Everyone in our church, at home, even in school always referred to me as ‘another grandma’, although, I didn’t start seeing our semblance to each other till I was about 16. I wish I had seen it earlier – One day, I placed our pictures side by side and I said to myself, “Wow, it’s like this woman birthed me”. In essence, that is what she was to me, a mother. She was there right from when my twin sister and I were born, she nurtured, taught, and cared for us. Grandma and I had the same first name too, and we shared similar characters – my mum used to tease us both about this.
My earliest memories of my grandma stem from living with her for almost 16 years. I remember the day my twin and I were finally leaving the house for college, grandma was in tears, so my mum asked, “Grandma, ki lo wa fa ekun?” We weren’t too surprised she was crying because the bond we had created with her was very strong; she cooked ‘ewa ibeji’ on our birthdays, she would sign off on our homework organizers in primary school, and she never missed a visiting day in secondary school. She used to be always there waiting whenever we return from school.
We even had our own living room, popularly referred to as ‘Sitting room aw? n grandma ati twins’. Don’t get me wrong, she was a disciplinarian too; whenever my twin and I did something wrong, she would get her long pankere (cane) and chase us till she finally caught us in the shower.
Beyond these fine memories, Victoria Oladunni was mother to all. Apart from making great sacrifices for her own children and grandchildren, she supported and cared for so many other people. She was always visiting her siblings’ children and grandchildren, checking on them to make sure they were okay. And of course, my sister and I tagged along on those trips.
Even in her old age, she re-gifted most of the gifts she received, and she would ask us, “Ah! M’on lati fun ?m? yi ni n’kan. Abi, ki le s??” This was her biggest legacy; she was mother to all.
My grandma was also an avid Christian; she knew and served the Lord with every fiber in her body – This is one thing I am grateful for amidst her passing. I learned the power of prayer from both her and my mum, from seeing her kneeling to pray every morning and night.
I wish I could see your face one more time grandma, but I know you’re in a good place. You used to prank us to prove to us that it truly wasn’t your time to go. You said that when it’s your time, God will take you – you were truly His own. I miss you dearly. I will always carry a piece of you inside of me. You won’t be forgotten, and your legacy will live on. Rest in glory!
Victoria Brown Okudoh