He was born Philip Adeyemo
Oketola, the son of Pa Adejumo Oketola, aka Baba Agbero of Tede, now the
headquarters of Atisbo local government of Oyo State.She was born Victoria Funmilayo Abebi Oyebajo Macaulay, the daughter of Pa Obajimi Oyebajo Macaulay, a prince of Ode Remo, but domiciled at Lafenwa, Abeokuta.
He was a young Manager at Kingsway, she was a young nurse at the Mercy street Hospital.
They met in the mid 50s,before Nigeria's independence, but, they were not independent.
He was his father's favorite child, with a career set out from birth to inherit the secrets of herbs and roots, and to perpetrate his father's legacy.
She was the apple of her father's eyes, a professional woman at that young age should only marry from royalty, from where she was sired.
But Cupid is no respecter of well laid plans, The moment they met, all plans by the fathers went out of the window.
The resistance was fierce, both sides resisted. Pa Oketola blamed his daughter, Ruth Abiodun Ayoka, for this malfeasance, not only did she drag his sons to Lagos, but she was now encouraging them to marry outside the clan, just like she did.
Ayoka knew what her father was capable of, after all, she was still suffering the effect of his proclamation, but she insisted that the love birds must be left alone to decide their own destiny.
Abebi's case was more subtle, dating an Ara oke was bad enough, but to insist on marrying him! That was beyond the pale.
But there was something spiritual about the union, not only were they lovers, they were also soul-mates.
The first time I heard the term..bi igbin fa, ikarahun a tele..was in relation to this couple. You could barely see one without the other, and my mother always insist they were reincarnations of an earlier couple way back in time, not only because they talk about events that happened hundreds of years ago in the present tense, they even get to a point that they looked alike!
The kids came in quick succession, all extremely successful, Philip moved on to become a very successful businessman, while Abebi retired as Chief Matron at the General Hospital.
Philiph Adeyemo Oketola died December 8, 2004, Abebi joined her husband on February 24, 2005, barely ten weeks after he joined the saints.
No love is greater, no dedication is stronger, no bond is thicker.
Today, ten years to the day,I remember an Amazon, and to celebrate a woman who came into our family and made it her own, who, with humility and uncommon grace, affected our lives positively, and by extension, became an ancestor, who will never die
Continue to rest in peace, Mama Tinuke, I know you are now an angel watching over us, since that was what you were on Earth.
My Ten Kobo
He was his father's favorite child, with a career set out from birth to inherit the secrets of herbs and roots, and to perpetrate his father's legacy.
She was the apple of her father's eyes, a professional woman at that young age should only marry from royalty, from where she was sired.
But Cupid is no respecter of well laid plans, The moment they met, all plans by the fathers went out of the window.
The resistance was fierce, both sides resisted. Pa Oketola blamed his daughter, Ruth Abiodun Ayoka, for this malfeasance, not only did she drag his sons to Lagos, but she was now encouraging them to marry outside the clan, just like she did.
Ayoka knew what her father was capable of, after all, she was still suffering the effect of his proclamation, but she insisted that the love birds must be left alone to decide their own destiny.
Abebi's case was more subtle, dating an Ara oke was bad enough, but to insist on marrying him! That was beyond the pale.
But there was something spiritual about the union, not only were they lovers, they were also soul-mates.
The first time I heard the term..bi igbin fa, ikarahun a tele..was in relation to this couple. You could barely see one without the other, and my mother always insist they were reincarnations of an earlier couple way back in time, not only because they talk about events that happened hundreds of years ago in the present tense, they even get to a point that they looked alike!
The kids came in quick succession, all extremely successful, Philip moved on to become a very successful businessman, while Abebi retired as Chief Matron at the General Hospital.
Philiph Adeyemo Oketola died December 8, 2004, Abebi joined her husband on February 24, 2005, barely ten weeks after he joined the saints.
No love is greater, no dedication is stronger, no bond is thicker.
Today, ten years to the day,I remember an Amazon, and to celebrate a woman who came into our family and made it her own, who, with humility and uncommon grace, affected our lives positively, and by extension, became an ancestor, who will never die
Continue to rest in peace, Mama Tinuke, I know you are now an angel watching over us, since that was what you were on Earth.
My Ten Kobo
No comments:
Post a Comment