Unlike Elvis who really is dead, I am convinced that Bob - through karma and ying yang voodoo - has been reincarnated and goes by the name of Mr. Bushman. My Danish friends may have met him? I was recently in Copenhagen. My dad's health has been declining for the past few years and when he fell and broke his leg just before Christmas, it took a turn for the worse. Infection and other easy to fight off elements (in normal healthy bodies) eventually weakened him and on top of that, I believe he just gave up.
He passed away about 9-10 hours after I arrived to say goodbye. Whether he was aware of my presence I can't say - I think he responded slightly, and I told him I loved him. He slept peacefully and just continued on that journey to another place.
I had a few days before the funeral, so I decided to meet my girlfriend Josephine for a glass of wine and catch up on life. As I walked from the station down through the winding cobblestone streets towards the square we agreed to meet at, I passed an old man stuffed into a huge parka and scarves, with a knit hat barely covering his greying rasta dreads. All I could think was: there goes a very cold and old Bob Marley. Our eyes met and I couldn't help smile, he has such a glean and shine about him. As we walked past eachother he turned and said in perfect Danish: "hej hvor er du smuk" (hello you are beautiful). It's not every day you meet Bob and even more amazing is his ability to speak Danish, so I just started laughing. In all my sorrow and mourning, I needed to laugh. He came back towards me and as other people walked by us, he took my hands, which were freezing, it was after all 2 degrees! I was so giggly I forgot to speak Danish asking him in English where he was from. Bob was bilingual thank God and he said, I am Mr. Bushman and I am from Ethiopia. In that 10 minute chat, he never let go of my hands (I don't normally hold hands with strangers on the streets of Copenhagen but something compelled me to leave my cold hands in his warm grip). I just about told him my entire life story - well 90% of it perhaps, and he quoted me Isiah 54:17 - which I thought was weird.....
"no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me, declares the LORD"
It has nothing to do with my life story, nor the death of my father. But I do believe it has to do with Mr. Bushman, who at 19 years of age was forced to leave his land and come to Denmark, a strange cold country, where he then became an architect. According to older bibles the verse refers to the land of Israel, but I suppose it could be Ethiopia....or maybe Bob Bushman Marley just got his scripture mixed up.
I felt oddly at peace and saved when I left him and I'm neither Catholic nor Jewish.
