Forever in our hearts
It was exactly a year ago on Monday the 26th of April 2021, an uneventful day at work, until early evening when I got a call from my dear sister.
Nothing strange about the call and even when she informed me of her location ‘in mummy and daddy's house’ it meant nothing after all she visited both of you frequently.
' She has gone' was the response I received to my usual happy excited question about 'how is mummy?' which would have been followed by ‘how is daddy?’ But that response did not make sense until I questioned her again about 'gone to where?' because after all I would have known if you were going to travel, then the same response 'she has gone' and then.......... ohhhhhhh ..…. then……… it started dawning on me...........ohhhhhh. Yes you had gone.
Indeed gone, you had not died, of course not; because people like my mum do not die. You had simply gone, gone on a trip, gone on a long journey, travelled far away to your real home. To a heavenly home prepared for special people like you – yes ‘she has gone’.
My beloved mother had finished her race, her work here on this side of eternity was done; beautifully done and flawlessly completed with nothing left undone and nothing more to do.
But mummy; we miss you so much, daddy misses you a lot. He never believed he'll be laying you to rest. As you know he always said it was the other way round, especially when he told you what to do in his absence. He said you would always know the right thing and would always do it right. You will be courageous, you will have no fear, not be intimidated, but always do the right thing from a place of love.
We do know from the bible lessons you thought us that it is not of him that willet or of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For all your labour of love, God has shown you mercy when HE desired you to come home to HIM.
For your faithfulness and forthrightness, for being courageous when the consequences were dire, for showing mercy even when you didn’t have, for speaking on behalf of the voiceless, for standing up for the weak, for raising the bar and inspiring people to reach beyond the stars, for being a good teacher, friend and role model, for being a true mother and a good wife through and through; and most of all for blooming where the Almighty God planted you as HE designed. I am certain that HE has shown you mercy.
And so, I knew that as I spoke to you in those last moments of eternal separation on Monday 26th April 2021, that you heard me. You heard me as I recalled and as I often did, thanked you for all the times you sat and watched both my infant and adult head at the most trying times in my life with an unwavering faith that ‘all will be well’ and your song of 'what a friend we have in Jesus' echoing through. I didn't know how you had the unwavering peace to believe that ‘all is well’ in the face of such opposing evidence, but you were right mummy – ‘all is well’
And yes mummy, you heard me as I thanked you for your steadfast love in the lives of our father, your children, grandchildren, and loved ones, for the poor and indigent people. You were always sacrificing yourself and everything you had for others to flourish and prosper. My dear mother heard me thank her one final time.
Well, these days I take consolidation in our conversation that last Saturday evening, when we last spoke and you convinced me in deeply spiritual words that 'All is WELL' In a very special way, you repeated and emphasized that 'All is WELL' which I happily chorused after you each time and now with hindsight I realize that you were saying goodbye and stay strong my daughter…....hmmm.
Indeed, I thank God greatly for you, and I thank you mummy for being our mother and for loving us completely. The pain doesn't really go away but like you said "ALL IS WELL"
Daalu shinne mummy ezigbo nne enyi. Nwa Obi Ugbe, nwa Bernard Ononye, nwa Nnebuogo Aninye, nwa agu, nwuye Ogbueshi Onwuamaeze Omoko, akudika, nne enyi nodu ofoma na be Chukwu nna. Amen.
