Uncle and wife
My most favourite uncle lost his wife due to cancer in 2015. Such a lovely couple they were to behold, in their synergy and sacrifice for others. My uncle is everybody's favourite in the family – whether as son, brother,uncle, nephew, brother in-law.
He is such a bastion of peace and a stupendous giver. So many children, not his, that he trained either from scratch or thereabout to University completion. I got an Industrial attachment with SHELL(SPDC) because he had that influence and he knew I was hardworking. Even at the work place, he was known for excellence, that after he reached the retirement age of 60, with SPDC, the company refused to let him go, but rather requested that he continues as a consultant, which he consented to.
On his sendforth day(which now became his recall day,as a consultant) his colleagues awarded him a title in Igbo language(his language), similar to how it is actually done in the Igbo land– complete with a crown(red cap) and garment. The bosses in SHELL, the Europeans were taught how to pronounce this name as they also announced his recall. I should ask his daughter(the lady to his right in the pic above) to remind me that name, so that @adaezeinchrist can interpret.
It was therefore a sad story to say the least, that his wife left him after battling cancer for sometime, which included treatments in some of the best facilities home and abroad, you can trust SHELL for that. It was everyone's pain.
Thereafter, it wasn't easy for him being alone as his two children were now grown enough to stay on their own working, by now the first one(the son) was married. My Uncle's Elder sister will come all the way from Aba to Port-harcourt regularly to cook for him and package them for him in his freezer( to last weeks), so he can be warming them to eat. It was all great sacrifice for her lovely brother, but truth be told she's an elderly woman, so it's not like it was easy – though she wasn't complaining.
A New Season
Alas it was waves and waves of excitement and joy when news broke in the family that Uncle has found a woman he wants to marry. We had to check her out well before a date was fixed– nobody wanted my Uncle to marry a problem as a wife, we knew how sweet the first one was. My mum(his sister) was part of the core of investigators for this case. Hehe.
Anyways the day finally arrived in early December 2023 and come and see my man grinning from ear to ear. Infact the presiding Pastor had to remark during the service(and on the microphone), saying to my uncle– I have not seen you smile like this in a while, my friend. This prompted a round of warm laughter in the Church as the Pastor just exposed what we were all ovserving. It was such a beautiful event, a beautiful couple and a man beautiful in his heart. It was Felix getting married to Gold. I think the woman's name is more like it and she is light skinned kinda like gold( see all those pictures above). She was a widow with a son, employed in the civil service living a godly life.
How can I forget such an event, it indeed brings smiles on my face as well as all the extended family. That his elder sister who used to cook for him told me just after the wedding how delighted she is for her brother and how she can now rest from the travels of coming to cook for him. By the way, my uncle looked leaner than I've ever seen him during that wedding event. Not for lack of money, but...hey it was a lack of wifey.
Glorious episode I will treasure with great delight.
Thanks for joining me in this story. I leave you with yours sincerely(closest to your view) in a green top and black trouser, doing his thing on the wedding occasion.