Life

Still he was as we all swarmed in, family , friends and well wishers. I looked at him from afar and wondered what the true essence of life was. 

It is usual to sing at wakes different hymns that indicate the end of this life's struggle. Today was not any different, the hymns were sang with not very happy voices submerged under the pianists dexterity. 

To my right was my cousin and her three children. She looked like I had never seen her before, sober, sad, exhausted. She had lost weight and I wished I could reach out beyond the words of comfort and show of love. 

The wake went on in the usual Christian manner but I felt very different.  I had been to a number of wakes in the past but this was different. I couldn't help but think about the true essence of life; we plan, we act and in the midst of some planned or unplanned activity, the owner of our soul calls for it and that's it. It all stops, the heart stops, the body seizes to be functional, the carriage and poise seizes to be......  

I could hardly sing the hymns, the words were unusually heavy.  A thought of my life flashed in my very eyes and sober I became. I found myself answering questions welling up on the inside of me. What would yours be? I stuttered in my thoughts... Erm...... Erm.... Another question is posed, who would be there? I began to picture faces and activities and then it struck me...... The essence of life is built around the lives that we touch because at that point when it all stops, what men will remember is how you made them feel, what sort of advice you gave, how gracious you were when you had to be and when you didn't have to be, how being around you or otherwise made this life a beautiful place. A lot of people will never give account of what you did and when you did it but there will at this point be no secrets any more. The words of men is all you have left. Words are framed from thoughts, thoughts are generated from feelings and our general sense of reasoning. 

The time for testimonies came and the good reports did not stop coming in. Colleagues, neighbors and his school mates from the 80's. 

His daughter, my Aburo got behind the mic and she spoke with a heavy voice and sour heart. She brought back a memory from the past; "when we were still very young, Daddy came home with a bag of garden eggs one day  and we asked him why he did so? Daddy said he saw a person selling garden eggs in the rain and he parked his car and bought all of the garden eggs and told the person to leave the rain" 

The minister retreated that death does not discriminate, it takes the rich and the poor, the old and unfortunately the young. 

It is poetic how the essence of our living is known to all when we are gone. My actions are creating my testimonies already and so are yours. 

Asides being in right standing with God, a good social capital is the next best thing that every man needs. 

This piece is dedicated to a great man - Barrister Adeniyi Adeyemi Adewunmi (25 August 1966 - 14 July 2016).  You will forever be remembered through your good deeds, cheerful heart and most importantly, the lives you touched. 

Adieu 

Dear Future Wife

Dear Future Wife,

I have been longing to write you this letter……Smiles.  I have carried these words in me every day for so long and it seems my cup is overflowing today and I just have to pour them out

Let me start by saying I miss you so much, though in advance, I have fantasied severally about staring into your eyes for hours saying nothing in word but volumes in smiles and eye contacts.

I have archived the events of my life in a chronological order for you to easily know where I have been and what I have done so that it would be easy for you to accompany me on this journey for two. I must let you know that even as I have been on this journey alone, I have had good times, bad times, ups and downs but I have never let anything happen to your place in destiny.

I have imagined the experiences you have been exposed to in your own journey, what your mum would have told you about me…………. What your brothers would have said concerning how they would make me pay heavily for their priceless jewel… Smiles.

I have stayed up countless nights planning our wedding, talked to friends about how the ceremony would be. I have even argued with my mum severally about how simple I wanted it to be and she would say I know she has participated in a lot of peoples’ social engagements and by that reason they will all like to pay her back in kind by honoring her loving son’s wedding.

I have secretly been asking my brother who is married about how he runs his home… I am very close to his family and I see him and his wife still have time for their private jokes which elude me most times despite the two highly active and loving kids they have. His counsel is my best kept secret.

I have taken time to drop all childish behaviors of mine and firmed up in anticipation for our life together because I don’t want to give you any reason to doubt knowing fully well that you have equally be preparing for the same phase of our lives.

I sit back sometimes and run through all the women I have ever been in contact with the hope that I would instinctively pick you out of the lot but it’s been futile. None the less I know your God given traits.

You are a strong woman, a woman of class; you speak the right words and act as occasion demands. You are led by the spirit of God, I know you carry in you all that you need to support our dreams and you are a loving mother, an adorable wife. You are beautiful, you are meek, you are obedient and you are kind.

You are the arranged woman by God to be my life dependable partner.

I can’t tell specifically how long your hair is neither can I tell you physical make up. I want you to know that I adore you already just the way you are. I have loved you since the day I conceived these words and I will love you till my dying days. I will support you as your friend and as your husband. I will stand in the gap as your father when needed. I will be the priest and prophet over our home and make sure that no evil comes near our dwelling.

I will teach our son to play soccer and our girls to sing, I will change their dippers and rock them to bed and I will sit with you to take out your Brazilian weave in the middle of the night while we watch a romantic movie. I will shower you with gifts and affection all the days of my life.

I will never know another woman but you and I will be the man you always want to come home to. I will care for your mother and father even as you care for my mother. I will honor and respect your family.

After writing these word, all I can say is I miss you more. I have picked out our wedding day, I have also picked out a few venues and I can only wait for you to agree with me in all of these.

I love you so much darling.........…… Till we meet to part no more.

Inspired by love  

Its a sad day today in Nigeria. Earlier today a bomb went off in the Northern part of Nigeria, Bauchi to be precise claiming about 10innocent lives. A few hours ago a Dana airline carrying 153 passengers from Abuja to Lagos crashed in it's landing process in a residential area of Iju in Lagos. All boarded are reported dead.

It's indeed a sad day in Nigeria, it's even more heart breaking to find our supposed Nigerian TV stations  displaying all sort of things on their screens. Its been over 3 hours since the plane crashed and as at the moment there is no news on our TV. AIT, SIlverbird TV, Channels TV, NTA,  etc.have disappointed the Nigerian populace. Detailed report was seen on CNN.

Only a few minutes ago, I received a broadcast message on my blackberry device and I quote "The ill-fated Dana plane had been under repair for several weeks and the airline's station manager protested its use but the Indian management insisted it should fly. The German stations are reporting the plane which just crashed should never have taken off because of its write off state and that its a wonder the plane even made it to Lagos"

Why these series of unfortunate events? what is our Government doing about regulations? A few days ago Nigeria celebrated its democracy day...... for me it was just another public holiday to stay home and rest because I'm yet to see the dividends of this democracy. Need I say anything about the name change of my Alma mata? Why mess with a brand such as UNILAG?

Are we done fighting power supply? what is the case of Boko Haram?

May the souls of the over 160 people who died today rest in perfect peace... May their souls question the people in power, may the people responsible for these lives meet their fate..... Amen!

I'm meant to stop at this point but I'm very angry. I've seen pictures of casualties, body parts severed, crying old men and women, new orphans, aborted careers. Which way Nigeria?

I pledge to Nigeria my country

In standing, I shall stand. I have made a conscious decision to be a patriotic Nigerian. I have decided to defend the oath I took every school day standing in line for 12years. I will defend Nigeria with all my might. I will uphold her unity. I will cast my vote with all sincerity and no animosity. I am making informed decisions and not emotional ones.

I am making my decision based on individuals and their ability to perform proven by their track records. My decision is not a mere show of Party loyalty and baseless sentiments. I am a learned professional who knows delivering results exceeds charisma and emotional stunts so I am not moved by empty manifestos and campaign messages. Its not about getting into office but about what will be done while in office.

What are your decisions based on? You owe it to your born and unborn children to be responsible with your vote.

Vote right, vote for integrity and not empathy.

My Conscience

I offend you

You offend me

We offend we

And then we pretend we

Do not care

But still we defend thee

When there is trouble

And if i wanted to pull a stunt

You wanted to be my double

I fumble

You fumble

We fumble

Pride is too high

Because we feel the

Price is too high

To say sorry but instead

it’s another story

I mumble

You mumble

We mumble

And then we stumble

Upon this place

Where we always find this face

Willing to forgive and

Still love without a trace

Of the offense

Still it acknowledges

My existence

Even when i put

Up a pretense

It’s called competence

Then u talk to me

And put me in my sense

I’m sorry i get lost sometimes

That's why i need u most times

You are my conscience

I forgive you

You forgive me

We forgive we

Because I am you

And you are me

A poem by Daffy Eldante