Oga, Toye ti dey. That was how I was announced in Yoruba by the young man in white cele garments
I had led a high-powered delegation to go see my colleague Toye’s parents.
Toye had lost his life last Wednesday and has since been buried
Nothing prepared me for what I saw.
The humble abode with a huge spare parlour bereft of any grandeur and typical of a family dislocated from our collective national wealth due to bad leadership received me with a loud yawn
Oga Toye ti de mummy. Owun da? She queried-owun lo wo black caftan to gbe dada – was what they told her.
She was surprisingly looking young, would have been beautiful under another circumstances, light-skinned and reclined in a chair that had seen better days
I couldn’t bring myself to call her mummy, as I was sure I was older than her and this kept me numb as I didn’t know how to start the painful job of consoling a woman who had just lost her hope in life
I shouldn’t have bothered, as she looked into my eyes and said in Yoruba – This is the oga that Toye always talks about. He says the oga loves him so much and didn’t know why.
This is Toyes oga she said to the people who gathered to help her mourn –
I had just talked about him some minutes ago and he appeared
Then she broke down in tears still saying in Yoruba – this oga is making me miss Toye.
He was well-liked, nobody had anything wrong to say about him
He was quiet, he was hard working and had a solution to all my problems – she continued
I stood there, tears welling up in my eyes with my hands sweaty
What was I supposed to say, Was I supposed to hug her, Was I supposed to say dont worry it will b ok?
No it can never be ok as I watched her lament – they have taken my son, they have taken my life, Oga, omo mi ti lo
I nodded my head in agreement cos its true Toye had gone and there was mothing we cd do about it no matter how much we cried.
Where is his father? I asked, he is sleeping. He had taken his meds and slept off in a misguided attempt at numbing the pain
He will wake as he has always done since dt dark Wednesday to the harsh reality of Toyes mocking death
I then asked where he was buried and they offered to take me but someone in my team whispered in my ear – Duke you are older than Toye. You cant go see his grave, its not right.
Hmmm, I quickly agreed cos the coward in me didnt really want to go see the grave knowing fully well that I would break down.
I asked for Duchess to pray, since I don’t know how to pray and mumbled a few words and took my leave
Toye was obviously the hope of that family snd he fought to pull them out of the pernury of existence a heartless society had thrown them into.
Rushing to Ikoyi from this Badagry twice a week, doing other odd jobs and deliberately just being as hardworking and patient believing in the proverbial light after the dark tunnel
The only light Toye saw after 30 years of brave struggle is the one that has taken him out of this wicked world and towards heaven and I guess that woulf now be the major consolation in this tragedy
Lets fool ourselves like we always do by saying – he has gone to rest.
But as he rests, my fathers saying comes to mind – why does a living God permit this kind of calamity?
Sleep well my brother, thats all i can say for now, sleep well Omotoye
Sad
Duke of Shomolu