Reminiscing on the legacies of Baami...

Today makes it exactly eleven years that my Super Dad went to be with the Lord.
I do not believe more than a decade has gone without my supporting Dad.
If I have grown to love writing, then I took this after my Dad. As a youth, he would always write a column in one of the popular dailies in the 70's.
My Dad was an eloquent speaker and a good writer. He served as Confidential Secretary at National Library of Nigeria for many years until he resigned voluntarily in 1993. He also served as Secretary to many other informal groups.

I started using thesaurus at age 8, courtesy of my Dad. He would always call on us to check words in the dictionary, read out their meanings and also check for pronunciation. He would tell us to check for synonyms of words using the thesaurus. Because of his employment background, we had access to lots of books and interesting story books. We had our own mini Library at home.

I could remember how I would take time to number those books and also categorise them. I would always separate the story books from textbooks. I love reading because we had lots of books at home. I would stay hours lying on my stomach reading different story books. It was a great opportunity to have a father who cherished a good education.

My father cared less about a child's gender. He believed all children, whichever gender, deserve to be well educated. He would always remind me that my gender should never place a limitation on me. I could remember him citing examples of great women doing well in their vocations. Kemi Nelson of blessed memory was one of the women my Dad would always mention. He had the privilege to work briefly with her at one point. He would always mention Iyabo Apanpa too, the then commissioner.

I actually did not discover lots of things about myself early enough, but paying attention to my Dad's lifestyles, I was able to figure out myself and some talents that I have.

My Dad taught me how to pronounce "th " in words while in primary three.

You can never catch my Dad pronouncing words wrongly. He was thorough and spontaneous. A solution provider and a very optimistic man.

He believed so much in diligence. He would always encourage us to be resilient and prayerful that everything would be alright eventually.

The life lived by my Dad was unforgettable. He trained us by being an example. I never heard him use an abusive or cursed word for us while growing up.

It is taboo to use such words in our house. My Dad believed in the confession of positive words. He would always encourage us to be kind to everyone we meet.

He taught us to share out of the little we have to the needy ones. I took my conservative lifestyle after my Dad. He taught us to be self contented and appreciate God for everything we have.
I learnt to stand by words not because I can't lie but because my father taught me to say the truth no matter how hard it is.

Though my father is no longer here with us physically, his legacy lives on. His beliefs live on.

Daddy, I still remember all that you taught us while you were still around. I promise to continually uphold your legacies and walk in the path you charted for us.

Keep resting Daddy.

I will always remember you.

Oluwadamilola Adewole

"The broken of my irreplaceable mirror"

I rushed to the hospital in my usual manner to check on my Dad. I wanted to know if there was any improvement. I inquired from my younger brother who was with him throughout the night of any improvement. I was led to pray with my Dad. As I laid my hands on his forehead, I observed he had a temperature. Immediately I ended my prayer,I observed change in his countenance . His face was smiling.

One of the nurses on morning shift walked in to attend to him. She advised us to get a blue seal Vaseline as part of his lap's skin was peeling off already.

As I was about to walk out of the ward, I was greeted by one of the mortuary attendants who was wheeling a body out of the ward into the mortuary.
I did not like this encounter at all. I quickly muttered some words of prayer for my Dad. I prayed that would not be his portion . Little did I know, my Dad had just a few hours left to depart this sinful world.
I had not gotten to where I would buy the Vaseline, when my younger brother's call came in .

I was so afraid and also eager to pick the call. AsI left the ward not up to five minutes. He sounded so happy on the phone, he said my Dad opened his eyes and watched me walked out of his ward.

I could not believe him. I asked repeatedly if he was. Sure of seeing him opened his eyes.
I quickly dashed back to the ward with the Vaseline. I met my Dad in the same state I left him. I was almost running late for work, so I told my younger brother to take care of him and communicate any change to me. Little did I know that the next call I would be receiving a few hours later would be to break the news of my Dad's home call to me.

I resumed at work carrying out my duties as usual. One of my Spiritual mentors came around to tell me about his prayers for my Dad. He said he has closed the gate of hell and heaven. That my Dad would make it alive.
I actually did not see it the same way with him considering my Dad's status that morning. That was his fifth day in a coma.

At exactly 1:30pm , my younger brother called me. He sounded so excited. He said "Aunty Dammie, Daddy is okay, He looked so robust and fresh. He is also breathing well now"

I was actually shocked about the news. It sounded like a miracle. I blamed myself for not sharing the same view with my mentor.
Little did we know that my Dad had been transformed to join the celestials. Few minutes later , my brother called again. He said one of my Uncle was around but called to tell him that he could not find my Dad in the ward.

It was like a movie. I asked how that could be and where he was. He said he was called a few mins after he spoke with him to go get some medications for my Dad. So he left his ward already .I instructed him to return to my Dad's ward immediately so he could confirm the real situation.I was already tensed at that moment. I was rushing to attend to the customer in my front so I can excuse myself. Then my brother's call came .

He said " Aunty Dammie, Daddy is not breathing again"
What !!!
What did you just say?
I stood up from my seat and went straight to our toilet. I called my husband immediately to narrate what my brother told me. He calmed me down and promised to find out the real situation.

After a few mins , I summoned up courage to my supervisor's office. I told him I had to leave for the hospital immediately. Before I could say one more word, one of my senior colleagues walked into my boss's office. Then our office driver. I still did not understand the reason for that gathering. My Supervisor asked why and how I intended to go to Ikeja all the way from our end, Akowonjo. I told him I would trek. Ikeja seemed like a stone throw to me at that moment. I just wanted to be in my Dad's ward.I wanted to see the whole situation myself.
Unknown to me that my husband had actually called my supervisor to break the news to him after he confirmed it from one of his Doctor friends.

Before I could finish my demand,I saw my hubby walked into my office.
Why are you here?
Tell me the truth
Tell me it is not true.
How is my Dad?
There were a series of questions I posed to my husband all at once.

My husband all along was so calm and composed. He told me my Dad was fine. And he was called to report immediately at the hospital as my younger brother cannot take decision of the next action to be taken.
I told him that was a lie. I screamed and held him , then he signalled to my supervisor. I was held and they all started consoling me.
I politely told all of them to leave me . I requested to be taken straight to my mentor's house. My husband obliged my request and drove me off.

Immediately we got there, I broke down crying inconsolable.
My mentor who was almost my father's age calmed me down, he shared God's word and prayed with me. Then I slept off.

My husband visited the hospital to make necessary arrangements about moving my Dad's body to the hospital 's morgue.
On this day , nine years ago at 1:45pm , my great Dad exited this sinful world to join the celestials.

Olubamigbe Eniola Ebenezer Akano Adewole was an icon. He was a great father who went all his ways to give his children life he could not afford himself. He believed so much in giving a child a sound education irrespective of the gender. My Dad struggled his way to have his own education . He did the same for his own children. He struggled while we got the education. My Dad was the father any child could pray to have. He was a disciplinarian, caring and very diligent father. He prioritized his needs in life of which his family welfare and children's education topped the list.

He was my first mentor. He was my English teacher. He was my inspiration . My Dad enjoyed writing . He was a confidential secretary before he voluntarily resigned in 1993 from National Library of Nigeria to manage a community bank , Ipodo Community bank now known as Ipodo Microfinance bank with a friend and his siblings.

He later left the organisation due to some differences that arose along the way. He started his own business venture afterwards. He was into business registrations. He handled lots of registration of businesses for some of his clients. He made sure he delivered and owed no man even at the point of his death. I delivered the last work he did for one of his clients a few days after his demise. Because he gave clear written instructions before he went into a coma.

My Dad was that organised. He was a gift to me. His shoe was so big that nobody could fill it in.

Daddy, I really wished you stayed longer than you did. I was unable to celebrate you the way I ought to. You left this world when I was just getting my momentum in life. You sowed so much but you never waited to eat from your vine yard.

Daddy, you are one of the best gifts God gave to me. Some of your prophecies about me have already come to pass. I look forward to fulfilling others.

Keep resting in the bosom of your Lord Baami. Your last moment here on Earth gave a clear evidence of where you are at the moment. As we saw you transformed into a glorious body right in our own eyes but we lacked the understanding to decipher it at that moment.

Continue to rest in the peace of your Lord.

Adieu to a great father.
Olubamigbe Eniola Akano Adewole