Dear Dad,
It has been so long since I wrote to you and I have no excuse to give regarding that. You have taught me never to give an excuse but rather take responsibility for my actions. I am sorry I haven't written to you in a long while and that doesn't mean I have forgotten about you but I must admit, I allowed life to get in the way of things for me. Don't blame me, life forced responsibilities on me at such a tender age when you left...still not an excuse...don't giggle, dad... At least I have to explain, right? Hahaha.
It's been so long since you left and a lot has changed since my last letter to you. Oh, yes, I believe I told you that your wife also passed on 3 years after you left. I guess she couldn't take being without you and her heart gave way. It doesn't mean we are less to her it only means she would rather want to be where you are because without you, her life makes no sense and that's understandable. She didn't understand life either because you were the one who made sense out of life to her. What is life without you beside her?
Your immediate younger brother passed on too and I thought I was strong but I caved in that time too. I heard the news but I didn't know how to feel. I didn't shed a single tear but when I travelled and I beheld his body in the casket, without invitation, those tears started flowing but I tried, I tried to make them stop but with every attempt, I failed.
I was alarmed at how quickly people move on when someone is dead and no, I am not blaming them because I think they have just come to terms to accept the things they can't control but it still didn't make sense to me. Minutes after everyone shared stories about his life and tears failed to stop, the next minute when people heard music, they started dancing and I was lost for words. I stood in a corner watching my cousins dance around as the poll bearers were dancing with the casket, but I didn't understand anything anymore at that instant. I was jolted back to life with a soft elbow to enquire why I was distant but I told them I am fine but why would anyone ask me why especially at that moment? I still don't understand.
My elder brother got married and I was his best man. Oh! We looked so dashing that day so much that I was confused for the groom... Apparently, because we still have that likeness with our faces but now it's more obvious that we are different because he has tripled in size but don't worry, I haven't added, not even in the stomach department but I have more muscles now and I haven't even registered for the gym yet.
It took him a while to have a child of his and I prayed to God to help him and God did. After 6 years, we finally welcomed his bundle of joy and I am a proud Uncle. I got married before his bundle of joy came and despite being happy that day, I still couldn't help but cry. Many people would have confused my tears for that of joy because I was getting married but I had two thoughts in my head that day. The first was I didn't have you and mum there to witness what you would have felt so proud to see and the second, I was thankful to God for how He led me to that point because events that happened before then, I knew it was only God that helped me.
I still love plantain and would give anything just to eat it and my brother had reduced on his love for bread. His wife is keeping him on a strict diet and I like that. He is taking more fruits now which is good. I've always been a fruit person too and I still love my smoothies.
Oh well... Nigeria is still as you left it and maybe I would say it's more terrible than your time. During your time, the government were hiding their dubious acts and wouldn't boldly come out to own up to their crimes but now, they own up to it, make us know they did it and tell us to our faces that there is nothing we can do about it.
Your former company still didn't reach out to us in the ways we were expecting. You were the second in command when you were alive and I thought that should amount to something but no, when the huge sum you laboured to receive before your passing came, your partner said they used the majority of the money then $90,000 to offset debts and the only amount left after settling every debt according to him was $540. He invited my brother and I to the meeting and told us this. We listened like the obedient children you knew and when we were leaving, he gave us $4 as transport fare.
Sadly, he also passed away and well, he couldn't go with his houses, cars and all and most of the staff members, I heard from our driver, cursed him even while they were burying him. I tried to reach out to the new director 3 years after or so when I heard he asked after me (he was the same one who worked under you and grew up through the ranks to be the new director). I was happy, hoping he would be of help when he asked me if I was still into farming since your company then was about helping farmers. No help came from him but that was when God stepped in and helped me in other ways.
I don't want my letter to you to be only about how disappointing those you trusted the most were, I just want you to know that I miss you but don't worry, I am doing fine because God took it up from where you left off. He helped you then and after you left, He continued by helping me.
Don't bother showing my letter to mum because I would be writing to her shortly. I hope to write to you about some other good news in my next letter and I will try not to allow years to pass by as it did with this one.
I love you,
Still your Olawale.
Thank you for your time.
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What a great way to keep Dad (and Mum) in your memory. Maybe those who were dancing dealt with it differently. Maybe they were celebrating the life of your Uncle :D
Sad that Nigeria has changed but not for the better. That powers that be are blatant about what's hurting the people.
I am sure your parents are very proud of you.
DreemPort