A GLIMPSE OF MY FATHER, - MAMA JEJ
My father was a beam of life, his smile brightened even the dullest days. He was loved by many, but we had a special bond that even death cannot take away.
Daddy, the man i loved, he was the love of my life. The man who let others eat first, the man whose strength was unrivalled. When i was a child, he carried me high on his shoulders everywhere we went and i felt invincible. He was the man who allowed me to see my strengths, he made me believe in myself. I am who i am today because of him.
Daddy! He was a man who used his strength to hide his pain. He never told us just how much pain he was in, instead he fought for us until the end. He fought; i know that because he had a heart so big and a mind so unrestricted. He set the bar. Now his legacy lives in the thousands of hearts and minds taht he brought to Christ who are also grieving because of his passing. He fought the good fight, a lesser man would not have even survived, his doctor said. And i thought, don't you know about miracles?
He was a miracle, his full spirit, his amiable character, his unending love for us and his zest for God. He was my own prince, my fortress, he was my whole world. He loved me so much that sometimes i had to ask why? How could someone love me that much regardless of what i did? He loved me from the day that i was born and i will love him until the day i die. A love like his comes once in a lifetime, and a man like him comes once in a million lifetimes. He was my hero; our hero. Our family was like no other, that's what he said, " I am so proud of this family," he told me. "If there's one thing this illness has taught me it's that there are few families like ours."
My daddy called me Mama jeje, because he said i was a peaceful child. When he said my name, i felt the full warmth of his love. Every time i called to see how he was, his voice drawled. "Ah Jej!" like saying my name was refreshing to him. "Thank you for calling me...it's not every man who has a daughter that calls him" overwhelmed, i responded "it is not everyone who has a father that takes care of her." Then we laughed and he said, "Jej!"
We laughed, but we both knew it was true. My father was the most generous man i've ever known. He would not rest until he knew that everyone had a gift for Christmas and birthdays. There was nothing i wanted that he didn't find a way to get. Seeing us happy made him happy. And he was happiest when we are all together. He loved his life with us. Though my heart aches, i thank God for the chance i had to call him my father; and for the reason they had to call him Pastor Eskor. Now, he has gone off to earn the reward that he so duly deserved. He is now in the place that he fervently preached of, praising the lord in a realm fit for a Prince. My Daddy has raised the bar again, and his jej couldn't be more proud. - Tosin Mfon
Daddy, i miss you so much! I am sitting here, thinking about where to start. I guess i will start from my earliest memories of you. I remember when you bought us our first game console; the Nintendo entertainment system (NES) and you actually sat down and played games with us. Our favourite were Mario, excite bike and duck hunt.
You were truly a family man. You were always keen that we spent all our possible holidays together. You took us on family trips to Orlando, more than once; you followed us to amusement parks, even though you never went to the rollercoaster ride with us. You made sure that every member of the family had the best. I remember the times you travelled without us; you always made sure that you got everything on everybody's list. No matter how many times mummy said 'Eskor ma ra fun won', you still always ended up providing us with the best. I also reminisced about my birthdays and the unique gifts you got for me. One gift that stands out was the table tennis board you bought for me on my 16th birthday. You actually set it up for me and played my first game with me. I can't remember who won, but it was fun! These are just a few of the selfless acts you did for us and for this reasons (and more), i always thank God for the family that i was born into.
These last 10 months have honestly been a blessing been a blessing to me and us, as a family. I know we went through a lot of hard times but to think about it, we spend a lot of quality family time together. We watched countless movies, we prayed, fasted, laughed, we did Holy communion, we celebrated birthdays and holidays together. I do not think it was coincidence that your birthday and my spring break were at the same time. This gave us another chance to spend time together as family. Christmas, Mother's day and your birthday are just to name a few of the times i will never forget. I replay in my mind all the times that i made you laugh; this always brings joy to my heart.
Lastly, when i heard that you were back in the hospital on Sunday morning, i began to pray. I prayed specifically that this would be the last bump on the road to ultimate victory. For me, ultimate victory at that time, was for you to walk out of that hospital hale and hearty but i just realized that my prayers were answered. For in the bible in Phillipians 1:21, says, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." And you have truly gained because you are with the Lord our God in heaven right now. If that is not ultimate victory, then what is? - Asuquo Mfon