YES, my dad wears a cape .
Last year when my dad announced that he was finally going to put in for his second retirement, my mum was quite worried.
Not because things were going to be terrible but I think that’s how mothers are built, to be the worriers of those kinds of things.
Meanwhile, my dad began to proclaim how he’d be able to do things he always wanted to do. Tsk tsk, fulfill his life’s purpose. I believe my Mum was boiling inside, but my dad clearly excited for his “soon to be gotten freedom”, danced with joy in his heart.
My dad, now a well-respected chartered accountant, never fails to tell us the story of how he came from the very of as a humble kid for a village in “Ikom LGA” to be where he is today.
To always remind us where we’re from, there is a map of our village, pasted in the back door of the kitchen.
His story wasn’t the usual story of poor ancestors, but a story of his grandfather who was quite rich, and how. his father, my grandfather misused the money, and then, it became a cycle of poverty.
The last time I remember him talking about it, he didn’t fail to put in some respect for his dad. That would however have been unexpected because that’s the man that squandered his children’s futures and left them with little to nothing.
But no, that wasn’t my dad, he never failed to make us see reasons why we shouldn’t forge ahead. He always never fails to make us see reasons why we should never give up even if we’ve failed.
Haven has been a top executive in at least two very well-known companies of which one is a multinational, my dad is one of the humblest people I know.
During his final retirement party last December, as he called and pointed out people and their posts in organizations, as he greeted some of them and they greeted him, thinking about it now, can’t help but raise the bar for myself.
In my latest cover letter, I explained how I always wanted to become a chartered accountant, because my dad solved maths problems from the top of his head which was so cool, I needed the superpower, and also how he always smelt of a/c which if you know the smell, you’ll know its amazing.
Growing up, my dad never failed to buy us the toys. he believed we needed as children we were. I’d never forget how we went to the amusement park, back to back, and on some days went to mega plaza to shop for toys.
Children’s day was his queue to take us out and lavish us with gifts and food. On one children’s day, I remember we went to Mr. Biggs to end the day properly, and as he was eating the delicious meat pie, some dropped on his shirt, because it was too hot.
My dad never got to attend my primary school graduation, and frankly, I can hardly remember when my dad got to drop me off at school, except the time I was resumed in university for the first time.
He wasn’t always around, but he wasn’t always absent either. When he was around, he tried to be present at that very moment. He also tried to seize every opportunity he had to celebrate little achievements by each member of the family. From marking birthdays to passing examinations.
One memory I’d never forget is of the days that my dad, even when he was tired from work and all he wanted to do was eat and prepare for the next day, listened to little me babble about my day at school, and especially how well I did in sports.
My dad’s Sunday morning ritual till date is to put on the radio while we prepare for church. His former Sunday evening routine was to listen to a particular radio station that had a theme song of “it is well” by Buchi.
Although my dad was very restrictive about tv, he made sure he kept us occupied with computer games, educative games, and animations, books, etc.
He made chores fun for us at a time when we as children dreaded them most. He made a timetable that included certain amounts of money for doing certain chores. Perfect right?
The family vacation trips that we took were beyond priceless, and for that, I’d forever to grateful. Seeing other places other than the ones I was familiar with,I believe is part of the reason for my creativity today.
To top it up, we were all groomed to love God and to date, he never passes any opportunity to talk about God.
I love my Dad so much.
Through the years I’ve had my lion’s share of disagreements and reasons to doubt he was my real father.
BUT.
He would always be my dad, yesterday, today, tomorrow, and in the years to come.
My own. personal hero.
The path he has laid ahead of me will always keep pushing me to be a better woman.
These days my dad am I talk about life, books we’ve read, and things we’ve learned. Most days all it takes is one statement from either him or me to spark up a conversation with my dad. He’s the absolute best.
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there.
And the soon-to-be dads.
And happy father’s daddy to Daddy ‘Kabs.
Till next time, keep your head up.
Love always.
E.
