By Tony Okoroji
May the Almighty be praised. I am an unbelievably lucky guy and I thank the Almighty for the incredible protection He has given me in many trying circumstances and under conditions that would have broken many men. In the last one year, I passed through such a situation. The fact that I have served Saturday Breakfast every Saturday morning in the last 52 weeks means that the Almighty has kept doing things for me!
Just about one year ago, the unexpected happened to me. In an instant, my engine knocked and my system collapsed and the end looked very-very close. The son of man was in that state between life and death. For a guy who does not go to church as often as he should, that I am alive is in every way a miracle! The pressure that was exerted on me by those who want to own all of the world had taken its toll.
Believe me, I have repeatedly seen the treachery and betrayal of men and how people rationalize their duplicity and all the nonsense they do. In the last one year, I saw both the evil in men and love and sweetness in every colour. To tell you the truth, I had no idea that I had such goodwill and such many friends.
When my engine knocked, my true friends and family revealed themselves. They fought for me. They did not want me to die, certainly, not now. Telephone calls flew across the world as every possible medical arrangement was considered.
I did not get to use many of the arrangements made because God made his own arrangements. Many thanks to my beautiful niece, Dr. Adanna Akujuo who from Pennsylvania called every doctor she knows in Nigeria to provide immediate and first-rate medical care to stabilize her uncle. Babe, my love for you will never-never die. I have since been to Pennsylvania and shared a great time with Ada.
From Dallas, my boy, TJ, and his sweetheart, Andrea, a sharp medical person herself, were on the phone making various arrangements for my immediate evacuation to an excellent hospital in the US. By the way, how many people knew that under my clothes, I was strapped with some medical gadgets to be able to attend and even sing at the grand summer wedding in New York City of Andrea and TJ?
How do I thank my big sister whom I fondly call ‘Miss’? By the way, ‘Miss’ is the mother of Dr. Adanna Akujuo and the undisputed rock of my family. She took charge from Queens New York. My sister Nkechi in Westchester, New York was on the phone all the time and so were the rest of my sisters, Franka Schorla and Martha. One afternoon with my brother, Victor changed my perspective. From giving up on life, I wanted to live again and I saw many reasons why I should not die. I saw the many people who depend on me one way or another and I begged God to let me live and He did.
Believe me, I saw love in every colour from Bernice Eriemeghe, who is now Mrs. Bernice Eriemeghe-Ashibogwu to Vincent Adawaisi and each member of my great family at COSON – Uche, KSB, Richard, Koffi, Sharon, Omoyayi, SSP, Mau-mau, Azee… and Honourable who is no longer with us. I saw love from my team at TOPS. Edith was there and so was the ‘Benin Girl’ I call Deebee who wanted to single handedly fight whatever was ailing me. Ijay, the smiling slim one who recently became the mother of a beautiful daughter, was my special masseur. Peter, the Rock, kept me looking sharp even in distress. Abey, my guy in a million, was everywhere making sure there was no vacuum of any type. Thank you, King James. Thank you Peedee. In the last one year, you revealed yourself to be a friend in the good and not so good times.
Most times, it takes a tremor to show you the true beauty in the world. In the last one year, the true beauty of my daughters, Alex and Booboo, was revealed to me. They did everything any father could ever have expected of his children. They abandoned everything to keep me alive. Motivated and supported by her mum who took care of me in the United States, Booboo made every delicacy imaginable to keep me titillated in Nigeria. At home, my nephew that I call ‘Mr. Cash” who by the way has no money but has a lot of muscles stood by the door constantly daring the strange ailment to do its worst.
Last December, I was suddenly abducted in strange circumstances but the good Lord has kept me alive. About eight months ago, every single bank account I own was frozen and still frozen but the good Lord has kept me alive.
I have learnt to stand straight again and walk like a gentleman without a walking stick. I have learnt to speak coherently again and with some intelligence. Do you know that for some time, I could not use my fingers properly? Is it therefore not a miracle that in the last one year, I did not miss even one edition of Saturday Breakfast? I have learnt to write again and use the laptop properly. Baby steps… gently… one at a time.
I have seen love in every colour. I saw love from Nurse Peace who got married while I was down and l could not attend her wedding to her love, John Bosco. Recently, I was in church with her family and went to their new home and carried their newly minted baby boy. I have seen love from Mama Gbenga who diligently comes to scrub the house once every week, always with a smile.
The good Lord makes things possible. He is the one who brings love. He was the one who gave me Iyke, a brother true and true. It was Iyke who picked me up half broken at BWI Airport in Baltimore on a very cold December morning. It was certainly the good Lord who gave me Queen Elizabeth, my sister-in-law and Iyke’s wife, who faithfully drove me to all my medical appointments in Maryland and fed me along the way.
Please help me thank the good Lord who brought love to me through a gentleman called Dr. Moses Jatto who with his wife, Josephine have continued to care for me at home and mend me like a baby. Thank you very much, doctor. Please help me thank my friend in Abuja who has taken me as a brother and who on a day I had absolutely nothing surprisingly sent me $500.
Recently, I have had to mourn the passing of some of my closest friends, very good guys all of them. The experience has made me ask many questions about life and death. Why them and not me?
Truly, I have seen love in every colour and I pray that as you go through life, you experience love like I have experienced. Praise be to Hm.
See you next week.
