A full house of extended family members, going to meet up with grandpa. Always looked forward to eating his signature stew and rice. And how he gets to give us gifts from his shop at his own expense — What a darling of a grandpa he was to us.
The feeling of being knit as an extended family, hanging out with the cousins, uncles and aunts, which happened during the holiday breaks was something I would cherish and always have a fond memory of. How grandpa welcomes us in his characteristic tone with the words “Very good, very good” and a priceless welcoming smile on his face when he sees his grandchildren is a memory I wouldn’t trade for a thing in the world.
Grandpa used to have this one tennis racket hanging on a side of the wall in the living room — Come to think of it now I never quite got around to asking him if he once was a tennis player, would have been interesting to know the story behind the racket. I also vividly remember how we would all take turns to say a prayer — in an orderly fashion, starting from the eldest to the youngest (Lol). Whether you were in the mood or not, you had to say a prayer.
Grandpa definitely had a role in shaping our lifestyle of faith even if we never realized it. One adorable thing I loved more about my grandpa was how he always went out of his way to make sure we were satisfied after we had lunch. He would ask “Are you okay, there is more if you want”. He was always so proud and joyful having us over. I remember photo frames of family members hanging around the house, quite nostalgic . I guess what would have made those family moments more memorable was having other cousins, uncles and aunts living in the UK come down to Nigeria during the holidays. Flight ticket costs definitely played a big role in thwarting such memory in the making. But that didn’t diminish the happy feeling of being with those who were around.
Family time among the grandchildren where we discuss everything hip and trendy was definitely another memorable event treasured . Grandpa would always have a special place in my heart. His memory no doubt lives with me forever.
Regardless of circumstances around his death, I choose to remember how he lived his life, and also take solace in my faith that we will meet again one sweet day.