Happy Father's Day// Remembering a Part of Me

This is the last post of the "Remembering a Part of Me" with the Father's Day edition because this post is about the Man who was the strength of my family. The courageous and brave man that I will never have again in my life maybe. Dear Dad your story inspires me so much. This is my tribute to you. You are no more here but you are in my heart everyday. I look my son and I see you. I named him after you too. It is like you never left. How can I start this post? Ha! yes, with this beautiful song of Garou and Celine Dion "Sous le Vent" (Under the wind)

Dear dad, you lived a life without limits since your young age. You never saw limits because the sky was the limit. Dear reader, I don't know if this post will inspire you too... I hope...I don't know but I will leave it here for my son when he will read it someday. My father was born in a village named Afargma in the province Estuaire of Gabon. (You will see in my VLOG back to Donguila my village/ Mission catholic Donguila, there is a moment where my nephew pointed me a direction as we were standing in front of the lake Komo. He was showing me where it was.) Afargma is on the other side of Donguila my village (The one that my father built on his own. I talked about it in my post Donguila in my Father's Land). I am from the ethnic group called Fang/ Ekang of Gabon from the Essoke clan. This clan is also found in Cameroon under a different name. Afargma is Essoke's village. My father lost his mother at a very young age. My great grandmother (I am named after her) is the one who raised him until he was about to go to school. It was at the time of French colonization in Gabon and it was still strong and difficult. One day as a child he was sitting on his young uncle's lap and they were talking together when a plane was flying in the sky. Planes were not often seen in this area of Africa at the time. There was only one man that was known to be the father of civil aviation at the time. His name was Jean Claude Brouillet (please remember that name as I am telling my father's story) Jean Claude Brouillet was a French aircraft pilot who was living in Gabon. He was also an author; he wrote books and made documentaries. He had a very good life between his passion (flying) and the entertainment world. Jean Claude Brouillet was born in France in 1925 he was a well known figure at the time. In Gabon, he was known as "The plane of the White Man" (I share with you pictures that are not mine. Found on amazon and ebay if you want to find his books) This is Jean Claude Brouillet with his wife Marina Vlady. She was a French actress. She played the spiritual woman mermaid in the well known movie " La Cage " with Franco Gabonese actor Philippe Mory. The first long Sub-Saharan movie shot in Gabon that was also presented at Cannes Festival in France. That movie 🎬 had success back in the days. ( sight Gabon 🇬🇦 my beloved country)

and here

When my father and his young uncle saw the plane in the sky, with the eyes of a little boy, he told him: "Look uncle! I will be a pilot too. I will fly a plane someday" His uncle opened his eyes wide and was shocked to hear what he said. He responded to him saying: "Antoine! Are you crazy!? That's for White men. Only White men can do it! You cannot! We cannot!" (We as a Black Africans) but my father insisted that one day he will fly in the sky. Understand that during the time of hostile French colonization, Black Africans were seen like submen. A little bit of History of life in Gabon at the time.

My father later on grew up and was asked to be sent to go to school in Libreville, the capital city of Gabon. That man was one of his uncles who occupied a very important position in town at the time. Yes, my grandfather unfortunately did not play an important role in his life but...in Africa when the father is not doing much then the uncles always do their part. That's why I said in my previous posts that family is important to me especially where I come from. After I lost my father, I got even close to my uncles. Visiting them and asking directions for decisions in life. His uncle in town was Leon M'ba Minko who was at the time the first president of Gabon just at the time of the independence in 1960. My father went to live with his cousins who were in town. He was so close to them that even when I grew up I was often visiting my uncles and aunts on my father side. The way he described his uncle was like a father. He admired him so much. When I was young I remember seeing his pictures almost everywhere in his offices. He taught him to love his country first. He was one of the reasons why later on my father entered into politics. Leon M'ba was maybe not perfect but he had love and projects for his country. (he died early of "medical condition" we never knew what it was really. That sad event happened in France...) My father said that even though he was a president at the office but he was a father at home who would always check their homeworks. he would always check if the children were doing their chores. He told them how Education was important because he had to self taught (Yes, Leon M'ba was autodidact) that's why my father took his studies seriously. he told us the same thing;"Take your school and Education seriously" The presidential family was living at Carrefour Leon M'ba. It is an area in Libreville not far from town center (It was a chic place at the time) and not far from there was living and working a man who was passionate of aviation. That was Jean Claude Brouillet. My father every afternoon after school (his high school years) would be going to see and watch how Jean Claude Brouillet was working on his aircraft. Asking questions and assisting the best he could to learn from him. Then he would also go playing soccer with his friends who were living in the area. Some of them were my uncle on my mother's side (who later introduced them) my uncle later became a History and Geography teacher, the other one became a doctor. It was amazing how young people at that time were so focused on what they dreamt to achieve. They had directions and goals. I remember when we were young my father would often ask us :"When it comes to your passion, who is your role model? Who inspires you?" Yes, you have to be inspired by someone who is successful in a field of what you want to do. Clearly, Jean Claude Brouillet inspired him a lot as he was passionate about aviation This is my father and this is Jean Claude Brouillet . (Not my picture) Source: >Memorial of Gabon

By the way I also want to thank my friend who wrote a page to my father in his book "Quand Gabon etait Gabon" (When Gabon was Gabon) . My country has unfortunately changed a lot in the wrong direction... I am so sad when I read the news everytime. He was in high school when he lost his grandmother and that was a news that really affected him. His grandmother was like his mother since he did not have his mother. She raised him when he was a child. He was really sad. He had to keep going and pushing for his life. Later, he went on to take a test for the Air Force of my country at the time, he successfully passed that test but they told him that he was too young to enter the army. They asked him to come back very later on. Again,my father was so heart broken. My mother told me that he even cried after receiving that news He thought it was like a closed door to his dream but little did he know that God had another better plan for his life. Remember dear readers that rejection or failure is not denial. He then continued his studies at his high school (Lycee National Leon M'ba, I dreamt to study there but unfortunately I was sent to another high school.) He did not give up on his passion still. He wanted to be a pilot. After completion of his high school diploma he successfully passed a test at the Canadian embassy for a scholarship to study English in Ottawa. He completed his English classes and then started his university studies. This is my father and his monitor.

**** Dad at his beginning

He later on was accepted to the then school in Ardmore Oklahoma , American Flyers and Acme in the United States of America. That's when he lived and visited America. He truly loved the country and had so many good memories and experiences. He received another devastating news from my country, this time his uncle Leon M'ba passed away in his presidential residence in Paris, France. His uncle was everything to him. He never recovered from that bad news too...(Another reason that took him very later into political activism) After consistence and completion of his studies, he went back home as the first civil pilot of my country. My father worked for his country and other airline companies that's why he knows Africa very well. He also went to America, Europe and Asia. Yes! He traveled a lot for that job his passion. He did not stop here, he worked as creating my country's airline company (with three of his close friends and colleagues)when many at the time thought they were crazy. Even the president did not believe until they convinced the man to take this huge step. At the time Gabon was under the panafrican airlines company, Air Afrique. Air Afrique became an international disaster and seeing the imminent downfall of the airline company, my father thought that it was time for Gabon to leave and create our own. Many believed that it was a crazy idea. They were probably only four or five who had faith in it. It is a long story on how they gathered to meet and work days and nights (with no sleep) to search all the documents and information to create an airline company etc. But they believed that it was possible. Then, later on Air Gabon was born. The symbol was the Green parrot and the slogan was; "Air Gabon la meilleure solution" (Air Gabon the best solution)

My father did not stop here. Later on he suggested to the president of my country to purchase a Boeing aircraft. Then again, they thought it was another crazy idea from him. Boeing was at the time the leading aerospace company in the world. My father who studied in the US thought that it was always important to go for the best of the best. In order to purchase their aircraft, and to make it possible, Boeing requested that people be trained in their premises by them. My father accepted the condition because he wanted the best for his country. He went back to America with his little family this time. They went to live in Chicago and Seattle. This is my mother and my brother in Seattle

They went to live in Seattle, Washington state. After completion of the program and training, Boeing was very satisfied with his results and agreed to let their aircraft Boeing 747 go to Gabon and that 747 was named President Leon M'ba in memory of his late uncle. (I have so many good memories of this plane especially when my father would take me to see inside the cockpit and watch the sky the clouds ⛅. it was amazing! Every Summer, the Boeing 747 was our best moments to travel. It meant so much to us seeing it on another country waiting for us passengers to go back home)

When the Boeing 747 landed in Libreville the first time,it was a national event that was on TV too. My father did it! it was a dream came true for Gabon. The president Bongo had all the recognition but all the people like my father who worked hard to make it happen, had been forgotten in the history of my country. Like a good dictatorial system, those who always want to bring the country to the light are locked in the shadows of Gabon's History and the ones who are lovers of the system are admired for doing what? For serving the oppressive system. It is sad... That was the story of a little boy who was born in the village of Afargma who realized his dreams. Later my father put his heart into politics because of the way he saw the corruption. the mismanagement and the clear intention not to allow Gabon to see the light. He was also into friendship a lot. My father never told me the word racism etc. I was raised free from all these prejudices and mental limits that we put to ourselves. Dear readers, you never know how your blessings will come to you if you put barriers and racial prejudice in your mind. Here with his very best friends and colleagues who made Air Gabon great at their time. Air Gabon in the 90's was one of the best African airline companies because of these guys and many others. My father his friends and my mother. All of the men in the picture are no longer...They are all gone. (from the left to the right, my father standing explaining our culture to his guests) next to him the mother of his guest, in the center Jacques St Lo, next to him standing, Michelle Simard wife of Jean Claude Simard sitting then last on the right is my mother. Picture taken in early 90's

The picture was taken in my village Donguila. We liked to welcome our guests in Libreville and in Donguila too because it was very relaxing out of town. The man in the portrait in the background was Leon M'ba his uncle. Today whenever I see a plane flying or landing, I stop, I look up in the sky and I just smile becasuse I think about my dear father. It is ;like he never left... He always dreamt of flying and he did it all his life. When I go to airports, I take time to observe planes taking off and landing because it reminds me of him and the nights we would go with my mother at Leon Mba international airport in my hometown to see how my father was leaving and coming back. taking off and landing. I would run to him and hug him when he was back safe. And today my only hope I have for my son is to dream big too. I look at him and I see my father. I can never direct his passion but no matter what he will love doing I will encourage him to always doing it at the best to serve others. Always be the best at what you are doing. If he wants to fly then go to the space! My word will be: "Do never limit yourself" Dear readers, (as I am talking to myself too) your background should not limit you, your race , your skin color, and your language should not limit your dream. If you have a disability do never limit yourself too. All these things do not determine your success because you were born to succeed. (A picture of me in Libreville. Gabon last year)

As I am closing this post I just want to say Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers who are working hard to give their best to their families. To all the fathers who are working for their dreams. I love this song of Celine Dion "I'm Alive" because yes, we are alive. You are alive and I am alive.The video and the lyics move me so much. As long as you live, this dream is still possible. Live a life free from all judgments, prejudices , of fear like this plane in the air. Thank you for reading and see you next time.