Oh, Daddy! Time flies! Tempis fugitis, according to your Latin interpretations. A language you knew so well that I believed you sometimes thought in Latin. Especially as you had a fat English dictionary in your home office that I never saw you use, but rather, you derived the meaning of every word that challenged me from "first principles" (from Latin roots) like you did for mathematics.
I often grieve for children who didn't have a resident father & now wish I'd thought to ask how you did so much academic work and still had so much time for us. I sometimes relive a typical week with you, trying to figure out how you did it. I wish I could ask you now. I miss you.
9 years is a long time but has passed so fast & I still miss you. This afternoon, I had a good laugh with my colleagues who had chosen to drink garri with groundnuts, remembering & demonstrating the look on your face and body language that was your reaction to us drinking garri. Though you were seriously concerned, we found it hilarious. I laugh the same way any day my domestic help chooses to drink garri at night & I ask her why, when there's lots of food to choose from.
My house staff don't understand how I treat them like family members nor do the staff at work understand it. They love it though. You & Mum taught us that by example & it has never occurred to me to do different. Not even when one of them takes me for granted. Until I entered my 50S, I didn't understand why the thought that someone would take you for granted didn't bother you at all. Now I'm the same way & there are only benefits like seeing God watch my back & fight for me. I'm in awe of Him.
As my son, Tumininu keeps coming home with lots of 20/20 test scores and grieving over 18/20 scores in primary 2, I wish you were there to cheer him on as you did me. You were my greatest supporter. I hope he'll some day say the same of me. I also remember the cash prizes for academic excellence as we got more distracted from our studies in secondary school, though everything we needed was provided by you and Mum. We learnt to save for specific wants and so took the prizes seriously. No promise you ever made us went unfulfilled. You were indeed a one in a million Dad.
I sat in at MSc dissertation mock defence today & remembered your comments about substandard publications people submitted for professorial chairs & how you dismissed candidates who thought you could be bribed, along with their gifts. You have given me the strength to do the same without even thinking about it. I worked my MSc candidate & her presentation was flawless. Her mates envy her I understand. Thank you
I could go on and on but I'll just say I miss you, a lot. I wish I could keep you active in a place where I would have access to you to help solve the riddles of life like the "Osha " that you were often called by those who also knew your worth while you walked amongst us. Rest on Daddy, rest on. You certainly deserve it.
I love you Daddy --- Ijetic