Dear Sabitiu Cecilia Oderinlo,
It seems like a few days ago that
you left but indeed, it’s been more than a few years, it’s ten wonderful years
already since you left this world of sin to the realm that is unseen to us all,
a chapter that we hopefully will see or never get to see if Jesus returns
before the inevitable unseen arrives. It’s beautiful that you left at the
ripest of age, an age when death was celebrated with funfare even with tears in
our eyes, it is sad for me that you left me here all alone, with no one to
pamper me like a toddler, no one to run their hand through my hair and make
feel like nothing else matters, I rejoice in the beauty of your life, sad you
are gone, hoping that I will hold you in my arms again dear Sabitiu.
I know you might find it hard to
believe but it’s true, for the first time in a long time, I woke up very very
early this morning after sleeping so late and said a prayer, not for myself,
but for my friends and foes and the world around me. I could hear your voice
aloud in my ears, your sweet sonorous voice reaching out to the God of Heaven
as you intercede for all and sundry, giving no damn whether even God can hear
you or not because you believed in words and in God Himself more than God could
imagine. Your ardent believe in God is not your fault though, who else will you
believe in if not the God of heaven that gave you Oluwarantimi (God Remembered
Me) and Olatundun at a very old age, making me the bonafide Super Grandson of A
Barren Woman. Even when you’ve given up, God showed up so you cared less about
whether He was going to show again… you held unto him all through, and here we
are, in hundreds and more, the children and grandchildren of the once barren
Sabitiu, my “Iya Agba”. I hope you are resting and not working hard up there
like you always do, I trust you sha, I know you can’t grow weak even in Heaven.
I’ve got good news for you
Cecilia, the feat that God did with you, yes! Ending your barreness… He’s
visited us again and Auntie Dupe Pupa, yes Dupe Olaiya your granddaughter has
finally given birth to a child… don’t scream and dance and roll like you
usually do, I know she’s in her 50s, but I also know you were older and you
still had Tundun after Ranti… We are already in our Oliver Twist mode dear, we
are asking Baba God for a son for her like you had it. I forgot you are up
there with Baba God, you saw it all already, just tell big G that I have collected
Boluwatife from her, she still needs her own child… Yes I did, I took her as my
own, she came on the same day I was born, and she’s my name sake so she’s mine.
Atlast I found someone that will make me miss you less, just like Ayokunumi,
just the thought of her brings me limitless joy.
Iya Agba mio! (in Uncle Paul’s
voice), I hope you are there with your son Paul, he left before you but we kept
it a secret because you loved him too much and we didn’t want you to die of a
heartbreak like he did, we loved you too much too but we are glad you finally
found him again… you guys have been together for 10 years now, I feel jealous
he’s got you because I miss you, but I’m glad… I can say I miss you.
I miss making those fine cornrow
with your felefele hair, knowing it will get loose in two or three days and I
will have to plait it again, your thought me almost everything, including how to make a woman beautiful by making her hair, I miss every minute of you and I am glad you are
mine forever, not even Iya Toyin that I love so dearly can take your place. I
love you Iya Agba mi!
I couldn’t cry when you died,
everybody did but I just couldn’t find tears, I laughed when I saw your son
cry, I chose not to believe it but tonight, I write this with tears in my eyes…
not just because you’re gone, I remember everything you were and I just can’t
seem to find anyone else to fill the void you left. I will say nothing about
who you were, both the dead and living that knew you celebrate you today again
and again.
I will pretend I believe that
phrase “God loves you more”, even God knows that I love you more.
Keep Resting My Dear Grandma.
Iya Agba
Iya Alate
Iya Onidiri
Aya Baba Ori Oke
Yours in love,
Abidemi Babaolowo Oderinlo
Oko Iya Agba
3 comments:
Lepayen..,,are are ki pa yen ...,,,bros no be only u miss iya agba oooo...i read ur words into uncle inu iwe's hearing and he was almost crying....and iya Bose too was like....ela mu fila yin ema lo le keeu....She is well missed and love here too..God be with her till we meet to part no more
The day the earth/ heart stood still
It's hard to imagine or conjure into word how much we miss Iya Agba, yesterday I was wondering how she would be reacting in heaven to the news of Buhari as president, how she would be shocked at the new exchange rate and would almost scream when you tell her how much a bottle of coke is sold for or how much daya (sweet) now costs.
She taught us almost everything, how to be prudent with money and be contented and she is one of the biggest reasons am going back to school, she used to tell me "oko le kawe tan, la gbe iwe re" ( you can't finish reading, go and pick up your book). I love her so much and most of all I miss sitting on her laps and playing with her skin, touching her cheeks and wondering how someone could be so old, so wise and so beautiful. Iya Agba, we all love you and miss you, and don't worry we'll all continue to do you proud, greet uncle Paul, bro Kayode, daddy sho, Iya idale, baba ori oke, and your favorite son daddy Agege for me. We love you dearly.
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