Joyce, his wife, and Jalida and Ngalivia, his daughters, it is a terrible loss. I hope and I am sure, that you will find the strength to overcome this tragedy. I know that your family here in Kenya and all your friends will be aside you to assist and help you. But don't forget that a part of your family is in Holland and we shall always be there for you. I know that you know that.