Tribute to Mrs Adenike Helen Adebisi nee Adewunmi
By Adeyemi Adebisi
It’s exactly forty days that you were called home by our maker
It was William Shakespeare who said in his book Julius Ceaser that the good is often entied with their bornes so let be with Ceaser but in this case so let it be with Adenike Helen Adebisi nee Adewunmi. The holy scripture in
Isaiah 57:1 also noted “Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come”
For over two decades we bonded and like Colossus, we went through the wilderness of life. We conquered many battles together but when death came calling, l could not see that you were the one, it came for.
Yes, death may have snatched you but unknown to death, heaven rejoiced at your home coming. In the not too distant future when the Saviour shall come, we shall live to part no more.
In the meantime, when I think of you, l recall with nostalgia how you waited for me at night until l returned from work.
I recalled how you woke me up in the morning. l recalled how you told me good night. Yes, your normal calls and WhatsApp messages still ring in my head
I understand even now the importance of those calls of yours that may look disturbing but indeed treasurable. I still recall how you daily brought out my pap and beans from the freezer even before my arrival from the day’s struggle because I derive pleasure in taking pap for dinner.
You were always there to share in my daily encounters and dreams. You believed in me and my dreams. You had 100 percent confidence in anything I did, and everything I laid my hands on Your actions gave me the total confidence, l needed to thrive
For over two decades of being together, we never had any cause to invite a third party to settle our differences. Though there is no perfect marriage anywhere but we knew how to manage ourselves and we did it to the admiration of many
I recall with nostalgia how we moved to our personal house, you hugged me and said ” l never believed in my whole life that we can build this type of house and other great things that have been achieved” Yes, with you life was sweet and the marriage institution was memorable. Though we buried our own children: Adesewa and Tope Adebisi which I thought would be the worse nightmare we would ever had together, but we survived that agony together and behold death came to take you away sooner
Though you have left this earth for a better place, your type are few and you enriched many people in diverse ways. You made many people very happy on a daily basis especially me. You no doubt, took your sterling qualities from Daddy and Mummy. For Daddy and Mummy, my heart melts every day because of their love to me and you.
I recall with treasured memories how Daddy sold part of their property at GRA and brought the money to the hospital for the treatment of our beloved daughter Adesewa.That was when I vowed that no matter the condition I found myself, l will never disappoint their trust in me. Aside being very caring, Daddy and Mummy will make sure they send palm oil and smoked fish anytime they see someone coming to Lagos. Evidently since we got married we never bought palm oil and some other food items courtesy of Mummy and Daddy. The same thing you try to do for people all around us by showing agape love to people in dire needs.
Your departure made me understand the reason you don’t have savings.You preferred to use all you have to bless the needy around us. You preferred to give to those that used to inbox you for financial assistance or neighbors that are not financially buoyant. Infact, those in need were the people on your priority list.I am not surprised because you inherited giving from Mummy and Daddy’s DNA.To say that Daddy and Mummy can give their last penny to the needy is an understatement
Adenike Helen Adebisi nee Adewunmi, l remember as if it was yesterday how you pressurised me to send my CV to Daddy for a better job and when I didn’t answer you, and years later, God bless my endeavors with sounding results, it made you to believe,respect and trust my daily hustling the more. It equally made me to adore you the more.
You are very modest in all our years of being together despite the fact that you have friends who are well to do.
You obeyed and complied with my instructions not to seek for financial assistance from any of them. You are indeed a woman of virtues.You are blessed among women
When I told you about General Muhammadu Buhari after my encounter with him in Kebbi State in year 2002, you decided to pitch your tent with him and campaigned for him rigorously.
You equally did the same thing for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu when l told you about my encounter with him in Abuja in 2009. Your social media mobilization for the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidential project was amazing.
Indeed, Tinubu’s condolence message to the family over your death was a great relief because I had earlier told Mummy and Daddy that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a man who recognizes those that work for him.
It was not only the high and mighty that you served, I recalled how you took the Gala boy that showed kindness to prisoners inside traffic in Lagos. You made sure the Gala boy was established and did same to several others.
You were a very honest being. If you had customers money with you, you made sure you kept the money till the time the customer gets the supply. I recalled that one of your Facebook friends Engr Abiodun Atobatele sent you (N500 000) Five Hundred Thousand Naira when your Instagram page was pulled down to attract followers on your Instagram page.You made sure you did justice to the money by showing me the list of the beneficiaries.You were very prudent, sincere,blunt and honest to the last minute.You never password your phones. You never made me feel bad in any way.
When I discussed with you my new business idea due to declining patronage of our law books publishing, you promised to get me one of your friends who is into the business I wanted to venture into to help me out but I felt since one of our tenants was into the same business, it would be better to allow our tenant to handle it. Unfortunately, the tenant scammed me and you kept encouraging me with the word of God quoting 1 Corinthians 6:7 which translate to mean why not allow yourself to be defrauded for the sake of the kingdom. You were still trying to make sure that we start the business before God called you.
You never allowed me to inconvenience myself. Once you knew I had a project at hand you kept encouraging me to keep money for the project. You pleaded with me to overlook the misdeeds of men and you loved me with the whole of your life. I knew it and it made me to pray daily to God to give me the grace to love you more on daily basis too. Now our creator who loved you more, has a reason to call you home early.
But your sudden death was most shocking. You only complained of shortness of breath in the presence of Daddy, Mummy and myself and within five minutes you were gone without any previous ill medical condition or ill health. Your death is a mystery to me
You were to travel to Canada early this year for the delivery of our baby unfortunately you needed to renew your expired international passport which could not be released four months after you had captured. Well, if God allowed it, death could still have visited you in far away Canada.
To keep your memories, your childhood friends like Dr Ayo Akanbi, Alhaji Taibat, Mrs Lola Edet and so on are championing Adenike Adewunmi Adebisi foundation. I promise to keep your legacy running for good along with the family and friends. I equally promise to do those things we normally do that always make Daddy and Mummy happy.
Rev.Dr J.S Owoeye, Minister-In-Charge of 2nd ECWA Church, Ilorin in one of his sermon said:
“If the chapters in the Bible had not closed, no doubt, the stories of Pa and Mama Job Abiodun Adewunmi including Yemi Adebisi, the husband of Adenike, would have been included in the Bible”.
No doubt, for you, heaven is guaranteed.
If the dead do see themselves here after, I believe our very beloved children Tope, Adesewa Adebisi and of course, Morire who accompanied you home will be with you by the Lord side radiating with eternal joy on your faces.
Till we meet to part no more adieu
I LOVE YOU BUT OUR CREATOR LOVED YOU MORE ADENIKE MI OWON,SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER/BLOGGER
Adeyemi Adebisi is the beloved husband of Adenike Helen Adebisi Nee Adewunmi